Moose seized from Kahnawa’kehró:non harvesters by provincial wildlife protection officers
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase Quebec’s wildlife protection officers have allegedly seized two moose from a group of Kahnawa’kehró:non hunters in the Gaspé peninsula earlier this month. The incident has sparked outrage in Kahnawake, with many considering it a clear violation of Indigenous harvesting rights protected under both the Canadian Constitution and Quebec Common Law. Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Chief David Diabo, who is coordinating MCK’s response to the incident, says the MCK unequivocally denounces the action. Diabo stressed these kinds of situations “have to stop.” According to Diabo, the incident took place on Friday, October 10, near the town of Matane, Quebec, and involved three Kahnawa’kehró:non hunters between the ages of 20 and 30. Officers approached the group in response to complaints from local residents...
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‘Wishes of Alma’s mother have been honoured and they rest together’
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Tu Nedhé-Wiilideh MLA Richard Edjericon is asking the Northwest Territories government to change legislation to help families repatriate the remains of children who died at residential schools. At the Legislative Assembly on Wednesday, Edjericon spoke about a service he attended to bring home the remains of a young Indigenous girl named Alma. Alma passed away more than 80 years ago while attending the former St Joseph’s Residential School, Edjericon said, and the repatriation marked the restoration of “a fundamental human right” that had long been denied to Indigenous families – the right to “lay loved ones to rest according to our own wishes and traditions.” While those rights are clearly outlined within the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous...
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Indigenous family services organization seeks funds for youth conference
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A family service organization serving Indigenous youth in the region is looking for assistance to attend a national conference. The Nenan Dane Zaa Deh Zona Family Services Society is based in Fort St. John, and since its founding has expanded beyond just child welfare services, according to executive director Derian Young. “The original intent of our agency was to pursue jurisdiction over child welfare for our region,” said Young. “We work within indigenous child and youth mental health, [working] with Indigenous children and youth in care, Indigenous child development and then we also do advocacy and support for any families at risk.” Part of the support includes providing participation in First Nations youth events, including the Gathering our Voices event focusing on teenagers aged 14...
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Wildfire fighters, evacuees call on feds to restore funds for equipment and training
By Nick Murray When Jennifer Saulnier fled her home with her dog in Tantallon, N.S., in May 2023, her phone started buzzing as she sat in stalled traffic. Her home monitoring system alerted her first to a window break, then smoke, then fire. Five minutes after “narrowly escaping” from her driveway, she said, her house was gone. “Like many Canadians, I thought climate change was something that would affect future generations,” she told a press conference in Ottawa on Wednesday, holding one of her son’s charred hockey medals and a melted coin given to him by his grandparents. “I know the impacts of climate change are here. I lived through it, and we’re not ready.” Saulnier, volunteer firefighters and Indigenous wildfire guardians are meeting with MPs this week to push...
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‘Reigniting conversations’: Family services society Nenan Dane Zaa Deh Zona hosts open house and annual general meeting
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A local family services organization dedicated to assisting families in the Indigenous community hosted an open house alongside its annual general meeting. The Nenan Dane Zaa Deh Zona Family Services Society is located in downtown Fort St. John, offering services including “nurturing the creation of child-centered systems of support that honor and meaningfully engage children and families by linking to their distinct culture, traditional practices and languages,” according to its website. The organization currently offers services to local First Nations in the area as well as members of the region’s Métis community, said executive director Derian Young. “The purpose of Nenan from the beginning was to pursue the reclamation of our inherent rights and responsibilities for our children,” said Young. “As times progress, things have...
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Community backs Eskasoni fire chief after driving, assault charges
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Eskasoni First Nation is standing by its community fire chief after a recent arrest for driving and assault infractions. Fire Chief Fred Sylliboy, whose first language is Mi’kmaq, says a situation that occurred on Oct. 10 on Route 223 was all a misunderstanding, and he is upset that language interpreters weren’t called in by the RCMP on the scene, even though he had asked for them. On Oct. 10, RCMP received a call about a truck being driven erratically. The police pulled 58-year-old Sylliboy over in front of his family home in Eskasoni. “How come they’re pulling me over?” Sylliboy said during an interview with the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN). “They said, ‘You’re reported for impaired driving.’ I said...
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The story of Jordin Tootoo as told by him
By Darrell Greer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kivalliq News He defined the heart and soul of the game of hockey, the Kivalliq region of Nunavut and his Inuit culture and heritage with his determination to succeed and never give up, no matter how much pain he was in. Now, a year after its initial release, the documentary TOOTOO is picking up steam again after hitting the TV airwaves with Super Channel. In the documentary, Tootoo said that the echoes of alcohol, violence and abuse would replay in his mind until he would transform that pain into a fierce rage on the ice. When speaking to his battle with addiction, he noted that everyone fights a fight that no one knows about. “In order to really grasp the lifestyle, you have...
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A list of promises from Saskatchewan’s speech from the throne
As politicians return to Saskatchewan’s legislature, Premier Scott Moe’s government is promising new rules to get tough on drugs and to help those battling addictions. Lt.-Gov. Bernadette McIntyre outlined the government’s goals and priorities in the speech from the throne. Involuntary drug treatment The throne speech says the province plans to introduce the Compassionate Intervention Act, which would order those with addictions to receive treatment against their will. Moe says the legislation would only apply in extreme circumstances when someone is facing arrest. Cracking down on drugs The province plans to introduce the Response to Illicit Drugs Act, which is aimed at cracking down on those who profit from selling drugs. Moe says details will come later, but he wants the province to eradicate fentanyl and methamphetamine. Building schools The...
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Poilievre defends RCMP comments, denies saying Trudeau should be in jail
By Anja Karadeglija Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre defended his comments about the RCMP Wednesday and denied saying former prime minister Justin Trudeau should be in jail. “That’s not what I said,” he said on Parliament Hill when asked about a recent interview on a YouTube channel. In that interview, which ran on the Northern Perspective channel last week, Poilievre called the RCMP’s leadership “despicable” and accused it of covering up for Trudeau. “Many of the scandals of the Trudeau era should have involved jail time,” he said. “Trudeau broke the Criminal Code when he took a free vacation from someone with whom he had government business.” “If the RCMP had been doing its job and not covering up for him, then he would have been criminally charged,” Poilievre added in...
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NDP leadership contenders pitch their vision to party membership at first forum
By David Baxter The five official candidates for the federal NDP leadership met for the first time Wednesday night in Ottawa at a forum hosted by the Canadian Labour Congress. Each candidate was given 10 minutes to introduce themselves to labour leaders and the broader party membership and outline why they should be the next NDP leader. Bea Bruske, president of the Canadian Labour Congress, conducted interviews with each candidate asking them about their message to workers, why they are running and what their Day 1 priority would be. The friendly event was a lead-in for the first debate between the candidates, which was formally announced for Nov. 27 in Montreal. Rob Ashton Rob Ashton, a 30-year dockworker and president of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Canada, said he...
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A timeline of US attacks in the Caribbean and what Congress has had to say
By Ben Finley And Konstantin Toropin WASHINGTON (AP) — In less than two months, President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth say the U.S. military has killed 34 people in eight strikes against drug-smuggling vessels in the Caribbean Sea and Pacific Ocean. Trump has justified the attacks as a necessary escalation to stem the flow of drugs into the United States. He has asserted the U.S. is engaged in an “armed conflict” with drug cartels, relying on the same legal authority used by the Bush administration when it declared a war on terror after the Sept. 11 attacks. But as the number of strikes has grown, a debate in Congress has escalated over the limits of the president’s power. The attacks have occurred without any legal investigation or a...
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$80,000 in grants available to community groups, organizations in Williams Lake area
By Andie Mollins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Williams Lake Tribune The Williams Lake Community Forest’s six-week application window is now open for groups and organizations to fund local projects. Registered charities, non-profits and/or community organizations such as parent advisory councils, community associations and clubs including 4-H clubs can apply for the grant which supports the following: -outdoor opportunities relating to sustainable forestry; -education and outreach projects for any/all age groups; environmental stewardship; -other projects particularly related to forest resource values; or capital improvements to facilities available for public use, including recreation and recreational structures such as trails, signs and kiosks. Public, private and Indigenous schools and educators within the area are also invited to apply. “Does it reach a large group of people, or a small group but with...
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N.S. still failing to consult on law blocking protests on Crown land: Mi’kmaq leaders
By Lyndsay Armstrong A Mi’kmaq leader in Nova Scotia says the provincial government continues to ignore First Nations’ concerns on a new law they say targets their community’s ability to protect its territory. The law was recently pushed through the legislature without advanced notice or consultation, said Twila Gaudet, the director of consultation for Kwilmu’kw Maw-klusuaqn, which works on behalf of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw Chiefs. In a statement Tuesday, Gaudet said the law “appears to be targeting Mi’kmaw harvesters who are protesting the unsustainable forest management practices in the Cape Breton Highlands.” Among other things, the law makes it illegal for protesters to block forest access roads on Crown land, and offenders could be fined up to $50,000 and imprisoned for up to six months. It also...
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EA B Recreation and Parks Master Plan approved by RDN Board
By Hope Lompe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Years in the making, and in collaboration with the Gabriola Island community, the RDN Recreation and Parks Master Plan draft for Electoral Area B was approved by the Regional District of Nanaimo Board on Oct. 14. For the next 10 years, recreation services and parks decisions on Gabriola, Mudge and DeCourcy Islands will be guided by this Master Plan. It was developed through public engagement and partnerships with the Gabriola Recreation Society and Gabriola Land and Trails Trust, who work with the RDN on Gabriola recreation, trails and parks management. A Snuneymuxw First Nation representative also contributed to early planning and discussion. “I’m really pleased. It was a long process, but I believe that it provides a really useful framework, not just...
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Vatican will return dozens of artifacts to Indigenous groups in Canada as part of reconciliation
By Nicole Winfield VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is expected to soon announce that it will return a few dozen artifacts sought by Indigenous communities in Canada as part of its reckoning with the Catholic Church’s troubled role in helping suppress Indigenous culture in the Americas, officials said Wednesday. The items, including an Inuit kayak, are part of the Vatican Museum’s ethnographic collection, known as the Anima Mundi museum. The collection has been a source of controversy for the Vatican amid the broader museum debate over the restitution of cultural artifacts taken from Indigenous peoples during colonial periods. Negotiations on returning the Vatican items accelerated after Pope Francis in 2022 met with Indigenous leaders who had traveled to the Vatican to receive his apology for the church’s role in...
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Iqaluit-Tasiluk candidates offer different visions for the future
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News The two candidates for Iqaluit-Tasiluk offered starkly different responses to why they are running for MLA in the territorial election. Incumbent MLA George Hickes defended his record in the legislative assembly, saying his decade of experience has given him the tools to lead. “I’ve had the honour of serving Nunavut in some of the most critical portfolios: finance, health, and justice. From successfully managing the territory’s finances during uncertain economic times, to helping lead our response to the Covid-19 pandemic,” Hickes said of his tenure. Challenger Malaiya Lucassie said she is running, in part, to change the rental allowance subsidy, which is supposed to help offset housing costs for government employees who do not reside in subsidized housing. “Applications are...
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Vatican will return dozens of artifacts to Indigenous groups in Canada as gesture of reconciliation
By Nicole Winfield VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican is expected to soon announce that it will return a few dozen artifacts to Indigenous communities in Canada as part of its reckoning with the Catholic Church’s troubled role in helping suppress Indigenous culture in the Americas, officials said Wednesday. The items, including an Inuit kayak, are part of the Vatican Museum’s ethnographic collection, known as the Anima Mundi museum. The collection has been a source of controversy for the Vatican amid the broader museum debate over the restitution of cultural goods taken from Indigenous peoples during colonial periods. Negotiations on returning the Vatican items accelerated after Pope Francis in 2022 met with Indigenous leaders who had traveled to the Vatican to receive his apology for the church’s role in running...
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Manitoba Wildlife Federation warns highway blockade sets “dangerous precedent” as hunters denied access to Crown lands
By Steven Sukkau, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Sun The Manitoba Wildlife Federation (MWF) is sounding the alarm over what it calls an “unlawful blockade” on a provincial highway leading to the east side of Lake Winnipeg, a move the group says is denying licensed hunters and anglers access to Crown land during moose season and, if left unchecked, could set a “terrible precedent” across the province. In letters to both the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and Gary Anandasangaree, Canada’s Minister of Public Safety, MWF alleges that members of Bloodvein First Nation have set up a roadside barrier, initially referred to as a “check stop”, that is now operating as a full blockade, turning away non-Indigenous hunters from accessing public land. According to the federation, Chief Young of Bloodvein...
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University of Winnipeg emphasizes revitalizing downtown
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press The University of Winnipeg has charted a course for the next five years that leans heavily on its position as a member of the downtown community. A business professor, physics researcher, Indigenous scholar, international student and the CEO of its community renewal corporation announced the five-year road map, Meeting the Moment, on Tuesday at the campus hub for science and environment studies. “The University of Winnipeg has always played a key role in the heart of our downtown,” Jeremy Read told the crowd at the Richardson College for the Environment. “This plan empowers us to build on that legacy in new and meaningful ways.” Read, the leader of the University of Winnipeg Community Renewal Corp. — the entity that designs...
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Two new wind farms expected to be online by 2028
By Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal Two proposed wind farm projects south of Sussex are now in the provincial environmental assessment phase with a goal to be online by 2028. Environmental impact assessments were registered in September for the Salmon River Wind Project, nine kilometres south of Hammondvale, and the Paqt’smawei Sipu Wind Project, 15 km southeast of Springdale. The projects, are being developed by Natural Forces Developments Limited Partnership, a Halifax-based private energy producer, in partnership with local Indigenous groups and NB Power. “We’ve done a lot of hard work in preparing the two submissions,” said Austen Hughes, vice president, project finance for Natural Resources. “That would be in the hands of the province to review the information, reach out with any questions and then in due...
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