Elite coaches from the Netherlands provide soccer expertise to North Shore First Nations
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News Members of local First Nations communities recently received a rare opportunity to learn about the beautiful game from some of the best in the world. On Wednesday coaches from səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) Nation wrapped up a five-day training program with the Royal Netherlands Football Association’s WorldCoaches initiative at the new Tsleil-Waututh Sports Field. WorldCoaches is an international program that brings professional coaches into communities in an effort to elevate coaching skills and stress the importance of other sporting benefits such as social development, managing emotions, learning empathy and critical thinking. “By teaching coaches how to recognize these skills in specific training and match situations, we try to make the link to social issues that children face within certain...
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A citizen campaign returns iconic kiwi birds to New Zealand’s capital after a century-long absence
By Charlotte Graham-clay WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — The kiwi, New Zealand’s sacred national bird, vanished from the hills around Wellington more than a century ago. Now the capital’s residents are waging an improbable citizen campaign to return the endangered flightless birds to the city. “They are a part of who we are and our sense of belonging here,” said Paul Ward, founder of the Capital Kiwi Project, a charitable trust. “But they’ve been gone from these hills for well over a century and we decided as Wellingtonians that wasn’t right.” On a hill wreathed in mist above the dark sea that runs between New Zealand’s North and South Islands, Ward and others crossed rugged farmland late on Tuesday night, carrying seven crates in silence by dim red torchlight. Inside...
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Upper Nicola program a ‘gold standard’ in effort to save B.C.’s burrowing owls
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com A decade after the first burrowing owls were released onto its reserve lands, the Upper Nicola Band is marking what leaders and partners describe as a rare conservation success in a province where the species remains on the brink. On April 22, community members, knowledge keepers, and conservation partners gathered on the Douglas Lake reserve to release six more captive-raised burrowing owls as part of an ongoing recovery effort that has quietly become one of the most productive breeding sites for the species in British Columbia. Since 2016, the program has produced 125 wild-born fledglings, with both captive-born and wild-born owls returning annually to breed — a key indicator of long-term viability. “The program has exceeded all our expectations,” said Loretta Holmes,...
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Banks expanding further into Indigenous financing as project push accelerates
By Ian Bickis As Indigenous ownership in major projects is increasingly framed as a way to help ensure they go ahead, banks are working to expand their offerings to help make such equity deals happen. RBC is the latest to expand its capacity, announcing Thursday that it is launching an advisory service to help Indigenous groups buy into major projects. The practice adds to efforts like BMO’s launch of the first labelled Indigenous bond last October, and Scotiabank’s backing of investment dealer Cedar Leaf Capital Inc. to open more doors to financial services for Indigenous groups. “The banks recognize that this is a growth area,” Mark Podlasly, chief executive of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, said at a conference in Toronto on Thursday. Indigenous people in Canada already have...
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Former Tsay Keh Dene manager sentenced for insurance fraud
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A former human resources manager with the Tsay Keh Dene First Nation pleaded guilty April 22 to defrauding an insurance company of almost $18,000. Nelson Ugonna Onwuliri administered the band’s employee benefits plan and created accounts in the names of band members, ultimately using the accounts to file fraudulent claims with Sun Life Insurance for medical services from Dec. 1, 2022, to May 4, 2023. A total of $17,742 from those claims was directed to one of Onwuliri’s personal accounts. Sun Life, the victim of the fraud, recovered $13,200 from Onwuliri’s accounts. Court heard that the company confirmed in the past week that the outstanding amount of $4,542 was paid. Associate Chief Judge Paul Dohm agreed to a joint Crown...
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Manitoba shuts down landfill search site, crews still looking for victim at another
By Brittany Hobson Manitoba says it has officially decommissioned the search site at a Winnipeg-area landfill where the remains of two slain First Nations women were found last year. The province says the final cost of the seven-month search at the Prairie Green landfill came to $18.4 million. It had been estimated to take up to three years and cost as much as $184 million. After the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran were discovered, the search moved to Winnipeg’s Brady Road landfill for another victim. The search continues there for the remains of Ashlee Shingoose. The remains of Rebecca Contois were discovered in a Winnipeg garbage bin and at Brady Road landfill in 2022. Serial killer Jeremy Skibicki was convicted of first-degree murder in the 2022 deaths of...
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Membertou resets cannabis law creation for community
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Membertou First Nation’s chief and council are resetting the cannabis law process they have been working on for several years because they feel it needs more community participation and perspectives. Retired senator Dan Christmas, whom Chief Terry Paul asked to lead the original process in 2023, says the chief and band council want to make sure the path forward reflects what the community members want and need. Originally, the plan under the now-defunct Cannabis Law Working Group was that a plebiscite community vote would be held this year for adult voters over the age of 18. It would have to pass before it would be brought into Membertou law by the chief and council. Consultation workshops were held during 2025...
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Inuit languages streaming service Iipitiki TV launches with 180 videos
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News An early childhood education Inuktitut and Inuinnaqtun streaming service called Iipitiki TV launched on April 10, featuring 180 animated videos ranging from 47 seconds to just under an hour. The Qikiqtani Inuit Association, non-profits the Unaaq Cultural Society and the Nunavut Bilingual Education Society, along with Inuit film company Taqqut Productions are behind the service. “We heard from Inuit educators and community members that Inuit children are not exposed to enough rich oral Inuktitut in their home, at playgrounds and throughout the communities. This lack of early exposure to oral language is contributing to language erosion in Nunavut,” said Don MacDougall, senior project manager at the Nunavut Bilingual Education Society. The organizations wanted to give parents and schools Inuktitut and...
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RBC establishing practice focused on Indigenous finance as project push accelerates
-CP-RBC says it is launching an advisory service to help Indigenous groups buy into major projects as Canada moves to accelerate development on numerous fronts. Speaking at the First Nations Major Projects Coalition conference in Toronto, RBC chief executive Dave McKay said that with most major projects on or next to Indigenous lands, it’s critical that Indigenous partnership is at the centre of this development push. McKay said Indigenous groups face barriers to access the capital needed to become partners, and while banks are still learning how to operate in this space, they can play a meaningful role in boosting Indigenous equity. Mark Podlasly, chief executive of the FNMPC, says banks recognize that Indigenous financing is a growth area as Indigenous people in Canada already have about $120 billion in...
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Good Roads conference offers valuable insights, says councillor
By Joe O’Grady, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Temiskaming Speaker TEMISKAMING SHORES – City staff in Temiskaming Shores deserve to take a bow for the work they do in making big projects happen. That’s the view of Temiskaming Shores councillor Nadia Pelletier-Lavigne, reporting back from her attendance at the recent Ontario Good Roads Association annual conference in Toronto. Pelletier-Lavigne said the keynote speaker for the event was author Dan Gardner, who spoke about what it takes to get projects done on time and on budget. “The markers for that are is it done on time, is it done on budget?” she said in her verbal report at city council on April 21. “I feel like the city is good at this. So I wanted to just give kudos to the directors...
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Ballet tackles endless wildfires and the fear of cultural burn teachings
By Crystal St.Pierre, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn, a full-length narrative contemporary ballet, will be presented by Ballet Kelowna May 1 and May 2 at the Kelowna Community Theatre. The original piece by Cameron sinkʷə Fraser-Monroe explores Indigenous fire stewardship and cikilaxʷm, meaning prescribed fires, related to the restoration of the land and community through traditional practices. “We have been working with Cameron since 2021 when we commissioned the first piece from him for Ballet Kelowna called taqəš,” said Simone Orlando, artistic director and CEO. “Cameron has worked closely as an artist-in-residence for our 20th anniversary season and there were a couple of other works that were developed during that year and he has continued as our associate artist.” Cikilaxʷm: Controlled Burn is the fifth piece Fraser-Munroe...
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Carney says clean electricity strategy promised weeks ago is still on its way
By Nick Murray The federal government still has not announced its clean electricity strategy, despite Prime Minister Mark Carney saying it would land weeks ago. At a news conference in Halifax on March 26, Carney told reporters the government would be releasing “next week” a strategy to expand the electricity grid through hydro, nuclear and renewable energy. When asked on his way into a caucus meeting Wednesday for an update on the electricity strategy, Carney said only, “It’s coming.” The Prime Minister’s Office told The Canadian Press it had nothing further to add. In the spring economic update released on Tuesday, the government said it was planning to issue a “discussion paper” to seek input from provinces and territories on how to modernize the grid. The economic update did say...
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Violence prevention program to be implemented in all Dilico communities
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY – Dilico Anishinabek Family Care is rolling out a culturally-grounded anti-violence program to all First Nations the organization serves. MPP Kevin Holland held a press conference on Monday to announce that the province is allocating $200,000 over the next two years to fund delivery of the 12-week Kizhaay Anishinaabe Niin (I am a Kind Man) program. “This funding is to get into the communities and help people that are having difficulties with interpersonal violence, domestic violence, to make sure that we can support them in a cultural way to work towards healing and being accountable for the actions that they’ve taken towards their intimate partners” said director of substance health and special projects, John Dixon. “We believe that we can...
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Community workshop builds replicas of decades-old Inuit kayak
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Two kayaks that replicate a 60-year-old model built by an elder are being reconstructed at a community workshop in Kuujjuaq. The event, scheduled to run April 20 to May 1, was originally designed for eight participants aged 17 to 30. However, due to strong interest, the organizers have opened it to all Inuit, said Alice Roy, a psycho-social worker with Nurrait — Jeunes Karibus, which offers on-the-land programs for youth. “This workshop is a place where people can gather, talk about kayaks but also where these organizations can be in contact with the community,” Roy said. In 1968, the Canadian Museum of History commissioned Tuumasikallak, an elder from Kangirsuk, to create a kayak. It construction was documented by Bernard Saladin D’Anglure,...
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Province putting measures in place to defend against invasive mussel species
By Alexandra Noad, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lethbridge Herald Boating season is quickly approaching and Alberta’s government is strengthening its defences against invasive mussel species to protect lakes, rivers and critical infrastructure. Invasive mussels including quagga, zebra and golden mussels destroy ecosystems, threaten shorelines and can cause hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. One female mussel can open up and release one million eggs, which can quickly lead to an infestation.These mussels also attach themselves on hard surfaces and rapidly accumulate in layers to the point where they can begin clogging things like the intakes to irrigation pipelines, intakes to the canals and the reservoirs. If mussels were to invade irrigation canals, Richard Phillips, chair of Alberta Irrigation Districts Association says it would have devastating consequences on the farmers...
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Whitehorse protest decries manslaughter verdict in First Nation man’s death
By Noah Korver, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yukon News Several hundred protesters shut down Main Street in Whitehorse on April 28, marching over what they say is a miscarriage of justice after a Yukon judge convicted Seth Boss of manslaughter in the death of Anthony Primozic in March 2022. In an agreed statement of facts, Boss admitted to killing Primozic in an attack that left him with multiple blunt and sharp-force injuries, including more than 100 puncture wounds. Crown prosecutors argued the prolonged and violent nature of the attack showed Boss intended to kill. Boss’ defence lawyers argued that the charge of second-degree murder requires subjective foresight and that Boss was severely intoxicated to comprehend his actions, and that it is not possible to prove he intended to kill Primozic,...
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Amnesty International report warns of deepening Indigenous people’s housing crisis
By Pierre Saint-Arnaud A new report by Amnesty International warns that overcrowded and unsafe housing in an Atikamekw community north of Montreal reflects a broader crisis putting Indigenous people’s health, safety and rights at risk across Canada. In Manawan, about 250 kilometres north of Montreal, community leaders say families are regularly reaching out for emergency housing support as homes become increasingly overcrowded and conditions deteriorate. “Every week, elected officials and community leaders receive calls, messages and urgent requests from families in search of housing who are often motivated by critical situations where the safety of women and children is at stake,” said Sipi Flamand, chief of the Atikamekw Council of Manawan, at the release of the report in Montreal. The report is based on a two-year investigation into housing conditions...
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Teen arrested in Manitoba bar shooting that killed one, injured another
A 16-year-old boy has turned himself in a day after a fatal shooting on a First Nation in northern Manitoba. RCMP had been looking for a suspect after two men were shot on Tuesday at the Playgreen Inn bar on Norway House Cree Nation, about 800 kilometres from Winnipeg. Police say a 25-year-old man from the community died, while a 38-year-old was treated and released from hospital. A lockdown order that was put in place after the shooting lasted into Wednesday. The First Nation says there’s no ongoing threat to the community. It says the shooting appears to have been targeted. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 29, 2026. ...
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Six Nations takes on climate change with Turtle Island News annual tree give-away
Six Nations tree lovers came out in droves to Turtle Island News’ annual Earth Day tree give-away By Alex Murray Writer Photos by Jim C. Powless Even the Sun came out on Earth Day making sure Turtle Island News’ 28th annual Earth Day free tree giveaway was not only filled with sugar maples, paw-paws, and smiles, but with sunny skies and scores of Six Nations community members coming out to the first festival of the year at Six Nations. For nearly 30 years Turtle Island News has been celebrating Earth Day with a free tree giveaway, handing out over 400 trees just this year and over 50,000 trees to the Six Nations community across three decades. This year, Turtle Island News handed out hundreds of budding sugar maples, the rare...
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Six Nations Aerodrome raising neighbourhood questions
By Alex Murray Writer A Six Nations’ businessman’s construction of an aerodrome is raising questions after Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) closed a meeting with the owner to the public. SNEC held the closed meeting Feb., 23 after receiving complaints from neighbours concerned about safety. Mike Isaacs, who also owns Isaacs Automotive in Ohsweken, is building the aerodrome—to be named the L. Stoney Isaacs Aerodrome- on his property on 5th Line. The property is located in a residential area. Isaacs did not return Turtle Island News calls. Canada’s Aviation Regulations (CARs) guidelines require anyone building an aerodrome to consult with a variety of different “interested parties” 75 days before construction begins and to place a sign at the location. Six Nations residents learned of the coming aerodrome when a sign...
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