‘Her story is not unique’: Muskrat Dam mourns one of their own
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source MUSKRAT DAM — Kenina Thomas was born in Muskrat Dam First Nation in December 1981 and died eight days into 2026 at a bus shelter in Thunder Bay. Those are the bare-bones details of her life, but Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler — also from Muskrat Dam — knows there’s much more to her story. “She was a mother and a wife and a daughter, and I know she did her best to live the best life that she could,” Fiddler said Thursday, the day after a funeral service for the 44-year-old at Muskrat Dam’s Anglican church. “And then what I remember about her is that there was a few years where she lived up in Fort Severn...
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B.C. minister condemns hate crimes after Nazi symbol spray-painted on bridge
British Columbia’s Indigenous relations minister is condemning “repeated acts of racist vandalism” in Port Alberni after someone spray painted a Nazi symbol over a message of ‘every child matters’ on a bridge in the city. Spencer Chandra Herbert says in a statement that hate crimes and hate speech have no place in Port Alberni, the province or anywhere in Canada. He says the most recent attack included the use of swastikas, which are triggering to many. The statement notes it is the third time Orange Bridge has been defaced and Herbert says the province stands with Tseshaht First Nation and community leaders in opposing such crimes. He says he is concerned by “the steady rise of residential school denialism in B.C.,” saying it seeks to erase or distort the truth...
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Carney says Canadian values key to sovereignty, pushes back on Trump’s remarks
By Catherine Morrison Staying true to Canada’s core values will be key to upholding its sovereignty, Prime Minister Mark Carney said in a speech Thursday which also pushed back against recent comments by U.S. President Donald Trump. Surrounded by ministers and secretaries of state, Carney delivered the speech in Quebec City at a historically significant spot to kick off a two-day cabinet retreat. In it, he said Canada was created by people of different backgrounds coming together to build a nation on the principles of multiculturalism and openness. He also rebuked Trump’s recent claim that “Canada lives because of the United States.” “Canada and the United States have built a remarkable partnership in the economy, in security and in rich cultural exchange. But Canada doesn’t live because of the United...
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Success of ISSI partnerships shared with Sask Rivers board
By Michael Oleksyn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince Albert Daily Herald The success of Invitational Shared Services Initiatives (ISSI) Partnerships in the Saskatchewan Rivers School Division was outlined for the school board. Superintendent Jennifer Hingley shared highlights from the 2024-2025 final reports for the division’s three partnerships. The Saskatchewan Rivers School Division has ISSI partnerships with Muskoday First Nation, Wahpeton Dakota Nation and Montreal Lake Cree Nation. Director of Education Neil Finch explained that partnerships with local First Nations are always a positive item. “Any time we can have partnerships with our First Nations within our school division, it’s beneficial to what we’re doing. And you can see within the partnerships, there’s a different focus in all three of them. And so we want to continue to have a good...
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Wary EU leaders seek to preserve transatlantic ties after a week of Trump threats
By Lorne Cook And Sam Mcneil BRUSSELS (AP) — European Union leaders on Thursday welcomed U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision to drop his tariff threats over Greenland but expressed reservations about getting involved in his Board of Peace project. After chairing an emergency summit called to reassess troubled ties with the Trump administration, EU Council President António Costa underlined that the leaders believe “it’s very important to preserve and cherish our transatlantic partnership.” Striking a measured tone after days of high rhetoric over Trump’s threats to annex Greenland, Costa said the priority must now be to put in place the EU-U.S. trade deal agreed last July. “The goal remains the effective stability of the trade relations,” he told reporters. That said, Costa did affirm that the 27-nation trading bloc “will...
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An ancient forest in Ecuador is the last stand for a tiny hummingbird facing extinction
QUITO, Ecuador (AP) — Deep in the Ecuadorian Andes, an ancient forest stands as a final sanctuary against the encroachment of human activity. This is the Yanacocha Reserve, the last refuge for the Black-breasted puffleg (Eriocnemis nigrivestis), a tiny hummingbird teetering on the edge of extinction. Measuring just 9 centimeters (3.5 inches), this emblematic bird of Quito is one of the most threatened species on the planet. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, its global population has dwindled to between 150 and 200 birds. Founded 25 years ago by the Jocotoco Foundation, the Yanacocha Reserve has become a centerpiece for Andean biodiversity. “We realized we were conserving an entire ecosystem, not just one species,” conservationist Paola Villalba told The Associated Press. The bird is easily identified by...
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Across a colonial border, First Nations share salmon eggs to bypass dams
By Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews First Nations fish hatcheries on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border are celebrating 10 years of a collaboration to help salmon blocked from migrating by dams and other threats. Earlier this month, the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation in Washington transferred more than 6,200 chinook salmon eggs from their Chief Joseph Hatchery to the Okanagan Nation Alliance’s (ONA) kł cp̓əlk̓ stim̓ Hatchery in snpink’tn (Penticton), nearly 200 kilometres north. This year marks one decade since the two tribal hatcheries started working together to restore the fish’s population throughout the Columbia River Basin. The partnership has seen Colville Tribes send more than 115,000 eyed chinook eggs to the ONA over the past 10 years. One year alone, 2019, saw 40 per cent...
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Atlantic First Nations want meeting with Ottawa after two men shot by police
First Nation chiefs across Atlantic Canada are calling for an urgent meeting with the federal government after two Indigenous men were fatally shot by RCMP officers over the past two weeks. A group representing Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, Peskotomuhkati and Innu communities say they want to meet as soon as possible with federal ministers and senior leadership from the RCMP. The chiefs issued a statement saying they have serious concerns following the deaths of a man in Neqotkuk First Nation in New Brunswick on Sunday and another in Sipekne’katik First Nation in Nova Scotia last week. Paul Bronson was identified Monday as the man shot and killed by RCMP officers who responded to what police have called a domestic dispute at a residence in Neqotkuk First Nation. Police say an RCMP officer...
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‘Disappointed’ Tunraluk resigns as Inuit association president
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI) will hold elections for its president and two vice-president positions in December 2026 after accepting the resignation of President Jeremy Tunraluk. Tunraluk was on unpaid leave until Jan. 21, when he resigned and vowed to run in the next election. “Given the refusal of current NTI administration to follow fair and reasonable procedures, I am disappointed to say that I am not longer able to work within the current structure of NTI,” Tunraluk said. “I look forward to contesting the upcoming NTI elections and speaking to Inuit and Nunavummiut regarding our future.” Having only been elected in December 2024, Tunraluk was placed on leave from his position on Dec. 4 following an assault charge. That charge...
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Brantford man facing Child Pornography Charges
BRANTFORD,ONT- A 44-year-old Brantford man is facing child pornography charges as a result of an investigation by the Brantford Police Service (BPS) Internet Child Exploitation Unit (ICE), in May 2025. The charges came after a resident found a cell phone in May 2025 and when the resident accessed the phone, trying to reach the owner, found “concerning images” that prompted the individual to turn the phone over to police. ICE Unit detectives obtained a search warrant to examine the phone and found evidence of child pornography on the phone. BPS charged a 44-year-old Brantford man with two counts of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation material and one count of Make Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material contrary to the Criminal Code. The BPS ICE Unit investigation is continuing...
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‘We don’t forget’: RCMP make arrest in 2007 cold case murder south of Edmonton
By Bill Graveland The Alberta RCMP historical homicide unit has made an arrest in connection with a death on the Samson Cree Nation nearly two decades ago. Johnathan Saddleback, 24, was found unresponsive at a house on the First Nation, south of Edmonton, and died on scene in February 2007. Police say it wasn’t modern technology that led to the arrest but rather co-operation between RCMP and the community, which provided tips. “We don’t forget. We are always able to go back and continue to work on these files,” RCMP Cpl. Troy Savinkoff said Thursday. “When you’re the loved one of one of our homicide victims and these investigations are going long term, it’s important to understand that the historical homicide unit is always reviewing and ensuring what are known...
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First Nations-owned Vancouver Island wood chip plant set to close in March
A wood chip plant on Vancouver Island that’s majority-owned by a First Nation in British Columbia and was acquired with help from provincial funding, says it is closing, the latest setback for the province’s forestry sector. Atli Resources chief executive Jonathan Lok says in a statement that the Atli Chip LP facility in Beaver Cove will close in March due to “ongoing structural changes affecting British Columbia’s coastal forest sector.” The statement says a major factor was last month’s announcement of the closure of Domtar’s pulp mill in Crofton, B.C., which Atli says effectively eliminated the demand for wood chips produced at Beaver Cove. Atli, which is co-owned by the ‘Namgis First Nation, says it and its partners on the Beaver Cove plant including Domtar are looking at alternative uses...
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Anishnawbe Business Professional Association: Act has ‘southern-centric bias’
By Sandi Krasowski, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Chronicle-Journal The Anishnawbe Business Professional Association (ABPA) is forewarning that the newly enacted Buy Ontario Act, 2025 (Bill 72), systematically excludes First Nations businesses and threatens to widen the economic gap in Northern Ontario. Jason Rasevych, ABPA president, said the association has submitted a strategic review in a letter to Stephen Crawford, Ontario minister of public and business service delivery and procurement. In the letter, ABPA argues that while the act aims to prioritize Ontario businesses, its definitions favour southern, urban, and non-Indigenous entities. Rasevych told The Chronicle-Journal that the legislation ignores the reality of the Northern economy and the constitutionally distinct status of First Nations by setting rigid thresholds for employee counts and permanent headquarters. He called the Buy Ontario Act,...
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François Legault has resigned as premier of Quebec, leaving behind a strained legacy with MCK
By Lucas-Matthew Marsh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Iori:wase Legault is gone – whether the legacy he leaves behind with Kahnawake and First Nations across Quebec will linger on remains to be seen. The Premier’s sudden resignation did not catch Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) Grand Chief Cody Diabo by surprise, telling Iorì:wase he saw the parallels between him and former prime minister Justin Trudeau. “They were really losing a lot of support with the different decisions he was making,” Diabo added. Francois Legault made the announcement at a press conference in Quebec City last Wednesday, telling reporters it was for the “good of Quebec” and his “party”. “I can see that many Quebecers currently want change and, among other things, a change in [Premier],” Legault said. Public support for Legault...
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First Nations chiefs call out Ottawa over pipeline deal that doesn’t mention water
By Alessia Passafiume Some First Nations chiefs are demanding answers from Ottawa after the federal government signed a pipeline agreement with Alberta that failed to make any mention of fresh water. The memorandum of understanding — which opens a door to building a pipeline to transport bitumen from Alberta to the B.C. coast — does not touch on the high level of water consumption required to pull bitumen out of the oilsands. It also doesn’t mention the threat to fresh water sources posed by the tailings ponds oilsands operations leave behind. In 2021, the federal government launched the Crown-Indigenous Working Group to develop options alongside affected First Nations and Métis communities to manage and remediate the heavily polluted tailings ponds. The Privy Council Office did not respond directly when asked...
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First Nations to own equity in new Atlantic transmission line
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com An agreement enabling First Nations to have an ownership stake in an Atlantic Canada clean energy project was announced on Jan. 21. At a news conference held at Millbrook First Nation in Nova Scotia, officials from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB) gave details about the $54 million in equity loans provided to strengthen First Nations’ ownership of the Wasoqonatl intertie, a new 345-kilovolt transmission linerunning 160 kilometres and connecting Onslow, Nova Scotia to Salisbury, New Brunswick. This initiative is expected to be completed in 2028. The Wasoqonatl intertie will boost interprovincial electricity trade and further grid resilience and energy. The CIB will provide a $36 million loan to the Wskijinu’k Mtmo’taqnuow Agency Limited (WMA), made up of 13 Mi’gmaq First Nations in...
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Hateful graffiti found on Port Alberni’s Orange Bridge for second time in a week
By Nora O’Malley, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Ha-Shilth-Sa Port Alberni, BC – Port Alberni RCMP are investigating after the ‘Every Child Matters’ barrier at the Orange Bridge was vandalized for the second time in a week. Three swastikas were found spray-painted on the pillars of the bridge and the ‘Every Child Matters’ slogan was defaced with a racist slur on Jan. 21 between 1 a.m. and 2 a.m. Just one week prior, on Jan. 14, the slogan was defaced with the same racist slur. The lettering of the ‘Every Child Matters’ slogan was also vandalized in September 2022 – only a day after it was originally painted in partnership with the Ministry of Transportation and Transit and Tseshaht First Nation. Tseshaht Chief Councillor Wahmeesh, Ken Watts, said there is “no...
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Carney’s speech to World Economic Forum draws praise, calls for action
By David Baxter Prime Minister Mark Carney’s call at the World Economic Forum for middle powers to band together against economic coercion by “great powers” is winning some cross-partisan support at home, and garnering attention all over the world. The speech — which the Prime Minister’s Office said Carney wrote himself — painted a grim picture of a world where global powers are increasingly using economic dominance for political coercion and where countries like Canada cannot continue to pretend the way things used to be is the way they will ever be again. “In a world of great power rivalry the countries in between have a choice: compete with each other for favour or to combine to create a third path with impact,” he said in a speech that drew...
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Educational space’s name honours late chief and ‘matriarch’
By Matt Prokopchuk, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, TBnewswatch.com THUNDER BAY — A large, modern educational space in the city now bears the name of a late First Nation chief who espoused leadership and guidance. That’s according to Derek Echum, the son of the late Celia Echum, a former and long-serving chief of Ginoogaming. Derek was one of many dignitaries who attended a ceremony at Kiikenomaga Kikenjigewen Employment and Training Services (or KKETS) in Thunder Bay on Wednesday morning to commemorate naming its “innovation room” after Celia. “She was an instrumental leader for the community,” Derek said. “She provided guidance for many members of the community, whether in a family role (or) a leadership role.” “Just providing so much stability.” Ginoogaming’s current chief, Sheri Taylor, told Newswatch she knew Celia and...
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Eby says B.C will play a key role in new global order described by PM Carney
By Wolfgang Depner Premier David Eby says B.C. will play a “key role” in a new international order charted by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney in a speech in Davos, Switzerland. Carney said during Monday’s speech at the World Economic Forum that the world order is undergoing a “rupture, not a transition,” and Canada is responding by fast-tracking a trillion dollars of investment in energy, AI, and critical minerals as it diversifies trade relationships. Eby says there’s “no question” that Carney’s speech will have consequences for British Columbia’s trading relationship with the United States, but they are minimal compared to the consequences of surrendering sovereignty to the United States under President Donald Trump. He says he listened to Carney’s speech with “relief and pride.” The premier is attending the BC...
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