‘#Skoden’ doc shows ‘kind and gentle’ side of unhoused Indigenous man who became a meme
By Alex Nino Gheciu Pernell Bad Arm never asked to become a meme. But in the early 2010s, a photo of the First Nations man — clad in a windbreaker with his fists up in a fighter’s stance, his gaze slightly vacant — spread across the internet. Shared on message boards such as 4chan, the picture was initially used mockingly to perpetuate stereotypes of Indigenous people. “It was being shared mostly by non-Indigenous people to kind of ridicule and make fun of us,” says filmmaker Damien Eagle Bear. But Indigenous users soon reclaimed the photo, captioning it with the rez slang word “skoden” — as in “let’s go, then” — and transforming it into part meme, part rallying cry. Still, when Eagle Bear first saw the photo in 2013, his...
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The next pope will inherit Pope Francis’ mixed legacy with Indigenous people
By Peter Smith Whoever succeeds Pope Francis will inherit his momentous and controversial legacy of relations with Indigenous people throughout the Americas. Some found Francis to be a reconciling figure, others a disappointment. Even those who applauded the actions he took during his 12-year papacy said they were just a beginning, and that his successor will need to continue to work toward healing. Francis, who died April 21, at age 88 issued a historic apology for the “catastrophic” legacy of residential schools in Canada and oversaw the repudiation of the “Doctrine of Discovery” — the collective name given to a series of 15th-century papal decrees that legitimized colonial-era seizure of Native lands. But some Indigenous leaders criticized him as slow to fully recognize the traumatic impact of Catholic missionary efforts...
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What is a conclave? What to know about the secretive process to elect the next pope
By Nicole Winfield What is a conclave? VATICAN CITY (AP) — A conclave is the centuries-old election of a pope that derives its name from the Italian “con clave” (with a key) to underscore that cardinals are sequestered until they find a winner. Cardinals have no contact with the outside world after the master of liturgical ceremonies utters the words “Extra Omnes” the Latin phrase for “all out,” to ask all those present except the cardinal electors to leave the Sistine Chapel to begin the voting process. In between votes, the cardinals will be staying at the Domus Santa Marta hotel in Vatican City and possibly another nearby Vatican residence, since there are more cardinal electors than Santa Marta hotel rooms. How will it work? The conclave begins May 7,...
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Fort Nelson Community Forest to receive part of $1 million investment
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca FORT NELSON, B.C. — Northeast BC forests will receive $1 million in funds for enhancement projects from the provincial government. Fort Nelson Community Forest, which will receive a portion of those funds, is a joint venture between the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality (NRRM) and Fort Nelson First Nation (FNFN). Ravi Parmar, minister of forests, made the announcement on Thursday, April 24th at the BC First Nations Forestry Council’s (FNFC) conference in Penticton, according to a press release. The area was hammered with forest fires in 2024, which included a full-scale evacuation of the town last May. The money announced will go toward waste wood utilization, including “funding to support additional wildfire reduction work west of the community of Fort Nelson,” and money...
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Man from Nova Scotia First Nation charged with assaulting DFO officer with car
-CP-The Mounties are alleging that a man from a Mi’kmaq First Nation struck a fisheries officer with his car as the officer was attempting to carry out an inspection early Saturday. RCMP say in a release today that a 36-year-old man from Sipekne’katik First Nation was arrested near Highway 7 in Smiths Settlement, about 45 kilometres east of Halifax. Police say the fisheries officer wasn’t injured, however the driver has been charged with assault with a weapon. Investigators say the fisheries officer was attempting to conduct an inspection at Eel Pond, just off the highway, when a man driving an Acura collided with a uniformed fishery officer who was instructing the driver to stop. The driver was arrested at the scene by RCMP officers, and investigators say that during a...
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Trump made big promises and moved at frenetic speed. 100 days in, here’s what he’s done and not done
By Chris Megerian And Calvin Woodward WASHINGTON (AP) — The weeks since President Donald Trump returned to office have been a whirlwind of activity to show Americans that his administration is relentlessly pursuing his promises. With a compliant Republican-controlled Congress, Trump has had a free hand to begin overhauling the federal government and upending foreign policy. As Trump hits his 100th day in office Tuesday, his imprint is everywhere. But the long-term impact is often unclear. Some of the Republican president’s executive orders are statements of intent or groundwork to achieve what has yet to be done. On Day 1, for example, he declared an energy emergency to spur production. But he’s not promising a payoff until next year, when he told voters to count on a big drop in...
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Man accused of manslaughter gets time to hire lawyer
By Andrew Bates, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Telegraph-Journal A 31-year-old man accused of manslaughter in the death of a 26-year-old woman in Musquash is getting two weeks to finalize plans to hire a lawyer. Calvin Burns-Smith, of no fixed address, was due to appear for a bail hearing Monday on charges of manslaughter and indignity to remains. The New Brunswick RCMP said last week that they arrested Burns-Smith, who they identified as from Musquash, in connection with the death of Sarah Teakles, of Rothesay. Police said Teakles was last seen April 14 in Musquash, a community 30 kilometres southwest of Saint John that is part of the Fundy Shores municipality. She was reported missing the next day. On April 17 teams with the RCMP’s major crime unit found her body...
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Kahkewistahâw First Nation receives $133.6 million in Cows and Plows settlement
By Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator Federal government dollars to compensate Saskatchewan First Nations for undelivered treaty benefits have started reaching the intended people. Recently, members of the Kahkewistahâw First Nation began receiving individual payments, directly deposited to their bank accounts. In total, the Kahkewistahâw First Nation is set to receive $133.6 million as their portion of the Cows and Plows settlement, of which $37.2 million is devoted to a per capita distribution. That distribution began April 17 with every elder receiving $30,000; adults (18 to 59 years) seeing $25,000 with a top-up of $5,000 at age 60; and minors entitled to $2,500 with top-ups at age 18 ($22,500) and age 60 ($5,000). “It’s going to be a really positive time for us,” said Chief Evan Taypotat...
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Spring snowstorm dumps huge amounts of snow on southeast Sask
By Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator The morning of April 22 proved that winter wasn’t done with communities across Southeast Saskatchewan, with between 30 to 38 cm of snow blanketing the region according to an Environment Canada report release just before noon on the 22nd. Esterhazy was at the top end of that range at 38 cm, and Kahkewistahâw First Nation wasn’t far behind with 35 cm recorded. The report did not mention Moosomin specifically, but surrounding communities such as Whitewood and Wawota saw 30 cm of snow hit the ground. Highway 1 was hit especially hard as RCMP responded to 12 collisions in the Carlyle, Wolseley and Broadview areas, and some parts of the Trans-Canada were reduced to a single lane due to the conditions. Road...
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New elders centre opened at Kahkewistahâw FirstNation
By Ryan Kiedrowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The World-Spectator It was a moment many elders on Kahkewistahâw First Nation have been waiting for—the official grand opening of the new Elders Centre. “For the other elders, it’s important, but to me, it’s my dream,” Wendy Alexson told the World-Spectator during a tour of the new building. “I’ve always wanted something for elders. I’ve lost five sisters. I had to grieve alone at home. This way, you come here and you share. You know there’s other elders probably grieving or sick, so we’ll sit around the table, we’ll have coffee or tea and talk about things and we’ll even pray for each other.” Completed last November, the new building features a large indoor space with kitchen facilities, comfortable seating, a television with...
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Liberals to form government again as PCs and NDP take hit
Canada has another Liberal government in Ottawa after an early morning win saw newcomer Liberal candidate Mark Carney taking over as Prime Minister- elect in a hard fought election battle that saw only 24 seats seperating the Liberals and Conservatives. Ballots were still being counted Tuesday morning but Prime Minister elected Mark Carney will take the helm of a divided country while both his adversarys Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre and NDP leader Jagmeet Singh lost their seats. Election Canada is still counting votes but Prime Minister Elect Carney vowed election night, that his Liberal government will “represent everyone” who calls Canada home. As prime minister, Carney will have to steer the country from his seat in a new Parliament that will look very different from the last....
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Conservative Larry Brock wins Brantford—Brant South—SixNations
By Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator “You are all my masters,” Conservative MP Larry Brock told supporters at the Brantford Polish Hall after winning Brantford—Brant South—Six Nations. “I work for you; I am your public servant,” the incumbent candidate said, noting he was addressing “everyone in this riding, whether you voted Conservative, Liberal, NDP or otherwise.” It was anyone’s guess who would take the riding as numbers started filtering in on Monday night. Brock has held the riding since 2021, while fellow Conservative Phil McColeman was MP from 2008 to 2021. But Liberal rookie Joy O’Donnell made it a tight race. “We knocked it out of the park when you consider we only had really three weeks of the campaign to work,” O’Donnell told The Spectator...
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‘The next generation is here’: Indigenous youth claim their vote
By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer In 2015, 12-year-old Theland Kicknosway stood at Rideau Hall, drumming and singing as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his newly elected cabinet took their oath of office. The performance by the Cree and Potawatomi boy was a symbol of a new era in Canadian politics centered on reconciliation. Now, almost a decade later, Kicknosway, 21, is preparing to cast his vote in a federal election for the first time. People under 25 represent nearly a quarter of the Indigenous population, and the proportion is growing four times faster than non-Indigenous youth. By 2030, they’ll comprise 45 per cent of Indigenous communities. For Canada’s fastest-growing demographic, voter turnout remains disproportionately low — but to Kicknosway, this is their time to step...
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‘Hey cancer, your tactics don’t work on warriors’
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Originally from Elizabeth Métis Settlement and a long-time Cold Lake resident, Houle has worn many hats – public works director, fire chief, and director of emergency management. But none of those roles prepared him for the fight of his life. “I was on a motorcycle trip one summer . . . and I had some complications, so I went to the hospital in Revelstoke and they didn’t really find anything,” Houle recalled. “When I came home, I didn’t do a follow-up or anything with it, but I ended up having renal cell carcinoma (RCC) in my left kidney – stage four.” The diagnosis didn’t come until months later. “It wasn’t until February of 2021. When I was diagnosed with that.” Houle was connected...
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How Fort Simpson voters assess which party to support
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Martina Norwegian, a resident of Fort Simpson, is concerned that leaders have strayed away from the seven generations principle. She says she heard that principle spoken about most by former Łı́ı́dlı̨ı̨ Kų́ę́ First Nation chief Rita Cli. “She always talked about the seven generations, where we have to think that far ahead of the decisions we make today,” said Norwegian. “If we had been diligent and followed in the footsteps of others – of our people – we wouldn’t have these crises,” said Norwegian. “We wouldn’t have these if we had just paid attention to where we’re going.” She said she has heard from community members – and seen for herself – that some of the biggest issues facing Fort Simpson...
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CANADA ELECTION 2025: Indigenous rights advocate questions reconciliation talk, says politicians better ‘hold true’ to their promises
By Megan Hederson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Joyce Jonathan Crone, founder of the newly registered charity Hope Arises Project in Huntsville, is calling for true leadership and accountability in the next government. “In Muskoka, we call ourselves inclusive,” she said. “Well then, we need to walk the talk.” As a leading voice for Indigenous rights, reconciliation, and representation — and ahead of the April 28 federal election, Crone is speaking out about the kind of leadership she believes Canada needs, both as a non-profit leader and as an Indigenous woman. She said meaningful change begins with equal representation, sustained effort, and education that reflects the diversity of Indigenous communities across Canada. More than anything, she said, what’s needed is government action — not just empty words. “Our government is a...
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Canadian delegation among thousands of mourners at Pope Francis’s funeral
By Nicole Thompson Canadians in the crowds that descended on St. Peter’s Square for Pope Francis’s funeral said the relatively simple ceremony seemed a fitting farewell for the famously humble pontiff. While those who made it into St. Peter’s Square described a solemn, reverent audience, complete with dignitaries such as Gov.-Gen. Mary Simon, crowds outside Vatican City’s walls were abuzz. But in both cases, Francis’s vision for the Catholic Church shone through. “As a Catholic I found it very powerful that the service is so reminiscent of the services that we are familiar with right in Toronto,” said Falguni Debnath, who was with the general public near the back of the square. She said the late pope’s humility was evident in the funeral rites, which he simplified last year to...
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Second annual Indigenous language revitalization event took over Pomeroy Sports Centre
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — The topic of Indigenous language revitalization was at the forefront of an event held in Fort St. John during April’s last full week. Doig River First Nation (DRFN) is hosting its second Reawakening of Our Language Gathering at the Pomeroy Sport Centre on April 24th and 25th. The event is put together in partnership with Northern Lights College (NLC) and the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC). Although 350 spots were available for registration, the event quickly sold out. Additionally, cultural departments from both Halfway River First Nation (HRFN) and West Moberly First Nations (WMFN) had representatives on hand. The event began with a brief history of the Beaver language in the DRFN community, beginning with Roz Smith....
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Yukon politicians threaten contempt over mine manager’s refusal to answer questions
By Ashley Joannou Yukon politicians could hold an official with the company managing the cleanup of a disaster at the Eagle Gold mine in contempt of Parliament after she refused to answer questions in front of the legislature. Debate on a contempt motion in the Yukon legislature was adjourned until Monday after days of duelling letters over whether the court-ordered receiver, PricewaterhouseCoopers, can be forced by elected officials to publicly answer questions. On the same day politicians debate the official scolding, PricewaterhouseCoopers says it will go to court to hear from a judge whether its officials have to appear before members in the legislature. On April 16, Yukon members of the legislature unanimously passed a motion calling for PricewaterhouseCoopers senior vice-president Michelle Grant, as well as another senior official, to...
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Indigenous leaders hope Vatican continues reconciliation efforts advanced by Francis
By Nicole Thompson and Cassandra Szklarski Indigenous leaders in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis say they hope the Vatican continues to promote the reconciliation efforts he championed during his papacy. Gov. Gen. Mary Simon says the pontiff’s apology for widespread abuses in the residential school system was a significant step in addressing historical injustices. Canada’s first Indigenous governor general led the Canadian delegation at the funeral this morning, where she reflected on Francis’s monumental visit in 2022 to reach out to Indigenous Peoples. She and Wilton Littlechild, a residential school survivor who served as a commissioner for the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, say they hope Francis’s successor continues those efforts. Simon called the apology “a significant milestone” on the “journey of reconciliation,” while Littlechild said there’s...
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