Details of canoe building program shared at Chiefs of Ontario wellness conference
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Sylvia Plain is a firm believer in mixing things up a bit. Besides being a veteran policy analyst, who has worked for First Nations throughout Ontario, Plain has another gig she’s proud of. Since 2014, the member of Aamjiwnaang First Nation, has owned and operated the Great Lakes Canoe Journey Education Program where youth build birch bark canoes and are taught the technology that goes with it. Plain provided details of her program at the three-day First Nations Community Wellness Conference that concluded Aug. 21. The conference, organized by the Chiefs of Ontario, was held in Toronto. Plain was one of the panelists at a conference workshop titled “The Land is Better with us On It: Environmental Caretaking, Youth Empowerment, and Traditional...
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Alberta seeking public input in establishing nuclear power industry
By Lauren Krugel Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says she expects the private sector to lead the way on potentially bringing nuclear power to the province, but her government would set up a Crown corporation if needed. “Because we have a power market where generation is privatized, we would anticipate that the private sector would pay for it,” Smith said Monday as she announced a new panel to gather public feedback on the possibility of building reactors in Alberta. “At the moment, we haven’t seen a need for us to establish a Crown corporation like they do in every other jurisdiction in Canada. We’re prepared to do that if we have to, if we cannot get enough baseload … But we want to see the private market work.” The panel is...
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Rivermen down Miners for first victory at The Prezzy
Rivermen down the Edmonton Miners 9-6. (Photo by Sam Laskaris) By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Rivermen got a bit of a confidence booster on Monday. The Rivermen were looking to rebound following a tournament-opening loss on Sunday at the Presidents Cup, the national Senior B tournament. And the Six Nations club accomplished its goal, downing the Edmonton Miners 9-6. All matches at the eight-team tournament, often simply called The Prezzy, are being held at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby. The chat around the rink is the Miners are capable of capturing some hardware at this year’s event. The Edmonton club had won the silver medal at The Prezzy in each of the last two years. “I don’t know what everybody else has but we know what...
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First Nations partnership to buy B.C. port terminal that moves critical minerals
By Nono Shen Two First Nations have formed a joint partnership with a transport company to purchase the Port of Stewart bulk terminal on the Portland Canal that separates British Columbia and Alaska. The Nisga’a and Tahltan nations and Arrow Transportation Systems said Monday in a joint statement that the deal to buy Stewart Bulk Terminals Ltd., which owns and operates the facility in Stewart, B.C., is expected to close in the coming months. The three equal partners said the deepsea terminal’s primary purpose is transporting critical minerals such as copper concentrate to market from sources including Newmont’s Brucejack and Red Chris mines in Nisga’a and Tahltan territories. Andrew Robinson, chief executive officer of the Nisga’a Lisims Government, said in an interview that the terminal was in an “excellent position”...
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Bowhead whale research project hires Iglulik and Clyde River guides
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News A Department of Fisheries and Oceans study on the population of bowhead whales is being guided by the Iglulik and Nangmautaq hunters and trappers associations (HTAs) in Clyde River from Aug. 5 to Aug. 20. The HTAs will take scientists on boating trips off the coast of Baffin Island to search for the whales, collect samples and take drone footage, according to the project’s primary biologist, Brent Young. “We’ll rely on local knowledge of our Inuit team members, as well as input from the HTA and local hunters, for locations to search,” Young told Nunavut News. Bowheads are one of the few whales that exclusively live in the Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. They are the longest-living marine mammals in the...
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‘Announcements don’t actually put shovels on the ground’
By Chantel Downes, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Lakeland This Week Cyr told council, “I am looking forward to having a discussion really quick on some of the concerns you may have or if you’ve got some insights that you’d like me to carry back to the province of Alberta that I can move those forward for you.” He noted that when he met with the County of St. Paul earlier in the day, “probably 90 per cent of them were about the roads.” Water and wastewater funding dominated the first half of the discussion. Coun. Ryan Bailey, chair of the Cold Lake Regional Utility Services Commission, pressed Cyr on discrepancies in the province’s numbers for grant calculations. Bailey pointed out that Alberta Transportation’s spreadsheets incorrectly showed Frog Lake First Nations...
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Vigils held across Canada for Norwegian adventurer found dead
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com Communities from Hudson Bay to Norway are mourning the loss of Steffen Skjøttelvik, the 29-year-old Norwegian adventurer whose body was recovered on the banks of the Hayes River in northern Manitoba on Sunday. Across the James Bay and Hudson Bay coasts, as well as in communities like Timmins, Kingston, Kasabonika Lake First Nation, and Weagamow Lake, vigils and remembrance ceremonies have been held to honour the hiker. Jacob Betker, who first met Skjøttelvik at the Timmins airport in 2023 and helped him get his Canadian start, said he is both saddened and humbled by the outpouring. “There was always still the idea of hanging on to hope, because he was so capable,” Betker said. “But I’m glad it’s over, because closure for the...
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First Nation leads effort to protect sacred sites
By Marissa Lentz-McGrath, Local Journalism Initiative, TimminsToday.com MATTAGAMI FIRST NATION – Sacred sites across Mattagami First Nation territory are being documented and protected through a new community-led project. The First Nation received a $51,300 Ontario Trillium Foundation grant. Resident Natasha Naveau, who spearheaded the initiative, said the project arose from both inspiration and urgency. Last summer, while canoeing with her sister, she visited a nearby pictographs and found evidence of a campfire disturbingly close to the drawings. “It just seemed a little too suspicious, like someone was trying to maybe vandalize the pictographs,” Naveau told TimminsToday. “That sparked the idea. These sites are part of our territory, Mattagami First Nation and Anishinawbe territory, but they’re not really protected.” The project will involve community-based and archival research into sacred and historically...
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Six Nations Police Seek Public’s Help After Safe Stolen
OHSWEKEN, ON- Six Nations Police are seeking the public’s help in locating a stolen safe and identifying the person responsible for the theft. On Thursday, August 21st, 2025, at about 10:18 a.m., the Six Nations Police said a break in enter, after the fact, at a property on Second Line was reported and is believed to have occurred overnight. Police attended the area and said a number of items were stolen including a safe containing money, a John Deere lawnmower, power tools, lumber and televisions. Police are actively conducting an ongoing investigation and are appealing to the public for assistance. Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact the Six Nations Police at 519-445-2811. Should you wish to remain anonymous, you may call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS or leave an...
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Rivermen drop tournament opener at Presidents Cup
The Six Nations Rivermen (white jerseys) took on the Snake Island Muskies in their Presidents Cup opening game on Sunday. Photo by Sam Laskaris. By Sam Laskaris Writer Despite a bit of a late rally, a six-goal deficit proved a bit too much to overcome for the Six Nations Rivermen in their Presidents Cup tournament opener. The Rivermen were downed 12-9 by the Cornwall-based Snake Island Muskies in their first game at the national Senior B lacrosse championships on Sunday. All matches in the eight-team tournament are being held at the Iroquois Park Sports Centre in Whitby. The Brooklin Merchants are serving as hosts of this year’s event, often simply called The Prezzy. As hosts, the Merchants had an automatic berth into the Canadian tourney. The Rivermen advanced to the...
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Host Lakers edge Chiefs to extend MSL championship series
The Peterborough Lakers managed to take Game 4 of their MSL championship series against the visiting Six Nations Chiefs on Saturday. The Chiefs lead the best-of-series 3-1. Photo by Sam Laskaris. By Sam Laskaris Writer They’re still in control. But the Six Nations Chiefs missed out on their first opportunity to wrap up the Major Series Lacrosse (MSL) championship series on Saturday. The host Peterborough Lakers edged the Chiefs 9-8 in Game 4 of their best-of-seven MSL final series. Despite the loss, the Chiefs still lead the series 3-1. Six Nations will have another chance to finish off the series when it hosts Game 5 on Monday. The opening faceoff is set for 8 p.m. at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. Six Nations was playing catchup for most of the match...
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Deninu Kue First Nation to hold another election after committee throws out results
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North There will be a new election for Deninu Kue First Nation (DKFN) council after a committee threw out the July 14 election results, concluding the election process was flawed after hearing recounts were only half done and an ineligible voter may have decided the election. “It is the opinion of the committee that holding the July 14, 2025, election over again is the proper outcome given the fundamental flaws in the election procedures that were followed on July 14 and July 15, 2025,” wrote committee chair Brenda McLuhan on Aug. 20. “The committee hereby upholds the appeals on the grounds indicated in this decision and calls for the election for two councillors that was originally held on July 14, 2025, to...
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B.C. chiefs say Cowichan title ruling ‘monumental,’ not meant to threaten homeowners
By Chuck Chiang The Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs is calling a recent court decision on Aboriginal title on land along the Fraser River a “monumental” development, but says the case isn’t about threatening private home ownership. The organization says this month’s decision confirming the Cowichan Tribes’ Aboriginal title over land and fishing rights in Richmond, B.C., “reaffirms and strengthens” the recognition of such title in the province. But vice-president Chief Don Tom says in a statement the case is “not about seizing private homes or threatening homeowners,” and framing the court decision that way is unfair scapegoating of First Nations. The B.C. Supreme Court decision says the Cowichan established title to a portion of land and river foreshore, with titles held by Canada and the City of Richmond...
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At MOV, Tŝilhqot’in Nation tells the story of a momentous repatriation: ‘We brought back history’
By Dionne Phillips, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews A new exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver (MOV) showcases a new way forward with the Tŝilhqot’in Nation after the long-awaited return of their cultural belongings. As part of the larger The Work of Repair: Redress & Repatriation display that opened June 20, Tŝilhqot’in collaborated with MOV to display items that represent their culture, art and history. MOV’s senior curator of Indigenous collections Sharon Fortney explained that the gallery Nexwenen Nataghelʔilh was a collaborative effort between the two parties and showcases how museums can work with Indigenous communities in a good way. More than 60 Tŝilhqot’in belongings were returned to the nation from MOV last year — including qatŝ’ay (coiled spruce root baskets) and tŝi-bis (obsidian) stone tools. Nexwenen Nataghelʔilh includes film,...
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es zumín’ Primary Care Centre in Lil’wat now registered as a naloxone take-home site
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Pique Newsmagazine The es zumín’ Primary Care Centre in Mount Currie is officially a registered naloxone take-home site, expanding access to the life-saving opioid antidote in the Lil’wat community. The designation means the centre can now provide free naloxone kits and training through the provincial Take Home Naloxone program. Operated in partnership with the Southern Stl’atl’imx Health Society (SSHS), the service is available Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 321 IR #10 Road, Mount Currie. Naloxone is a medication that temporarily reverses the effects of opioids on the central nervous system. It can restore breathing that has been slowed or stopped by substances such as fentanyl, heroin, methadone, morphine or hydromorphone. By reversing overdoses, naloxone helps prevent long-term brain...
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Lil’wat, N’Quatqua demonstration for Joffre stops traffic north of Pemberton
By Luke Faulks, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Pique Newsmagazine The Lil’wat Nation and N’Quatqua First Nation held a peaceful protest on the morning of Aug. 22 in response to the B.C. government’s one-month closure of Pipi7íyekw/Joffre from Sept. 2 to Oct. 3. Lil’wat and N’Quatqua said they told the province back in December 2024 they wished to see the third closure of the year run from Aug 22 until Oct. 23. The province’s announcement on Aug. 19 was met with a strong rebuke from the Nations a day later, leading to Friday’s two-hour blockade. The protest, situated at the intersection of Mount Currie’s Main Street, the Pemberton Portage Road and the Lillooet Lake Road blocked traffic moving between Pemberton, unincorporated communities like Birken and Darcy and, naturally, Pipi7íyekw/Joffre Lakes, from...
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Bat research taking flight near Kinbasket Lake
By Abigail Popple, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Rocky Mountain Goat Efforts to preserve a population of northern myotis – an endangered bat species that used to be found throughout eastern B.C., but whose range has been contracting to the central interior – are under way near Kinbasket Lake. The Wildlife Conservation Society, a non-profit based in New York City but with offices across the globe, is participating in two projects near the lake to study and support northern myotis populations: on the south shore of the lake, researchers are planting fake bark to mimic the old-growth trees where the northern myotis roosts, and on the north side they are using radio detectors to determine how many of the bats are present in logged areas. Northern myotis pups require a...
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Stevie May is the voice and ears of Liidlii Kue
By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North Stevie May has a lot of people to thank. In her second summer working as a receptionist for Liidlii Kue First Nation (LKFN), the 22-year-old student says she appreciates the opportunity to earn some money as she reconsiders her academic ambitions. “I was going to school for child and youth care,” she said. “I thought it was what I wanted to do, but I’m having second thoughts now. I’m hoping next year I will finally know what I’m doing with my life.” Having crossed child care off her list, May said she has plenty of other inspirations to explore, including bringing clean energy choices to Indigenous communities to help them achieve greater energy independence and help reduce impacts on climate. She...
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For trappers, the land is their office — wildfires have them bracing for the worst
By Brittany Hobson Some trappers are expecting “catastrophic losses” to their food and financial security this year, as Canada’s second-worst wildfire season on record sent swaths of remote boreal forest up in flames. The latest figures from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre suggest fires have torn through 78,000 square kilometres of land, with most of the fires on the Prairies. “These are humongous fires … (the) majority of the traplines will be affected in a big way,” said Ron Spence, a trapper from Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. “I’m sure there’s portions of my line that are going to be affected.” Roughly 20,000 square kilometres of land have burned this year, considered Manitoba’s worst wildfire season in at least 30 years. It’s more than double the area from...
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Minister’s office reviewing tribunal order on First Nations child welfare
By Alessia Passafiume -CP-Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty’s office says she is reviewing a Canadian Human Rights Tribunal order for parties involved in a decade-long First Nations child welfare case to resume talks to reform the system after an impasse. The order comes nine years after the tribunal concluded the federal government discriminated against First Nations children by underfunding the on-reserve child welfare system, following a joint 2007 human rights complaint from the Assembly of First Nations and the Caring Society. The tribunal said Ottawa’s underfunding was discriminatory because it meant kids living on-reserve were given fewer services than those living off-reserve. It tasked Canada with reaching an agreement with First Nations to reform the system, and with compensating children who were torn from their families and put in foster...
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