Former NHL star to visit Fort Nelson for documentary screening
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT NELSON, B.C. — Two northeast B.C. bands have collaborated to screen a documentary and welcome a former NHL star next week. A veteran of 739 NHL hockey games, Jordin Tootoo will visit Fort Nelson for a screening of a documentary based on him and a Q&A session with community members on Thursday, April 16th. ‘Tootoo’ will be screened at Fort Nelson’s Phoenix Theatre. The event is being organized by Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN) and Prophet River First Nation (PRFN) alongside School District 81 and Sandy Hart of Remax Action Realty. Directed by Michael Hamilton, the 2025 film explores the trials and tribulations of former NHL star Jordin Tootoo, from his humble beginnings in Rankin Inlet in Nunavut to his voluntary...
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First-ever education director conference features Kanesatake
By Hadassah Alencar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door The First Nations Education Council (FNEC) hosted an inaugural Director’s Gathering in Laval for education directors from different Indigenous communities to share insights, learn new strategies, and improve educational management. For Watsenniiostha Nelson, director of education of the Kanesatake Education Center (KEC), the conference on April 1 and 2 has inspired her and helped get more ideas to improve on already positive working relationships between educational staff in Kanesatake. Nelson hopes to improve communication and better meet the needs of all school staff. “I want to make sure that they feel supported and safe to take healthy risks when it comes to their jobs that would be beneficial,” said Nelson. “I feel like it could be better, so I would...
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FN chiefs raise concerns about government and separatist lawyers talking outside of court
By Jeremy Appel, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News On the final day of court submissions aiming to halt the process of initiating an Alberta independence referendum, three First Nations leaders are raising concerns about the perceived proximity of government and separatist lawyers. On April 9, Justice Shaina Leonard of the Court of King’s Bench heard arguments from lawyers for Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) and Blackfoot Confederacy, as well as the provincial government, Stay Free Alberta CEO Mitch Sylvestre and chief electoral officer Gordon McClure. ACFN and the Blackfoot nations, consisting of the Piikani, Siksika and Kainai bands, are asking Justice Leonard to order a stay on the chief electoral officer’s counting of the Stay Free Alberta petition signatures until she rules on whether the petition can proceed....
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Former head of Manitoba Inuit Association facing sex assault charges in Nunavut
The former leader of an Inuit organization based in Winnipeg is facing multiple sexual assault charges in Nunavut. RCMP in the territory say 39-year-old Nastania Mullin was arrested Wednesday in Winnipeg following an investigation that began last year. Mullin is in custody and is expected to be transferred to Nunavut, where he is to have a first court appearance. Mounties say he faces seven charges involving four complainants. The alleged sex assaults happened in Iqaluit between 2003 and 2023. Mullin was chief executive officer of the Manitoba Inuit Association, a resource centre that represents Inuit in the province, but he was removed from the job in November. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 10, 2026. ...
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Applications open for renovation program in Kahnawake
By Eve Cable, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Eastern Door A new addition to the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) Child and Family Services Renovation Program could ease the burden for multi-generation families living in one unit, with new provisions this year specifically earmarked for families to create additional bedrooms and bathrooms in living spaces. The Overcrowding Supplement has been created this year as part of the program, which will allow Kahnawa’kehró:non with many family members to create more space to live comfortably in their homes. The provision is part of a funding package totalling around nearly $1 million from ISC, which last year saw 24 households benefit from renovations. “We want to service as many community members as possible,” said Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief Ryan Montour, the portfolio...
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Alberta regulator challenges legal basis of Imperial Oil tailings spill lawsuit
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer Alberta’s energy regulator is pushing for the dismissal of parts of a First Nation’s lawsuit over toxic tailings spills at Imperial Oil’s Kearl oilsands mine in the province’s north. According to court filings obtained by Canada’s National Observer, the Alberta Energy Regulator (AER) calls Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s claims “overly vague and general,” contending that it wrongly targets the regulator instead of the site’s operator, Imperial Oil, while also challenging the province’s oilsands oversight system. The First Nation and its advocates are countering the claim by denouncing the regulator’s efforts as a “delay tactic.” “They’re trying to see if we will go away, but we’re not gonna go away, and neither is this case,” said Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief...
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Collecting signatures for separation vote doesn’t violate treaty: Alberta’s lawyers
By Jack Farrell Lawyers for the Alberta government say collecting signatures for a potential referendum on separation doesn’t violate treaty rights, and they argue holding a vote on leaving Canada wouldn’t be a violation either. “There’s no adverse harm,” Neil Dobson told an Edmonton courtroom Thursday in a hearing over challenges on the constitutionality of the province’s citizen-initiated referendum process. Multiple First Nations launched the challenge. They argue the referendum process and its use by separatists in their ongoing petition campaign to force a vote violates treaty rights, including the duty to consult. Dobson said there’s no need for consultation because the province isn’t taking policy action yet. “The collection of signatures and the ability to put forward the petition in the first place is really the commencement of that...
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James Smith Cree Nation partners with Sask. Marshals
By Nicole Goldsworthy, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, SaskToday.ca JAMES SMITH CREE NATION — A new partnership between James Smith Cree Nation and the Saskatchewan Marshals Service aims to strengthen public safety through closer collaboration with RCMP, while keeping existing policing structures in place. Chief Kirby Constant says the agreement is designed to improve day-to-day safety by addressing outstanding warrants and enhancing cooperation between agencies. James Smith Cree Nation has signed a Band Council Resolution (BCR) inviting the Saskatchewan Marshals Service (SMS) to operate on its traditional lands, formalizing a new public safety partnership with the province. Under the agreement, the SMS will work alongside the RCMP, which remains the police of jurisdiction, to focus on apprehending individuals with outstanding warrants and addressing priority criminal activity. “This partnership will look different...
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Crown wants jail for man who collected child pornography
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen Sentencing was reserved April 2 for a Prince George man who pleaded guilty more than a year ago to a charge of accessing child sexual abuse and exploitation material. Crown prosecutor Anne Baines said in Provincial Court that Jeremie Longhurst, 26, should be jailed for 18 months, plus three years probation, and be listed on the national sex offender registry for 20 years. Baines said some of the content Longhurst collected depict bestiality and sadism. Longhurst’s defence lawyer, Jason LeBlond, said his client should serve an 18-to-24 month conditional sentence in the community, with the first 12 months under round-the-clock house arrest. Judge Michael Brecknell set April 21 for a hearing to schedule the date of his verdict. Baines said...
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Evers signs a law legalizing online sports betting in Wisconsin
By Scott Bauer MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers signed a bill into law Thursday that legalizes online sports betting, making it the 33rd state to allow the practice. But gamblers in Wisconsin will have to wait months or maybe even longer before they can start to legally place bets. The law Evers signed, which passed the Legislature with bipartisan support, requires the state to negotiate new deals with American Indian tribes that would run the sports betting. Evers said he would not accept a plan that treats any one tribe better than another. “The real work begins today,” he said in a statement. “Each of the 11 Tribes must now work diligently-and together-to shape the future of sports betting in Wisconsin. … An approach that exacerbates long-standing...
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B.C. First Nations leaders say Eby’s planned DRIPA pause breaks trust
By Wolfgang Depner and Marissa Birnie First Nations leaders say the British Columbia New Democrat’s plans to suspend sections of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act has hurt their relationship with the government. The First Nations Leadership Council said Premier David Eby has “broken the trust” built by his late predecessor, John Horgan, and First Nations. The council said in a statement released Thursday that the NDP government’s plans to suspend parts of the declaration act represent a “unilateral betrayal” designed to pave the way for its repeal. The suspension, which was announced to First Nations leaders by Eby last week, is “an abandonment of the province’s commitment to principled reconciliation, as well as serving to create a climate of uncertainty,” the statement said. The scathing response...
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Feds sending support to Manitoba First Nation at risk of severe flooding
By Brittany Hobson The federal government is sending help to a Manitoba First Nation as it faces calls from the community and the province to mobilize troops to prepare for the threat of devastating floods. Federal Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski says she approved the deployment of “humanitarian personnel” to Peguis First Nation, located along the Fisher River north of Winnipeg. “I have spoken with Premier Wab Kinew and we will work closely with the province and Peguis First Nation going forward,” Olszewski said Thursday on the social media platform X. The province’s spring flood outlook indicates the Interlake region, which Peguis is part of, is at risk of flooding due to a large accumulation of snow, a delayed melt and an increased likelihood of rapid spring runoff. The First...
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B.C.’s First Nations council says Eby’s planned DRIPA pause is ‘unilateral betrayal’
-CP-A First Nations group says the British Columbia government’s plan to suspend sections of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, or DRIPA, represents a “unilateral betrayal” designed to pave the way for its repeal. The First Nations Leadership Council says Premier David Eby has “broken the trust” built between his late predecessor, John Horgan, and First Nations. The scathing response comes after Eby sent a letter to Indigenous leaders on Wednesday, saying he regrets not having more time in the legislative calendar to talk about the government’s plans to suspend sections of DRIPA, which has created political and legal friction. In its statement, the leadership council says the suspension has been “falsely framed” by Eby as “a compromise and an accommodation,” saying its effect is the same...
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Manitoba First Nation, premier call for military aid as flooding threatens community
A First Nation prone to flooding and the Manitoba government are calling for help from the Canadian military as spring conditions are putting the community at risk of flooding again. Peguis First Nation Chief Stan Bird says the community, north of Winnipeg, could use assistance from the Canadian Armed Forces to provide technical support to prepare for the floodwaters. The province’s spring flood outlook indicates the Interlake region, which Peguis is part of, is facing an increased flood risk due to large amounts of snow, a delayed melt and an increased likelihood of rapid spring runoff. The First Nation has been advised that if conditions remain unfavourable that it could see water levels similar to the 2022 flood, considered one of the worst in the community and one that led...
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Poilievre says Ottawa must protect private property in wake of Cowichan Tribes ruling
By The Canadian Press Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre says the federal government must do more to protect property rights following a landmark court decision in British Columbia last year. The ruling said the Cowichan Tribes have Aboriginal title over a large swath of Richmond, B.C., that Crown and city titles within it are defective and invalid, and that the granting of private titles by the government unjustifiably infringed on the Cowichan title. The ruling has lead to questions about how Aboriginal title and private property can coexist, and concerns about mortgages and loans for businesses in the area. Poilievre says the federal government should change how it argues Aboriginal title claims in the courts, and should ensure homeowners are “protected” in future agreements with First Nations. He also wants a...
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Man sentenced for manslaughter after killing wife while ‘profoundly intoxicated’
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — A man has been sentenced for manslaughter in relation to the 2023 killing of his wife near Williston Lake. In a court document, Justice Sandra Sukstorf ruled Brent Angus McCook, 28, was “profoundly intoxicated” in the shooting of his wife, Rochelle Poole, in the remote community of Kwadacha, a First Nations community northwest of Fort St. John. Sukstorf sentenced McCook to six years and nine months in jail, plus three years of probation and a lifetime firearm ban. Including his time already served, McCook will serve nearly two more years behind bars. The crown was looking for a sentence of 16 years. McCook, a member of Kwadacha Nation, a Tsek’ehne community of around 400 people, committed the shooting...
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Chiefs call for moratorium on N.S. cannabis raids after last week’s highway protests
By Devin Stevens Mi’kmaw chiefs in Nova Scotia are demanding a moratorium on RCMP raids on cannabis stores in their communities. The call from Maw-lukutijik Saqmaq, also known as the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs, comes after First Nations communities blocked a number of provincial highways last week in protest of increased police raids in their communities in recent months. First Nations leaders have claimed they have a treaty right to sell cannabis, which the provincial government denies. The assembly said in a release Thursday that it wants a moratorium on raids until it has had a chance to have “real nation-to-nation” talks with the province. It said despite claims from Minister of Justice Scott Armstrong and Premier Tim Houston, no one from the provincial government has reached out...
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For second time, Trump seeks to eliminate federal funding for tribal colleges and universities
By Graham Lee Brewer For the second year in a row, the Trump administration is proposing slashing federal funding for tribal colleges and universities. President Donald Trump’s fiscal year 2027 budget proposal calls for a $1.5 trillion increase to defense spending and would carve billions of dollars out of programs that fulfill trust and treaty responsibilities to tribal nations, including entirely eliminating funding for the Institute for American Indian Arts, the country’s only federally funded college for contemporary Native American arts. The budget proposal released last week also calls for cutting funding for TCUs, as well as funding for two schools operated by the Bureau of Indian Education: Haskell Indian Nations University in Kansas and the Southwestern Indian Polytechnic Institute in New Mexico. Students at both colleges sued the BIE...
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Brantford man charged in stabbing and police standoff
By Alex Murray Writer BRANTFORD, ONT-A 41-year-old man has been arrested and charged in connection with a stabbing that sent a city man to hospital with serious injuries and saw a second man threatened. BPS arrested a man April 8th at about 11:00 a.m., after a suspect had barricaded himself in a Marlene Avenue residence, refusing to surrender. Police were able to negotiate with the man, who surrendered and was arrested at about 12:30 p.m. In a move aimed at ensuring public safety BPS placed a local school in a precautionary hold and secure that has been lifted. The police investigation found a 50-year-old man had been stabbed multiple times while at a residence located at Dalhousie and Brock Street. The victim was transported to hospital for treatment of serious...
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Quebec Order of Nurses officially recognizes Indigenous Nurses Day
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase A victory for Indigenous nurses across the province as the Quebec Order of Nurses (OIIQ) officially recognizes Indigenous Nurses Day for the first time. Wendy Skye, a retired nurse from Kateri Memorial Hospital Centre, called the OIIQ’s recognition an important step forward for Indigenous nurses. “It’s more than words,” Skye said. “Hats off to OIIQ for doing that and putting in place and make sure there’s resources and giving some concrete examples.” According to OIIQ President Luc Mathieu, the board of directors passed the resolution to recognize Indigenous Nurses Day in summer 2025 after consulting with Indigenous Nations across the province. “We highlight this day, among other things, to raise awareness among healthcare professionals and the general public about the importance of...
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