School changing ‘Thunderbirds’ to ‘T-Birds’ to comply with NY ban on Native American team names
By Philip Marcelo BOHEMIA, N.Y. (AP) — A school district in New York City’s suburbs agreed this week to change its “Thunderbirds” nickname to simply the “T-Birds” in order to comply with the state’s mandate to retire all Native American sports names and mascots. According to the deal, Connetquot Central School District on Long Island would be allowed to continue using imagery such as an eagle, thunderbolt or lightning bolt, so long as it can attest the “T-Birds” moniker has “never been associated with any Indigenous imagery of any kind.” But Native American advocates complain the proposed name change still falls short of the spirit of a 2023 state regulation, which districts had to comply with by the end of June. John Kane, a member of the Mohawk tribe of...
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Brant County OPP lay charges in domestic assault
BRANT, ON – One person has been charged after Brant County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) responded to a “domestic-related incident” in Scotland, Ontario. Brant OPP responded to a report of an assault at a Brant County home September 09, 2025, at about 4:08 p.m. where they said a verbal and physical argument between two people, who knew each other, had taken place with one person sustaing minor injuries. As a result of the investigation, one individual from Brant County was charged with: Assault causing bodily harm, Uttering Threats The accused is scheduled to appear in the Ontario Court of Justice at a later date. Victims of domestic violence are not alone. If you or someone you know is in need of support, help is available. Please contact the Assaulted Women’s...
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First Nation says it was shortchanged by millions for land in 2002 settlement
-CP-The Canadian government paid a nearly $18-million settlement to the Lax Kw’alaams Band in 2002 over land that was given to a different band then sold to a railway more than a century ago, but now the First Nation in B.C. is going to court to right what it calls “historical wrongs.” The Lax Kw’alaams Band filed a lawsuit in Federal Court last week, claiming it was underpaid by millions of dollars in its deal with the federal government after the Metlakatla Band got $150 million — more than eight times more — for the illegal sale of the same land, in a 2023 settlement. The lawsuit says the land in northwest B.C. was illegally divided in 1888 then unlawfully sold to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Co. in 1907....
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Ontario set to begin building road to the Ring of Fire
By Liam Casey Ontario is set to begin building the road to the Ring of Fire. Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford says the province is investing nearly $62 million in Geraldton, Ont., to rebuild several segments of existing road that will serve as the start of the eventual road to the mineral-rich region. Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Prime Minister Mark Carney both want to mine the region as part of the country’s response to the ongoing trade war with the United States. The Ring of Fire is some 500 kilometres north of Thunder Bay, Ont., and said to be rich in a multitude of critical and base minerals, though the political push to mine it has seen strong resistance from First Nations in the area who are worried they...
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Trump’s strike on alleged Venezuelan drug boat raises questions about his use of military power
By Lisa Mascaro WASHINGTON (AP) — Within a week of Donald Trump’s election, Sen. Lindsey Graham counseled the president-elect to quickly send a message to the drug cartels from the White House. “Blow up something,” Graham told Trump. The brazen military strike on a suspected drug-smuggling speedboat carrying 11 people from Venezuelathis month is just what the South Carolina senator had in mind. But it has cleaved fresh divisions within the Republican Party over Trump’s campaign promise to keep the U.S. out of foreign entanglements and the reality of a commander in chief whose America First agenda is pursuing a tougher military stance. And it’s raising stark questions about just how far Trump intends to wield his presidential power over the U.S. military without a robust check on the executive...
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Massive wind farm project to be explored in Mi’qmaq communities
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Representatives of three Mi’gmaq communities in Quebec have joined forces to explore the possibility of constructing a massive wind farm project in their territories. The communities of Gespeg, Gesgapegiag and Listuguj, collectively known as the Mi’gmaq of Gespe’gewa’gi, are shareholders of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Business Corporation (MMBC). It was announced in late August that the MMBC had partnered with Alliance de l’énergie de l’Est and Hydro-Québec to explore the wind farm project that could generate up to 6,000 megawatts of new wind power capacity. The initiative is a green energy project that would create long-term revenues for the Mi’gmaq communities. “We’ve been working on this for about the past year-and-a-half,” said Fred Vicaire, CEO of MMBC. Vicaire said there are areas of...
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Virtual town halls offer ‘quick guide’ to new Indigenous child welfare agreement: NAN
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — Representatives of dozens of First Nations in Ontario are learning about how a multi-billion-dollar child welfare agreement will be implemented in their communities, likely starting next year. Nishnawbe Aski Nation and the Chiefs of Ontario reached a nine-year $8.5 billion agreement with the federal government earlier in 2025 that is designed to give communities control over child welfare in their First Nations. The Ontario-specific deal came as the Assembly of First Nations voted down a national settlement in October 2024. Implementation of the Ontario final agreement is still contingent on it being approved by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, ending its oversight of the First Nations child and family services program in Ontario, according to a media release issued...
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First Nation says it was shortchanged by millions for land in 2002 settlement
-CP-A First Nation in British Columbia says it was underpaid by millions of dollars in a 2002 settlement with the federal government over land that was given to a different band then sold to a railway more than a century ago. The Lax Kw’alaams Band says in a Federal Court lawsuit that its settlement was valued at $17.75 million, while the Metlakatla Band got $150 million — more than eight times more — for the illegal sale of the same land, in a 2023 settlement. The lawsuit filed this month says the land in northwest B.C. was illegally divided in 1888 then unlawfully sold to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company in 1907. The Lax Kw’alaams Band says the Metlakatla settlement was based on “historical wrongs” by the Canadian government...
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‘A dire need for services’: Tŝilhqot’in Nation to open treatment facility amid toxic drug crisis
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews After declaring a state of emergency over the toxic drug crisis in April, the Tŝilhqot’in Nation will open a new Indigenous-led treatment facility later this year. Services will be offered at two properties located about 100 kilometres west of Williams Lake, funded by $8.3 million from the province, according to a recent announcement. The Red Road River Tŝilhqox Healing & Wellness Model will be the fifth location for Red Road Recovery, which is headquartered in “Sorrento, B.C.” and combines traditional healing practices with the 12-step recovery program, according to their website. The new facility will be opened in partnership with Tŝilhqot’in National Government. In an interview, Yuneŝit’in Nits’ilʔin (Chief) Lennon Solomon reflected on his own sobriety journey, which led to him looking...
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Over 350 Greenlandic women and girls forcibly given contraception by Danish officials, report says
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — More than 350 Greenlandic Indigenous women and girls, including some 12 years old and younger, reported that they were forcibly given contraception by Danish health authorities in cases that date to the 1960s, according to an independent investigation’s findings released Tuesday. The Inuit victims, many of them teenagers at the time, were either fitted with intrauterine contraceptive devices, known as IUDs or coils, or given a hormonal birth control injection. They were not told details about the procedure, or did not give their consent. The victims described traumatic experiences that left some with feelings of shame as well as physical side effects, ranging from pain and bleeding to serious infections. The governments of Denmark and Greenland officially apologized in a statement last month for their roles...
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Cree, Métis artist reflects on life and identity in West Vancouver gallery exhibit
By Abby Luciano, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, North Shore News Family, home, and a little bit of sassiness feature prominently in the newest exhibition at the Ferry Building Gallery in West Vancouver. Cherish, a collection from Cree and Métis artist Michelle Sound, offers a glimpse into her life through the art she’s created since 2021. A collection of photos of her aunt moving to B.C. from Alberta, elk-hide medicine print drums and another collection of drums inspired from the 1980s are just some of the works in the exhibition. “I think family is a big thread throughout this, but so is connection to place,” Sound said. “Thinking about where you live is really important.” Sound is a member of the Wapsewsipi Swan River First Nation in Treaty 8 Territory in...
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Court rules Lisa Cook can remain a Fed governor while fighting Trump’s attempt to fire her
By Christopher Rugaber And Lindsay Whitehurst WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal court has ruled that embattled Federal Reserve Gov. Lisa Cook can remain in her position while she fights President Donald Trump’s efforts to fire her. The ruling, which will almost certainly be appealed, is a blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to assert more control over the traditionally independent Fed, which sets short-term interest rates to achieve its congressionally mandated goals of stable prices and maximum employment. Congress has also sought to insulate the Fed from day-to-day politics. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb late Tuesday granted Cook’s request for a preliminary injunction blocking her firing while the dispute makes its way through the courts. Cobb ruled that Cook would likely prevail in the lawsuit she filed late last month...
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LU researcher co-leading ‘trust-based’ project to improve Indigenous youth mental health
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — A Lakehead University expert on Indigenous mental health and addictions is behind a Canada-wide initiative to improve those services. Christopher Mushquash is co-leading a national project aimed at bettering mental health among Indigenous youth. The initiative has received an additional $10.8 million from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Lakehead University said in a media release. Mushquash is a Canada Research Chair in Indigenous mental health and addiction and a professor in the Department of Psychology at Lakehead University. He’s also the vice president of research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre and the chief scientist at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute. He said the goal is to bring diverse perspectives to existing mental health...
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First Nation says it was shortchanged by millions for land in 2002 settlemen
A First Nation in British Columbia says it was underpaid by millions of dollars in a 2002 settlement with the federal government over land that was given to a different band then sold to a railway more than a century ago. The Lax Kw’alaams Band says in a Federal Court lawsuit that its settlement was valued at $17.75 million, while the Metlakatla Band got $150 million — more than eight times more — for the illegal sale of the same land, in a 2023 settlement. The lawsuit filed this month says the land in northwest B.C. was illegally divided in 1888 then unlawfully sold to the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway Company in 1907. The Lax Kw’alaams Band says the Metlakatla settlement was based on “historical wrongs” by the Canadian government...
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Mann Cup gets ugly after violence erupts among fans
NEW WESTMINISTER B.C.- The Mann Cup has released a statement condemning violence and warning it is installing security checks after a fight erupted in the stands at the Queen’s Park Arena in New Westminister B.C. Monday night. The Six Nations Chiefs, who looked the two times Mann Cup champs they are known to be, took the game 19-9 in a slick winning Chiefs’ style and are out for more with a game Tuesday night. But things got touchy in the stands when a brawl broke out that soon saw The 19 goals saw eight in the first period alone with 60 shots on goal before the buzzer sounded. With Dhane Smith taking four goals and six assists, Lyle Thompson hitting three goals and six assists and Ryan Smith and Randy...
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Battle that led to Haiti’s independence among names of new Montreal metro stations
Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante has unveiled the names of five new stations that will extend the subway system into the city’s east end. Plante says the names were chosen to celebrate women and communities that have made important contributions to Montreal’s history. Vertières station is a nod to Montreal’s Haitian community, named after the 1803 battle that led to the independence of Haiti. Mary Two-Axe-Earley station bears the name of an Indigenous women’s rights activist from the Montreal-area Mohawk community of Kahnawake. Césira-Parisotto station is named after a nun from Montreal’s Italian community who founded schools and a hospital, while Madeleine-Parent station honours a trade unionist and feminist activist. The final station along the planned extension of the Montreal subway system’s “blue line” will be named for the eastern borough...
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Ford, transport minister make string of misleading claims as Highway 413 construction ‘begins’
By Anushka Yadav, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Pointer Any mention of Highway 413, first proposed almost a quarter-century ago as a massive transportation corridor immediately below and through parts of Ontario’s protected Greenbelt, has always been accompanied by a giant question mark. Claimed by supporters to be a solution to congestion in the Greater Toronto Area, the project has been mired in political wrangling between successive Liberal and PC governments. That did not stop some of Ontario’s most powerful developers from buying up huge tracts of farmland along the highway’s proposed route in and around the Greenbelt, in hopes of a ten-fold increase in value if (or when) the project was approved. After PC supporters and Party leaders first floated the idea in the ‘90s, with the encouragement of...
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Pickleball peacekeeping project comes to Caledonia
By J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator Leave it to the legion to stop a war — or at least, a skirmish over court time between Caledonia’s tennis and pickleball players. “They were having some trouble at Kin Park,” said Ron Winegard from the Royal Canadian Legion Caledonia Branch 154. “The pickleball players and the tennis players were having some arguments.” As racquet-toting residents jostled for space on the two tennis courts in Kinsmen Park, the need for more pickleball courts in Caledonia came up at seemingly every community meeting. Winegard, a Caledonia businessperson with a long track record of fundraising for recreational facilities, approached legion past president Brian Haggith in the spring of 2024 about collecting donations to build a four-court pickleball complex in McKinnon Park...
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Liberal MPs meet in Edmonton to prepare for fall sitting, major projects agenda
By Alessia Passafiume Prime Minister Mark Carney’s Liberal caucus is meeting in Edmonton this week ahead of the fall sitting of Parliament. It’s the first time the caucus has met since June, and the first caucus retreat held outside Ottawa since Carney took over the party’s leadership last March. It comes as Carney has a lofty fall agenda to move on his major projects legislation that was passed in a hurry in June. Carney has been promising for weeks to unveil his short list of initial projects he wants to fast track using the bill, and has hinted in recent days about big announcements coming on ports and housing. The retreat began Monday with a meeting of the women’s caucus, with rural, Indigenous, economic and regional meetings scheduled for today....
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Over 350 Greenlandic women and girls forcibly given contraception by Danish officials, report says
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — More than 350 Greenlandic Indigenous women and girls, including some 12 years old and younger, reported that they were forcibly given contraception by Danish health authorities in cases that date back to the 1960s, according to an independent investigation’s findings released Tuesday. The Inuit victims, many of them teenagers at the time, were either fitted with intrauterine contraceptive devices, known as IUDs or coils, or given a hormonal birth control injection. They were not told details about the procedure, or did not give their consent. The victims described traumatic experiences that left some with physical side effects, ranging from pain and bleeding to serious infections. The governments of Denmark and Greenland officially apologized last month for their roles in the historic mistreatment in an apparent attempt...
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