Coast Salish knowledge helps researchers deepen study of 160 year old pelt from now extinct woolly dog
By Crystal St.Pierre Local Journalism Initiative Reporter “One of our Elders wrote, if there was an emergency, a woman would grab her woolly dog and her child and that’s the only two things,” said Squamish Nation member Senaqwila Wyss, demonstrating the cultural significance of the now extinct woolly dog to the Coast Salish Indigenous communities of the Pacific Northwest. Wyss was one of several Coast Salish people who worked with researchers from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, anthropologist Logan Kistler and evolutionary molecular biologist Audrey Lin, to conduct a years-long study of a 160-year-old woolly dog pelt called Mutton, which was found within the museum’s vast collection. It’s the only known woolly dog fleece in the world and the researchers sought to pinpoint a genetic understanding of...
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‘Ready to die’: Inquest into Saskatchewan stabbings sees texts from killer’s brother
By Kelly Geraldine Malone THE CANADIAN PRESS MELFORT, Sask-_ Myles Sanderson and his brother were driving around a Saskatchewan First Nation causing havoc, assaulting people and selling drugs in the days and hours before a mass killing in the community. The first day of a coroner’s inquest into the stabbing rampage saw text messages that Damien Sanderson sent his wife, Skye Sanderson, as the brothers caused chaos in the community. “I’m done ready to die,” Damien Sanderson said in one message on the afternoon before the attacks. RCMP have said Damien Sanderson was the first to be killed by his brother. Myles Sanderson then went on to kill 10 more people and injure 17 others on James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon on Sept. 4,...
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Northern B.C. First Nation looking to create culturally informed emergency documents
By Tom Summer Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Saulteau First Nations is applying for the Wawanesa Community Wildfire Prevention Grant, to create culturally informed emergency documents, to be used in combination with their cultural burning project, which aims to revitalize community knowledge around wildfire management. The First Nation has requested a letter of support from the Peace River Regional District to aid their grant application, which the PRRD board voted in favour of issuing at their Jan. 11 meeting. “The objective of this project is to help educate the SFN community about relative emergency threats and steps to prepare for, mitigate, and as necessary respond to those events,” wrote Saulteau First Nations to the PRRD. The project will focus on FireSmart principles, and the Sendai Framework principle that aims for an...
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Commission decision a `gut punch’, so years long battle over radioactive waste mound will continue
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Kebaowek First Nation is considering legal action now that the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has given the go ahead to Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) to construct a Near Surface Disposal Facility (NSDF) for solid low-level radioactive waste at its Chalk River Laboratories site on traditional unceded Algonquin territory. “The big thing being discussed right now is pushing for a judicial review of the project. Just based on all of our environmental findings and the impacts that could be shown, we strongly believe we’d have a good case for this,” said Kebaowek First Nation Councillor Justin Roy. Next steps will be decided once the legal team has fully reviewed the 169-page decision from the commission, which was released Jan. 9, he says. The commission...
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Caring society tells tribunal failing on Jordan’s Principle
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society says Canada is systematically failing to respond to Jordan’s Principle requests to fund services for children first and figure out who should be paying later. The allegations are made in two affidavits sent to the Human Rights Tribunal as part of a non-compliance motion the society launched against the federal government for its handling of Jordan’s Principle. That legal rule is supposed to ensure that First Nations kids are able to access health care, social and educational supports when they need them, with questions about which jurisdiction pays for them to be worked out afterward. Funding battles between the federal and provincial governments are still leaving children waiting and Caring society executive director Cindy Blackstock...
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‘Dealing with a lot’: Coroner’s inquest into Saskatchewan mass killing begins
By Kelly Geraldine Malone THE CANADIAN PRESS MELFORT, Sask.- RCMP officers who responded to a stabbing rampage on a Saskatchewan First Nation were to present evidence on the first day of a coroner’s inquest into the mass killing. Myles Sanderson killed 11 people and injured 17 others on the James Smith Cree Nation and in the nearby village of Weldon on Sept. 4, 2022. Sanderson, 32, died in police custody a few days later. “The objective is to have the story told, honour those victims that died on that day and try to come up with some recommendations that will help prevent this from happening again in the future,” Clive Weighill, Saskatchewan’s chief coroner, said Monday in Melfort, Sask., where the inquest is being held. A jury can also make recommendations...
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Meet Jolene Ashini: Soon to be the first Labrador Innu lawyer in N.L.
By Sanuda Ranawake Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THE TELEGRAM Jolene Ashini will soon be the first Labrador Innu person to be called to the bar in Newfoundland and Labrador. Ashini currently lives in Ontario where she completed her education and will soon be called to the bar in Ontario. Following this, she will begin her application to be called to the bar in Newfoundland and Labrador. Among her many achievements, she was also awarded the Royal Society of Canada’s Justice Rosalie Silberman Abella Prize, which, according to Ashini, “is awarded to graduating law students in each Canadian law school, who are most likely to positively influence equity and social justice, and Canada, or globally upon graduation.” Ashini said being a lawyer was something she always knew was coming. “It...
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New emergency equipment on site at Kanesatake based ambulance service
By Marcus Bankuti Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The first thing anyone should do in case of an emergency is call 911. But what happens in the minutes before emergency services arrive can mean the difference between life and death. That’s why First Nations Paramedics (FNP), which is located steps from Canada Post and Desjardins in the village of Oka at 101 Notre-Dame Street, has installed a suite of emergency equipment at its office. “The fact of the matter is, when an individual has a health emergency, it can happen anyplace, anytime. You’re not always home, and you’re definitely not always at the hospital,” said FNP president Robert Bonspiel. FNP has installed epinephrine, naloxone, an automated external defibrillator (AED), and a first-aid kit at the office to ensure life-saving equipment is...
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Scientists explain why the record-shattering 2023 heat has them on edge. Warming may be worsening
By Seth Borenstein THE ASSOCIATED PRESS The latest calculations from several science agencies showing Earth obliterated global heat records last year may seem scary. But scientists worry that what’s behind those numbers could be even worse. The Associated Press asked more than three dozen scientists in interviews and emails what the smashed records mean. Most said they fear acceleration of climate change that is already right at the edge of the 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 Fahrenheit) increase since pre-industrial times that nations had hoped to stay within. “The heat over the last calendar year was a dramatic message from Mother Nature,” said University of Arizona climate scientist Katharine Jacobs. Scientists say warming air and water is making deadly and costly heat waves, floods, droughts, storms and wildfires more intense and...
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Israel defends itself at the UN’s top court against allegations of genocide in Gaza
By Mike Corder And Raf Casert THE ASSOCIATED PRESS THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP)- Accused of committing genocide against Palestinians, Israel insisted at the United Nations’ highest court Friday that its war in Gaza was a legitimate defense of its people and that it was Hamas militants who were guilty of genocide. Israel described the allegations leveled by South Africa as hypocritical and said one of the biggest cases ever to come before an international court reflected a world turned upside down. Israeli leaders defend their air and ground offensive in Gaza as a legitimate response to Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack, when militants stormed through Israeli communities, killing some 1,200 people and taking around 250 hostage. Israeli legal advisor Tal Becker told a packed auditorium at the ornate Palace of Peace...
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Trustees call on province to boost number of Indigenous teachers
By Maggie Macintosh Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Winnipeg school trustees are calling on the newly-elected NDP government to set aside funding to help local universities graduate more Indigenous teachers. Elected officials from two city school divisions, St. James-Assiniboia and Winnipeg, have co-written a letter to call attention to representation gaps in kindergarten-to-Grade 12 classrooms. “It’s our way of saying to the government that this is still a priority for us and we hope that it can be a priority for them, too,” said Holly Hunter, chairwoman of the SJASD board of trustees. The memo, sent Wednesday to Advanced Education Minister Renee Cable, requests the province make a “significant investment” into training to tackle the workforce shortage. It also calls on the ministry to partner with community organizations to ensure First Nations,...
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Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi planning to declare housing and homelessness emergency
EDMONTON- The mayor of Edmonton says he plans to declare a housing and homelessness emergency because the system has reached what he calls a “breaking point.” Mayor Amarjeet Sohi says in a blog post that he has called a special city council meeting for Monday where he will move to declare the emergency. The announcement comes a day after police dismantled the last of eight homeless encampments deemed by the city to be “high risk.” It also comes as the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights, which has filed a lawsuit over the city’s encampment eviction policy, seeks an injunction putting restrictions on the city and police response to camps in certain situations, such as when temperatures get too low. In his blog post, Sohi says the number of people...
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Trudeau’s uphill battle to save — and sell — carbon pricing
By John Woodside Analysis, Politics January 12th 2024 Since the carbon price carveout for home heating oil was announced in October, political pressure to further unravel the centrepiece of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s climate policy has grown. Now the federal Liberals face tough choices over the future of this signature policy. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is hammering Trudeau’s government day in and day out over the levy, and virtually every region of the country (aside from Quebec and British Columbia, which have their own provincial carbon price policies) is also calling for exemptions. The premiers of Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick have written letters to the federal government calling for the carbon price to be removed from all forms of home heating. Most recently, Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew said his province has a...
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SIU updates on investigation into death of 21 year old woman in Thunder Bay
THUNDER BAY, Ont.-Ontario’s police watchdog says a woman found dead in a Thunder Bay home after police did not respond to an initial domestic disturbance call was not the 911 caller. But the Special Investigations Unit’s limited update does not shed any light on how 21-year-old Jenna Ostberg died on Dec. 30 or offer details about the initial autopsy results. The SIU now says the first 911 call came from a woman asking police to remove Ostberg, who was reported to be an “unwanted visitor,” from her home because there was a court condition preventing her son and Ostberg from seeing one another. The SIU says the same caller later contacted police to cancel the call for service, reporting Ostberg had left the home. But the SIU update does not...
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`Housing is healthcare’: Huupsitas helps to make housing affordable for seniors
By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Port Alberni, BC – In just over a year, a new 48-unit independent living apartment building located on the Tsawaayuus Rainbow Gardens Campus of Care in Port Alberni has helped low-to-moderate income Indigenous elders and seniors with disabilities overcome housing barriers while building a community. “There is definitely a community developing amongst the residents that were new to each other when they moved in, and now they’re friends,” said Art Van Volsen, building manager of the apartment complex, Huupsitas. Residents of Huupsitas can be found in the outside gardens socializing or meeting in the amenities area where they host games and bingo nights, he shared. “The catchphrase that comes to mind is, `housing is healthcare’,” said Van Volsen. “The folks that are coming...
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MMIW :Mother honours daughter’s life with donation to Wawak Food Bank
By Carol Baldwin Local Journalism Initiative Reporter WAWAK,SASKATCHEWAN-On Jan. 5th, Karen Daniels. a mother and grandmother from One Arrow First Nation, came to Good Neighbours Food Centre to present a donation in memory of her daughter, Monique. This is a very heartfelt gesture, and she invited an opportunity to have media coverage as she wants to do something meaningful in her daughter’s memory and to draw attention to the whole issue around missing and murdered Indigenous women. “She’s not a woman of tremendous financial means and yet she had this in her heart and her mind that she wanted to honour her daughter’s memory and her daughter’s kindness,” Betty Rudachyk said. As a single parent with five small children on Social Assistance, Karen Daniels used to come to Good Neighbours...
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BC Hydro must pay up for overcharging remote First Nations
By Rochelle Baker Local Journalism Initiative Reporter BC Hydro has been ordered to repay a small coastal First Nation more than $700,000 after unfairly charging them an extra annual fee for electricity for nearly a decade. The $85,000 yearly fee, embedded in a 2014 electricity service agreement between the utility company and the tiny Gitga’at First Nation of Hartley Bay, wasn’t approved and was ruled as “unjust, unreasonable and unduly discriminatory” by the province’s energy regulator this fall. During the complaint process, it was revealed that four other remote Indigenous communities, the Kwadacha, Uchucklesaht, Tsay Keh Dene, and Dease River First Nation, were also charged various extra fees in addition to their electricity rates. No non-Indigenous remote communities getting similar services were charged additional fees. The individual contracts with each...
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Prescribing safer alternatives to potentially deadly street drugs saved lives: B.C. study
By Camille Bains THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER- Researchers in British Columbia have published a study that suggests prescription opioids prevent overdose deaths among people with an addiction to potentially toxic street drugs. They found that those who were prescribed at least one day’s supply of opioids were 55 per cent less likely to die from overdose in the following week when compared with a similar group without a prescription. Those who had a four-day or longer prescription cut their risk of death by 89 per cent. The study focuses on prescribing guidance that British Columbia introduced in March 2020 for people who could fatally overdose during the pandemic as they sought a diminishing supply of illicit substances and risked COVID-19 transmission. British Columbia is Canada’s only jurisdiction to launch such...
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Five more Indigenous justice centres expand culturally safe support in B.C.: Eby
VANCOUVER- British Columbia must do things differently to break the cycle where Indigenous people comprise five per cent of the population but about 30 per cent of those incarcerated, Premier David Eby and First Nations leaders said Thursday. “So much of this work is at its most acute in our justice system,” Eby said at a news conference announcing the establishment of five new Indigenous justice centres over the past year. The centres are part of the government’s work with the First Nations Justice Council to build safer communities and help change lives, he said at the new Vancouver facility. B.C. now has nine such centres, with the latest facilities opening in Vancouver, Victoria, Nanaimo, Surrey and Kelowna. They were already in operation in Chilliwack, Prince Rupert, Prince George and...
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First Nations, Metis settlements join forces for deal backed by Indigenous Opportunities Corporation
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation (AIOC) has expanded its reach into northern Alberta with oil and gas infrastructure assets. The newly-formed Wapiscanis Waseskwan Nipiy (WWN) Limited Partnership comprises nine First Nations and three Metis settlements that are participating for the first time in a transaction backed by AIOC. The $150 million loan guarantee, which is AIOC’s second largest commitment in its seven deals to date, was announced Dec. 13. It will allow WWN to acquire an 85 per cent non-operated working interest in Clearwater Infrastructure Limited Partnership for a purchase price of $146.2 million. Clearwater is a partnership between WWN and Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd. Tamarack owns an interest in midstream assets, such as strategic oil batteries, gas process facilities and key in-field...
