All nations walk to protect and restore Grand River’s water
By Carly McHugh Writer With about 170 km already behind them, a small group of walkers moved through Six Nations, a copper water pail in hand. Part of the All Nations Grand River Water Walk, the 270-km trek is now in its third of four years, not just spreading awareness about the need to protect the river, but connecting with its spirit. Mary Anne Caibaiosai is the lead walker and founder of the initiative, aiming to bring Indigenous and non-Indigenous people together to honour Nibi (water) and raise awareness of local water issues. This year’s walk was part of the cycle dedicated to waters held behind dams, which interrupt its natural flow and compromise the health of the river. Standing along the bank in York Park, one of the daily...
Register
Brantford raises a flag for Truth and Reconciliation
By Carly McHugh Writer BRANTFORD-Despite a rainy morning, the skies cleared just in time for the Every Child Matters recognition and flag raising at Harmony Square on Sept. 23, where Six Nations and Brantford united to spread awareness and honour victims and survivors of residential schools. Representatives from First Nations organizations throughout the area, as well as members of the public, stood by to witness the momentous event. Hosted by the Indigenous-led EarlyON centre and introduced by Brantford Mayor Kevin Davis, it was intended as a crucial step toward remembrance, healing and reconciliation. “Raising the flag for Truth and Reconciliation Day is much more than a symbolic act,” said Mayor Davis. “It’s a public commitment to remembering the painful truths of our shared history and to building a better path...
Register
Six Nations health exploring transfer of programs to local control
Six Nations is going to keep looking into and asking community members what they think of transferring the responsibility for health services from Indigenous Services Canada to the nation. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) passed a motion, at its General Council meeting on September 9. to support a community engagement plan to see what the community wants to do regarding community health services. The Well-Being Committee is exploring a potential health transfer from Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) to the community, with the decision resting on what community members want for the future of local health services. Director of the Well-Being Department, Debra Jonathan, explained that the Health Services Integrated Fund, provided by ISC since 2016, has supported the work of considering a possible transfer. “It depends on what the community...
Register
Six Nations elected council accused of disrespect and undermining Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council
By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- It’s an invitation that came back to bite them. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) invited the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Council (HCCC) to a joint meeting to discuss community issues but may be surprised at getting back both a political and historical lesson. The March 2025 SNEC invitation called for the two to meet because, “There is a history with HCCC and SNGREC (Six Nations Grand River Elected Council) working together for the benefit of our community.” The letter from Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill went on to cite a “partnership” she claimed existed between the two bodies during the controversial 2006 Douglas Creek Estates negotiations. In 2006, Six Nations community members re-took un-surrendered Six Nations lands on the outskirts of the town...
Register
Six Nations Polytechnic gets $2.46 million 20 year commitment from community’s development corporation
The Six Nations community is helping to keep post-secondary education in the community with a $2.46 million donation over 20 years from its economic development venture. The donation was announced by the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) and Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) last week. The first donation came in the form of a $950,000 commitment to Six Nations Polytechnic to cover tuition costs for students attending the post-secondary facility. The donation was announced Friday, September 26, 2025. The funds will come through the community’s investment in the Oneida Energy Storage facility. The SNGRDC said $50,000 will be distributed annually over the next 19 years to cover tuition costs for Six Nations members attending SNP. “This funding commitment reflects the importance of SNGRDC’s work in creating projects...
Register
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says major projects push can coexist with reconciliation
By Alessia Passafiume Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says reconciliation hasn’t returned to the back burner as the country pushes forward to develop major projects. In an interview just ahead of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, Simon tells The Canadian Press she sees a firm commitment to ensure Indigenous Peoples are involved as the major projects process evolves. The major projects legislation that passed in June received widespread condemnation from Indigenous leaders who feared it wouldn’t respect their rights to free, prior and informed consent. The bill allows the federal government to sidestep existing laws and select projects to fast track for development with cabinet approval. Simon says there has been much discussion in recent months about increasing development in the country and removing interprovincial trade barriers, which she...
Register
Orange Shirt Day…remember!
Six Nations, and the country, has once again marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, or as most of us refer to it, colloquially, Orange Shirt Day. For Indigenous peoples Orange Shirt Day is a day we take a step back to the history of our parents and grandparents. We remember what happened to all of the Six Nations children now our parents and grandparents who were sent to the schools. And we understand now today how it affected their children. We confront the horrors of the schools and what happened in them and we mark it as part of Canada’s history, its legacy and a national shame. A shame brought to the mainstream when Canada officially recognized its first national Truth and Reconciliation Day as a statutory holiday...
Register
Today in History
Sept 29 In 2021, Indigenous rights campaigner Freda Huson of B.C.’s Wet’suwet’en First Nation won Sweden’s Right Livelihood Award. The foundation that awards what are known as the “Alternative Nobel’’ recognized her “fearless dedication to reclaiming her people’s culture and defending their land against disastrous pipeline projects.’’ The foundation also recognized a gender and peace activist who has worked to prevent sexual violence against girls in Cameroon, a Russian environmental campaigner and India’s Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment. In 2021, Ottawa lost its bid to appeal a decision that called for First Nations children to be compensated after it was ruled the government didn’t properly fund child and family services on reserves. The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal ruled in 2019 that Ottawa didn’t properly fund the services, which amounted...
Register
UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY: Mother Earth Needs You Now
By Xavier Kataquapit I am the product, evolution of many thousands of years as are you. I grew up on the land in the remote far north of Ontario following in the footsteps of my Cree ancestors of the great James Bay and Muskego. I speak my Cree dialect based on a language that is ancient and I understand the history of my people and our connection to Mother Earth. My people have been living the nomadic life of hunters and gathers for thousands of years and this is knowledge that I have learned from my parents and Elders. I grew up on the land in my remote First Nation of Attawapiskat but I have also lived and worked in southern cities and towns of Ontario. I have been fortunate...
Register
Ironmen down Lakers in historic senior hockey contest
By Sam Laskaris Writer Thanks to a four-goal outburst in the second period, the Six Nations Ironmen managed to win their historic season-opening game. The Ironmen downed the visiting Woodstock Lakers 6-4 in their first Northern Premier Hockey League (NPHL) match held Sunday at the Six Nations Sports & Cultural Memorial Centre. In previous years the Ironmen had exclusively competed in Indigenous adult hockey tournaments, including the annual Fred Sasakamoose Chief Thunderstick National Hockey Championship, always held in Saskatoon. While the Six Nations club still plans to participate in the 2026 national tourney, it has also joined the NPHL, a Senior A circuit that features 25 squads, primarily in Ontario. The Ironmen are competing in the league’s eight-team Capital Conference. Ironmen general manager Darrell Anderson was obviously pleased his charges...
Register
Six Nations members crack Hawks’ 2025-26 roster
By Sam Laskaris Writer Three Six Nations teenagers cracked the opening-night roster for a local junior hockey squad. Avery Sault, Cruz General and Asher Martin, who are all forwards, are suiting up for the Hagersville Hawks. The Hawks compete in the Provincial Junior Hockey League (PJHL). The Junior C circuit features a total of 62 squads, divided up into eight divisions, across the province. Hagersville is a member of the eight-team Bloomfield Division. Sault and General, who are 18 and 19, respectively, are both in their second season with the Hagersville team. For Martin, who is 19, this is his first year with the Hawks. But he does have some experience in the league as he played 11 contests with the Hawks’ divisional rival Port Dover Sailors, last season. Hagersville’s...
Register
SPORTS BRIEFS: Styres in sophomore season with Corvairs
By Sam Laskaris Writer Styres in sophomore season with Corvairs Though he’s still only 16, Six Nations member Kane Styres is now in his second season of junior hockey. Styres, who does not turn 17 until Dec. 11, is once again patrolling the blueline for the Caledonia Corvairs, a Junior B squad that competes in the recently renamed Greater Ontario Hockey League (GOHL). Styres, a 5-foot-10 defenceman, was credited with six points (one goal and five assists) in 42 regular season appearances during his rookie campaign. And he’s well on his way to surpassing his point total in his second year with the Corvairs. Styres has earned three points, all assists, in his first six outings with the Caledonia squad. The Corvairs are one of the 11 squads participating in...
Register
Virtual Healing Quilt provides a shared space to honour loved ones
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com The virtual Healing Quilt is uniting families across distance and time, blending Indigenous tradition with digital innovation to create a shared space to remember and honour loved ones. Launched Sept. 26 at HealingQuilt.ca, the Canadian Healing Quilt is the first national project of its kind, allowing families to create memorial squares with photos, stories, and memories that can be shared publicly or remain private. The vision comes from Elder and knowledge keeper Albert McLeod, who has roots in the Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation and the Métis community in Norway House, and who lives in Winnipeg. He’s an advisor with Canadian Virtual Hospice. During the COVID-19 pandemic, McLeod witnessed how families were often kept apart at critical moments of illness and loss. “There were...
Register
As Amazon’s ‘flying rivers’ weaken with tree loss, scientists warn of worsening droughts
By Steven Grattan BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Droughts have withered crops in Peru, fires have scorched the Amazon and hydroelectric dams in Ecuador have struggled to keep the lights on as rivers dry up. Scientists say the cause may lie high above the rainforest, where invisible “flying rivers” carry rain from the Atlantic Ocean across South America. New analysis warns that relentless deforestation is disrupting that water flow and suggests that continuing tree loss will worsen droughts in the southwestern Amazon and could eventually trigger those regions to shift from rainforest to drier savanna — grassland with far fewer trees. “These are the forces that actually create and sustain the Amazon rainforest,” said Matt Finer, a senior researcher with Amazon Conservation’s Monitoring of the Andean Amazon Project (MAAP), which tracks...
Register
Ernie Stevens Jr., chair of the Indian Gaming Association and Oneida Nation leader, has died
By Todd Richmond MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Ernie “Big Cat” Stevens Jr., a driving force behind the expansion of Native American gaming for more than two decades, has died. He was 66. The Indian Gaming Association, a Washington, D.C.-based group that works to protect tribes and promote tribal gaming, announced Monday that Stevens died Friday at the Oneida Nation in Wisconsin. His aunt, Bobbi Webster, confirmed his death in a short telephone interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday. “It’s sort of unfathomable,” Webster said of Stevens’ death. “He was pretty young and vibrant and athletic and healthy. It just came as an unexpected shock to everyone who knew him to lose him.” The AP left a follow-up message with Webster inquiring about how he died. Deana Jackson, a gaming...
Register
What’s still needed after the Pope’s residential schools apology? Sustained action, humility and heart
By Tiffany Dionne Prete Assistant Professor As we observe National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, it is relevant to remember the late Pope Francis. As the first Latin American and Jesuit Pope, his leadership was marked by efforts to face difficult issues, including those affecting Indigenous Peoples in Canada. One of the most significant moments of his papacy for this country was his historic public apology for the Catholic Church’s role in the Indian Residential School system. This apology was long-awaited by Survivors, their families and Indigenous communities across Canada. As the actions of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) demonstrated, and as the Pope and many others noted during his visit and since that time, reconciliation is not a single event. It is a long and difficult process requiring...
Register
Assembly of First Nations calls for action towards reconciliation
Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa, Ontario – Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief, Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, ihas called on Canada to implement the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions (TRC) 94 Calls to Action and at the same time close the First Nations infrastructure gap. On the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, Natinal Chief Woodhouse Nepinak said “Reconciliation requires a new relationship with the Crown, one built on mutual respect and full implementation of our Treaty rights, inherent rights, title and jurisdiction, and our rights under international law,” said Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, National Chief of the AFN. “Today is a day to honour all survivors of the residential schools and to commit ourselves to the actions and investments needed to build strong First Nations and...
Register
Prime Minister Mark Carney tells Indigenous people “we will not fail you”
OTTAWA- While the country marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Prime MInister Mark Carney told Indigenous people, “we will not fail you.” He told a crowd assembled for Truth and Reconciliation activities in the Ottawa that at the beginning of his mandate he installed a painting outside cabinet offices that begins with colour and fades as you pass by it. He said he began his discussion with the painting because it depicts both the pain of repression, a painful part of Canada’s shared history with Indigenous peoples and the possibility of renewal . He says he sees it every time he enters the cabinet building, so he and his colleagues “remember what came before us and are seized with the task ahead of us. We will not fail...
Register
Indigenous nations plan customs-free trade corridor across Canada-US border
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Just west of Fort Qu’Appelle in Saskatchewan, the Standing Buffalo Dakota Nation is working across the US border to revive centuries-old trade routes as part of a new Indigenous-governed trade corridor. Trucks from the First Nation could soon be transporting food, furniture and even critical minerals south of the border along ancestral pathways once used to move buffalo hides and pemmican across the Plains — without paying taxes or tariffs. For generations, Indigenous peoples freely exchanged goods, knowledge and culture across the land that is now divided by the Canada–US border. Those networks were disrupted by colonial laws that divided families and communities but they are now being reimagined as a modern supply chain grounded in Indigenous law and sovereignty....
Register
Yukoners take part in national citizens’ assembly on climate change
By Talar Stockton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Yukon News Sean Barnaby was one of three Yukoners in the room at the Global Centre for Pluralism in Ottawa, discussing experiences of climate change. The Yukon University student told the News that upon touching down in Canada’s capital on Sept. 17, he joined around 30 other Canadian youths in developing a slate of recommendations on climate change to present to the Canadian Senate. Barnaby was a Yukon representative for the Canadian Youth Climate Assembly: a citizens’ assembly commissioned by Senators for Climate Solutions. The youth presented their list of recommendations to senators on Sept. 21 in the upper chamber of Canadian parliament. According to a press release from the event, it was the first national citizens’ assembly on climate change in Canada,...
Register
