Supreme Court upholds Ottawa’s Indigenous child welfare law, denies Quebec’s appeal
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- Indigenous communities and leaders across the country cheered Friday as the Supreme Court of Canada upheld the federal government’s child welfare law, affirming that First Nations, Metis and Inuit have sole authority over the protection of their children. The unanimous decision is a setback for the Quebec government, which won a victory in 2022 when the Court of Appeal found that parts of the act overstepped federal jurisdiction. Indigenous leaders lauded the high court’s findings as dozens of the very children at the heart of the decision ran rampant around an Ottawa conference room. “Our peoples have compromised enough,” said Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador regional chief Ghislain Picard. A group of children wearing ribbon skirts, kokum scarves and ribbon shirts sat in...
Register
Poll worker nun triggered some residents at Manitoba Indigenous seniors’ home: report
By Brittany Hobson THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- The hiring of a nun to run a mobile voting poll at an Indigenous seniors’ centre during Manitoba’s provincial election did not violate any laws, an investigation by the province’s elections commissioner has determined. However, Bill Bowles did recognize there was distress for residents, many of whom were residential school survivors, at the KeKiNan Centre in Winnipeg’s North End. “It is clear that some of the KeKiNan residents found Sister B’s presence triggering and caused them to relive trauma they experienced in their youth. It is also clear that Sister B intended no harm and in fact had reason to think, on the basis of her previous visit, that she would be welcome,” Bowles wrote in his Feb. 6 decision. An investigation was...
Register
Mother of two sisters who claimed to be Inuit pleads guilty to fraud
Amira and Nadya Gill received almost $200,000 in grant and scholarship monies intended for Indigenous students. (Supplied photo) NUNAVUT-A Toronto mother involved in a case of Inuit identity fraud has pleaded guilty to one count of fraud after court was told two Inuit associations were defrauded of over $158,000 in education grants and scholarship dollars given to her twin daughters that were intended for Inuit students. John Scott Cowan said Karima Manji, the mother of Amira and Nadya Gill, entered the plea Friday morning and took “full responsibility for the matters at hand.” “This morning Karima Manji pleaded guilty before Justice Mia Manocchio in the Nunavut Court of Justice. In doing so, she took full responsibility for the matters at hand. We will make further submissions on...
Register
Supreme Court upholds Ottawa’s Indigenous child welfare act, denies Quebec’s appeal
OTTAWA- The Supreme Court of Canada has ruled that the federal Indigenous child welfare act is constitutional, affirming that First Nations, Metis and Inuit have sole authority over the protection of their children. The unanimous decision is a setback for the Quebec government, which had made gains in 2022 when its Court of Appeal found that parts of the act overstepped federal jurisdiction. On Friday, Canada’s highest court upheld the entirety of Ottawa’s 2019 Act Respecting First Nations, Metis and Inuit Children Youth and Families, which affirmed that Indigenous Peoples have an inherent right of self-government that includes control over child and family services. “The act as a whole is constitutionally valid,” the court wrote in its 110-page decision, adding that it “falls squarely within Parliament’s legislative jurisdiction.” Ottawa’s law affirmed...
Register
Ontario temperature records broken as unseasonable warmth hits the province, northern roads impassable
TORONTO- Temperatures are soaring across Ontario with Toronto breaking a daily record and other cities poised to follow suit. The temperature cracked 11 C by 10 a.m. Friday at Toronto Pearson International Airport, busting a daily record set on the same day in 1938, when it reached a high of 10.6 C. It’s the latest record to fall across Canada, where forecasters had warned a strong global El Nino climate pattern paired with the effects of human-caused climate change was expected to lead to a warmer winter. Environment Canada meteorologist Peter Kimbell says it was nearly 5 degrees warmer than average in December and 3.4 degrees above average last month in Toronto. Kimbell says London, Windsor and Ottawa were among the other cities flirting with daily records, as unseasonable warmth brings...
Register
Poilievre pledges to fix broken access to information system, release more faster
OTTAWA- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre is pledging to fix the federal access-to-information system to speed up response times and release more information. He made the commitment speaking to reporters in Vancouver, where he announced a new revenue plan for First Nations alongside leaders in the region. Successive reviews concluded the access system is broken and plagued by delays, with the Information Commissioner of Canada voicing concerns that it is outdated. Canadians can use access law to request an array of government documents for a $5 processing fee. Poilievre says today that a future Conservative government would fix the system and make sure information gets in people’s hands faster. He also says he believes the House of Commons should release more information automatically. This report by The Canadian Press was...
Register
Three facing charges after Six Nations Police drug trafficking investigation seizes $35,000 in drugs, prohibited weapons, currency and more
OHSWEKEN, ON- Six Nations Police have charged three Selkirk, Ontario people believed to be involved in trafficking drugs at Six Nations concluding a six month drug investigation that resulted in seizure of $35,000 in drugs, prohibited weapons, and more. The charges came after police executed drug search warrants on a vehicle and a Selkirk residence Thursday, Feb., 8, 2024 . Police said the two Section 11 Controlled Drugs & Substances Act were executed on a vehicle and a residence on Melville Lane in Selkirk, Ont.,. Three adults were arrested without incident. Police seized, at the site, a large quantity of drugs which include Oxycodone, Hydromorphone, Fentanyl transdermal patches, Clonazepam, Dilaudid and Psilocybin with a street value of approximately $35,000. In addition, police seized bulk currency, prohibited weapons, cell phones and...
Register
Tory MP walks back comments on First Nations water plants amid criticism
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- After drawing criticism earlier this week for saying that some First Nations are burning down water treatment plants because of the federal Liberal government, a Conservative MP is now walking back his comments. Saskatchewan MP Kevin Waugh made the assertion in the House of Commons on Monday during a debate on the government’s First Nations water bill. “In my home province of Saskatchewan, I have seen reserves burn down water treatment plants because the Liberal government has done little or nothing,” Waugh said, directing his comments towards Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu. He added there needs to be “education provided for people on reserve to operate these water treatment plants,” and blamed the Liberals for not doing more. Waugh’s office confirmed Wednesday he...
Register
Enbridge appeals to vacate an order that would shut down its pipeline
By Todd Richmond THE ASSOCIATED PRESS MADISON, Wis. (AP)- An attorney for the energy company Enbridge tried to persuade a federal appellate court Thursday to vacate an order that would shut down part of a pipeline running through a Wisconsin tribal reservation. The company contends that U.S. District Judge William Conley improperly ordered Enbridge to shut down a 12 mile (19 km) portion of Line 5 within three years. The section runs across the Bad River Band of Lake Superior Chippewa’s reservation. Conley also ordered the company to pay the tribe millions of dollars in trespassing fees, Enbridge attorney Alice Loughran told a three-judge panel at the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. She said Conley’s order violates a 1977 treaty between the United States and Canada that...
Register
Poilievre proposes plan for First Nations to collect taxes from industry
OTTAWA- Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre proposed a new plan today for First Nations to collect taxes from industry that he says would speed up negotiations and project approvals. Poilievre announced what he called an optional First Nations resource charge alongside First Nations leaders in Vancouver, and dubbed it a First Nation-led solution to a made-in-Ottawa problem. He says it would permit First Nations to collect 50 per cent of the federal taxes paid by industrial activities on their land, with industry getting a tax credit in exchange. Poilievre says the resource charge would make resource projects more attractive to First Nations, and would not preclude communities from using other arrangements like impact benefit agreements. Chief Donna Big Canoe of Chippewas of Georgina Island First Nation says Canada’s legacy of colonialism...
Register
Judge dismisses lawsuit challenging name change to California’s former Hastings law school
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)- A judge has thrown out a lawsuit that sought to block the University of California from renaming the former Hastings College of the Law because its namesake was linked to the slaughter of Native Americans. Descendants of Serranus Hastings filed the $1.7 billion breach of contract lawsuit over the decision to change the name to the University of California College of the Law, San Francisco, which took effect last year. Superior Court Judge Richard Ulmer ruled Tuesday that an 1878 law that said the school “shall forever be known” by Hastings’ name wasn’t a binding contract and could be amended or repealed, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Ulmer also rejected a claim that the change violated the state Constitution’s requirement that the University of California remain “free...
Register
Tory MP walks back comments on First Nations water plants amid criticism
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA-After drawing criticism earlier this week for saying that some First Nations are burning down water treatment plants because of the federal Liberal government, a Conservative MP is now walking back his comments. Saskatchewan MP Kevin Waugh made the assertion in the House of Commons on Monday during a debate on the government’s First Nations water bill. “In my home province of Saskatchewan, I have seen reserves burn down water treatment plants because the Liberal government has done little or nothing,” Waugh said, directing his comments towards Indigenous Services Minister Patty Hajdu. He added there needs to be “education provided for people on reserve to operate these water treatment plants,” and blamed the Liberals for not doing more. Waugh’s office confirmed Wednesday he was...
Register
Water service disrupted at Rainy River First Nations
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter RAINY RIVER FIRST NATIONS- Households in Rainy River First Nations are experiencing a temporary disruption in water service. A “community notice” posted on social media Sunday night said the disruption was “due to unforeseen circumstances.” “Currently, we are experiencing a significant loss of water pressure resulting from the locking out of our pumps due to low water levels,” said a notice signed by public works manager Kyle Kellar. “Despite our best efforts, the plant levels are not rising fast enough to repressurize the water lines tonight.” The notice said water would be hauled in “to supplement our supplies” while the system is fixed and that restoring the system back to full service “may take some time.” Rainy River First Nations took to Facebook...
Register
Scientists use collaborative research methods in Nuu chah nulth COVID study
By Alexandra Mehl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter An ongoing study is looking back on how COVID-19 affected Nuu-chah-nulth people, with attention to the effectiveness of the vaccine, people’s immune response and how communities were impacted by the pandemic. The project is driven by the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council (NTC), in partnership with Simon Fraser University and National Microbiology Lab. The COVID-19 Vaccine Study looks into Nuu-chah-nulth’s immune response, vaccine effectiveness, and safety, aiming to help future planning of health services and programs while researchers hope their collaborative approach will lay a foundation for how research is conducted with Indigenous people. “It was a totally co-creative outreach model of research, which is totally unique in research, it doesn’t usually happen,” said Dr. Roger Boyer II, director of research for the project. “It...
Register
Feds’ labour data shows wage gap for Indigenous workers
By Isaac Nay Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A new tool created by Ottawa to reveal potential barriers in the workplace shows a significant gap in wages for Indigenous workers. On Friday, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan launched a tool called Equi’Vision that reveals Indigenous workers’ mean hourly wage is about nine per cent less than non-Indigenous workers’ hourly earnings across Canada. Experts say the gap is evidence of systemic inequities. “I think anybody with a sane mind would agree that there should be no wage gap,” said Rodney Nelson, an Indigenous governance and economic development researcher at Carleton University. “I wish I had the magic bullet and answer to why, but I think it’s a combination of many different things.” Each year, federally-regulated private-sector businesses with 100 or more employees must...
Register
Activist group rebrands, but its hard push for a national wildfire agency remains
By Matteo Cimellaro Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Pink paint splashed over artist Tom Thomson’s iconic Northern River. A topless protester interrupts the Juno Awards with environmental messages of “land back” and “save the Greenbelt” across her torso. A shutdown of key bridges and intersections throughout Ottawa. These are some of the protest actions by Last Generation Canada, an environmental activist group formerly known as On2Ottawa. Now, the group is rebranding to align with an international climate movement network called A22, as it prepares for a new wave of direct action and demands in the nation’s capital. The new name is an amendment of Last Generation’s counterpart in Germany, which maintains this is the last generation to stop climate collapse, while also being the first to effect change in society. A...
Register
MN S happy to see self governance law reach third reading in House of Commons
By Michael Oleksyn Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A law that would recognize self-governance for Metis people in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Alberta is one step closer to becoming reality. A process that began over three months ago, concluded Monday with the advancement of Bill C-53, which now returns to the House for Third Reading. Metis Nation, Saskatchewan (MN-S) President Glen McCallum said the bill is a significant step for Metis people, and the MN-S is celebrating it. “It’s beautiful to see,” McCallum said. “To be able to look at our history in regards to where we come from, the many years of struggles with the Metis Nation, to be able to be where we’re at today is huge.” If the bill passes third reading it would create the Recognition of Certain...
Register
Six Nations Police and Firefighters host Hockey Night in Ohsweken
Six Nations Police and Firefighters hockey night in Six Nations A Hot Ticket Night By Lisa Iesse Writer It was the coolest event on the rez! A hockey match between Six Nations Firefighters and Six Nations Police kept spectators on the edge of their seat Thursday night, (Feb. 1) while stirring up something special for the local food bank. The special event saw police and firefighters going head-to-head in an exciting hockey night in Ohsweken that saw over 200 eager fans from across Six Nations, Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Brantford, Hamilton and surrounding areas show up for some serious hockey fun, courtesy of two forces to be reckoned with: the Six Nations Fire and Six Nations Police! Constable Cody Johnson called the match the “next best thing” to...
Register
Six Nations reaches deal with Amazon warehouse contractor, HDI refuses comment
By Turtle Island News Staff The city of Cambridge may think municipalities don’t have a duty to consult with Indigenous people on land rights, but it didn’t stop Six Nations from reaching a tentative deal with Broccolini Construction who is building a huge Amazon warehouse there. Six Nations Lands and Resources director, Lonny Bomberry said they have reached a tentative deal with the developers for $250,000. But it wasn’t just the money they wanted. Bomberry said the contractor agreed to plant trees in a 10 to one tree placement ratio. They also agreed to the, long-term environmental protection of a wetland near the site. The deal is making it rounds with Six Nations community sessions and so far Bomberry said community response has been positive. The contractor built a huge Amazon...
Register
Another Six Nations school seeks funding
By Lynda Powless Editor Another Six Nations private school is asking Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) for help in building itself a new school . Skaronhyase’kó:wa, The Everlasting Tree School, asked SNEC, at its General Finance meeting Monday (Feb., 5) for $2 million of the $3.5 million needed to financially support a new modular building to house the school. It’s the third school to seek assistance to build or buy a new school building. SNEC signed a $8.5 million loan for Six Nations Polytechnic to buy its campus in Brantford in August 2021. The current status of that three year old loan has not been made public. Last month the Kawenni:io/Gaweni:yo Elementary and Secondary School made another plea to SNEC to guarantee a $25 million loan to build their school. The...
Register
