Eby promises $50M to help get fire damaged wood to B.C. mills
VANCOUVER- British Columbia Premier David Eby is promising $50 million from the upcoming budget to help transfer fire-damaged wood from remote areas to pulp mills. Eby told the Truck Loggers Association Convention in Vancouver that will mean more work for forestry contractors hauling fibre that would otherwise be too costly or remote to access. The premier says the money would be funnelled through the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C., with the goal of keeping those in the industry working. The premier says the forestry industry is “clearly in crisis” and that means industry and government need to “find new ways of doing business.” At the association’s first in-person convention in three years, Eby highlighted the $90-million B.C. manufacturing jobs fund targeting rural communities affected by the downturn, and a new agreement
Oklahoma court says Kickapoo Reservation was disestablished
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)- The Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on Thursday ruled the historic Kickapoo Reservation in the central part of the state was disestablished more than a century ago and no longer exists. The court’s decision involves a case in which a citizen of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma challenged his state conviction on four counts of lewd acts with a child. Attorneys for Aaron Charles Buck, 52, argued that because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark 2020 McGirt ruling on tribal land in Oklahoma, the state lacked criminal jurisdiction because the crimes occurred within the historic boundaries of the Kickapoo Nation. The reservation was located about 30 miles (48 kilometers) southeast of Oklahoma City near the town of McLoud in Pottawatomie County. But the court agreed with a
Should next lieutenant governor be Indigenous?
By Peter Jackson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THE TELEGRAM While women and ethnic groups have been well represented in the post of Governor General in the past few decades, Mary Simon became the first Indigenous person to hold that post when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appointed her last year. That raises the question of whether provinces might follow suit. Simon, an Inuk from Kangiqsualujjuaq in northern Quebec, gained recognition for her work on Arctic and Indigenous issues and advocating for Inuit rights, youth, education and culture. But her appointment was not without controversy. Many in Quebec, including Premier Francois Legault, criticized her for the fact she does not speak French, and one group even launched a lawsuit calling for her dismissal. Emmett McFarlane, a constitutional expert at the University of
OPP Seeking Public’s Help In Robbery at Mississaugas of Credit First Nation
MISSISSAUGAS OF CREDIT FIRST NATION- – The Haldimand County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a suspect involved in a robbery on Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. Haldimand OPP responded to an early morning robbery Thursday, January 19, 2023, at about 2:58 am, at a King St., W business where a man approached a window and brandished a firearm. OPP said the suspect fled on foot with a quantity of cash and cigarettes. There were no injuries. The OPP Canine unit and West Region Emergency Response Team (ERT) attended the area to search for the suspect, but he was not located. The suspect is described as a male in his 30’s, approximately 6’3″ with a medium skin complexion and average build. He was
Hurt is still alive:’ Ontario community shocked after ‘plausible burials’ uncovered
The chief of a northern Ontario First Nation that found the province’s first “plausible burials” says the community is in shock and its members are working hard to ensure survivors and their loved ones have mental health support. Wauzhushk Onigum Nation Chief Chris Skead says the uncovering of 171 anomalies and “plausible burials” at the site of former St. Mary’s Indian Residential School in Kenora earlier this week is retraumatizing many survivors who attended the Catholic-run institution. The chief says he is seeing difficult emotions from community members and is feeling overwhelmed as his siblings and ancestors attended the institution. Studies were being conducted by the First Nation’s technical, archeological and ground-penetrating-radar team since May that were informed by testimony from survivors. Most of the findings were unmarked, except for five
More universities reviewing honorary degrees given to Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond
Mary Ellen Turpel Lafond VANCOUVER- Six out of 10 universities say they’re reviewing honorary degrees conferred on retired judge Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, after being asked by a group of Indigenous women to revoke them following a CBC investigation into her claims of Indigenous heritage. he Indigenous Women’s Collective says in a statement that the honours should be withdrawn because the former law professor “stole” the identity and lived experiences of Indigenous women. University of Regina, McGill, Brock, Royal Roads, St. Thomas and Mount Saint Vincent universities all say they’re looking into the situation, a day after Vancouver Island University announced Turpel-Lafond had voluntarily returned its honorary doctorate. Responses haven’t yet been received from Carleton, Simon Fraser, Thompson Rivers and York universities. Retired senator Lillian Dyck is among signatories to the
‘I think it’s time they do’: Stoney Nakoda calls for land acknowledgement at Flames games
By Jessica Lee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter ROCKY MOUNTAIN OUTLOOK Some in Treaty 7 territory will notice the Calgary Flames’ pre-game ceremonies have differed from those of other NHL teams in Canada. The Flames are the only Canadian NHL team that has not yet incorporated an Indigenous land acknowledgement before the puck drops at home games, and some traditional territory holders of Treaty 7 believe it’s time they did. “If they haven’t done it yet or started discussing it, it kind of brings the question as to why hasn’t it happened yet?” said Jordie Mark, a Chiniki First Nation councillor on Iyarhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation’s tribal council. “Maybe there’s something they’re doing that’s low-key, but if they can bring a land acknowledgement to the mainstream with as big
First Nations Drinking Water Settlement will offer compensation
By Chadd Cawson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The glass of water is beginning to look more half full than empty for Indigenous individuals who lived on a First Nation and were impacted by long-term drinking water advisories between November 20, 1995 and June 20, 2021. All impacted individuals are encouraged to submit a claim for the First Nations Drinking Water Settlement including minors, those under disability and personal representatives on their behalf and of those who passed away after November 20, 2017. The settlement that was approved between the Government of Canada and First Nations on December 22, 2021, will offer compensation for health harms (specified injuries) sustained by those following drinking water advisories. The deadline to submit a claim is March 7, 2023. A claims assessment tool is one
Still a `battle’ to get Indian residential school records to identify lost children
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter There was only one time she remembers being angry and shouting as a member of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, said former commissioner Marie Wilson, and that was about the existence of residential school records that could help find lost children. It is one of the memories “that stands out in a million memories,” an emotional Wilson said in her keynote address at the National Gathering of Unmarked Burials conference in Vancouver on Jan. 17. It was at an all-parties’ table in Ottawa with the signatories of the Indian Residential School Settlement Agreement. Signatories to that 2006 agreement include the federal government, the Roman Catholic entities, and the Presbyterian, Anglican and United churches. “There was an endless frustrating conversation about documents and why
Ottawa’s Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway to get an Indigenous name
By Cindy Tran THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- An Ottawa thoroughfare currently named after Canada’s first prime minister is expected to receive a new Indigenous name later this year, the National Capital Commission said Thursday. “I’m fully supportive of this decision,” Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said Thursday after the commission’s board of directors unanimously approved the recommendation to move forward with renaming the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. “I think this is something that Canadians and residents of Ottawa can be proud of once this process is complete,” Sutcliffe said. In June 2021, three Ottawa city councillors sent a letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging the federal government to facilitate an Indigenous-led consultation process to rename the parkway. They wrote the letter after ground-penetrating radar located some 200 suspected unmarked
‘I think it’s time they do’: Stoney Nakoda calls for land acknowledgement at Flames games
By Jessica Lee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Some in Treaty 7 territory will notice the Calgary Flames’ pre-game ceremonies have differed from those of other NHL teams in Canada. The Flames are the only Canadian NHL team that has not yet incorporated an Indigenous land acknowledgement before the puck drops at home games, and some traditional territory holders of Treaty 7 believe it’s time they did. “If they haven’t done it yet or started discussing it, it kind of brings the question as to why hasn’t it happened yet?” said Jordie Mark, a Chiniki First Nation councillor on Iyarhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation’s tribal council. “Maybe there’s something they’re doing that’s low-key, but if they can bring a land acknowledgement to the mainstream with as big a platform as theirs
B.C. Mounties investigate criminal claims against tribal police officer
WHISTLER, B.C.- A British Columbia First Nation police service says RCMP are investigating allegations of criminal conduct involving one of its members. The Stl’atl’imx Tribal Police Service says in a statement that it became aware of alleged activities involving the member in December. Because those allegations were reported to have occurred outside its jurisdiction, the service says it reported the claims to RCMP, which has confirmed an investigation is ongoing. The statement says the department takes any allegations of criminal wrongdoing by an employee very seriously and it has taken measures to ensure a full and fair investigation. The service doesn’t detail the allegations against its member, but says the officer is on administrative leave while the investigation is underway, and anyone affected should contact Whistler-Pemberton RCMP Victim Services. The
B.C. First Nation says unique deal gives it veto power over proposed coal mine
By Bob Weber THE CANADIAN PRESS A British Columbia First Nation is celebrating a deal with a coal company that gives it veto power over a proposed mine on its land. “It’s a new and, I want to say, better way of relationship-building with First Nations,” said Chief Heidi Gravelle of the Tobacco Plains First Nation in southeast B.C. Tobacco Plains has signed an agreement with NWP Coal Canada Ltd. over that company’s Crown Mountain coal proposal that sets the band up as the project’s environmental reviewer and regulator. The company, based in New Zealand and Australia, has agreed it won’t go ahead unless the band gives its OK. “We were brave enough to say we believe we can earn your ‘yes’ and we’re willing to take your ‘no’ as
Lawyers tell bail hearing Saskatchewan sisters victims of systemic racism
By Kelly Geraldine Malone THE CANADIAN PRESS YORKTON, Sask- Lawyers for two sisters who have spent nearly 30 years in prison for what they say are wrongful murder convictions told a bail hearing the women are victims of systemic racism in the justice system and false confessions. Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance were convicted of second-degree murder in the 1993 stabbing death of 70-year-old Anthony Dolff near Kamsack, Sask. The federal Justice Department started a review of the case last year, saying there may be a reasonable basis to conclude there was a miscarriage of justice. The sisters’ lawyers are arguing for their release as they wait for the outcome of the review. Lawyer James Lockyear said the all-male police force that arrested the sisters did not follow a
NDP leader says Liberal government is waging war against the working class
By Mickey Djuric THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says Justin Trudeau is waging a war against the working class and he plans to leverage his party’s agreement with the Liberals to protect working people. Singh addressed his caucus on Wednesday in a speech that heavily focused on the struggles faced by everyday Canadians and touched on the party’s traditional values such as strengthening unions and defending public health care. “Workers are the backbone of this country and they deserve respect,” Singh said. “If you work a job in this country, you shouldn’t go hungry.” He accused the prime minister of dismissing the struggles families are facing, including decades-high inflation, rising grocery prices and lack of access to health care. “You can’t even find
Six Nations man facing attempted murder charge in motor vehicle accident
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND-Six Nations Police have charged a 31-year-old man with attempted murder in a hit and run on Fourth Line Road that occurred last July. Police released information on the six-month-old hit and run after Turtle Island News and the Brantford Expositor questioned why the information had not been made public when it occurred in July 2022. Instead, media learned of the charge when the man appeared in a Brantford court last week. The charges came after Six Nations Police received a report from a hospital of a hit and run on Fourth Line July 4, 2022. Six Nations Police said in a press release Wednesday, January 18, 2022, the charges are connected to a continued investigation of a motor vehicle accident on Fourth Line July 4th
Iqaluit council asks residents to look to the future
By David Venn Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The City of Iqaluit is once again asking residents to give their input on the creation of a plan for what the city should like over the next 20 years. The city’s new general plan, which will be used to help guide its future in terms of housing, transportation and policymaking, is up for review. Iqaluit city councillors met for a planning and development committee meeting Tuesday night where two consultants from RePublic Urbanism, a firm contracted by the city, answered questions about what the city’s residents have said so far about what they want to see in the plan. They presented a report to council filled with suggestions, including that the city incorporate Inuit culture into buildings and community areas, build
Bail hearing for sisters claiming wrongful conviction continues in Saskatchewan
By Kelly Geraldine Malone THE CANADIAN PRESS YORKTON, Sask.-Lawyers for two women who have spent nearly 30 years in prison continued to argue Wednesday why the sisters should be released on bail while they await the results of a federal conviction review. Odelia and Nerissa Quewezance were convicted of second-degree murder in the 1993 stabbing death of 70-year-old Anthony Dolff. Odelia Quewezance turned 51 years old Wednesday and said that between her time in prison and boarding school she’s spent most of her life confined. “I honestly believe in my heart that it’s going to be a good outcome,” she said outside court. “I’m praying to be free so I can live my life now.” The federal Justice Department started a review last year, saying
Remains of child found in unmarked grave in Saskatchewan
Radar shows 2,000 areas of interest at former residential school site in Saskatchewan NEWS ALERT: More possible burials found KENORA, Ont.- Wauzhushk Onigum Nation in northern Ontario says it has uncovered 171 “plausible burials” in a study of unmarked graves within cemetery grounds at a former residential school site. Go to www.theturtleislandnews.com for updates. STAR BLANKET CREE NATION -The Star Blanket Cree Nation in Saskatchewan says ground-penetrating radar has discovered more than 2,000 areas of interest at the former Qu’Appelle Indian Residential School, site of one of the longest-running residential schools in the country. “Now we know it’s proof.” said Chief Michael Starr of Star Blanket Cree Nation after announcing preliminary results of the radar ground search of the Qu’Appelle residential school site and discovery of a child’s partial remains....
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Six Nations Council wants budget timelines back to Feb., not later
By Turtle Island News Staff Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) budget process is hitting some road blocks due to last year’s late start. Councillors voiced concerns at the General Finance meeting on January 16th about a second year of tight timelines to approve budgets after March 22 and 23 were proposed by staff as days to hear and approve departmental budgets. Last year the director of finance scheduled SNEC’s two-day budget approval meeting in early February and without a finance director at the helm, Jennifer Court, Director of Financial Reporting and Analysis scheduled the meetings and director deadlines even later this year, leaving only a week before the end of the fiscal year to make changes. “The budget calendar mirrored last year’s calendar. I was just trying to follow the...
