New study shows how Amazon trees use recent rainfall in the dry season and support the production of their own rain
By Magali Nehemy Assistant Professor, Department of Earth & Environmental Science University of British Columbia The Amazon is the world’s largest tropical forest, home to unmatched biodiversity and one of the planet’s longest rivers. Besides the Amazon River, the Amazon rainforest also features “flying rivers:” invisible streams of vapour that travel through the atmosphere, fuelling rainfall both within the forest and far beyond its boundaries. The forests play a central role in this system. Much of the moisture that rises into the atmosphere comes from transpiration. Trees pull water from the soil through their roots, transport it to the leaves and release it as vapour. That vapour becomes rainfall — sometimes locally, sometimes hundreds of kilometres away. In the dry season when rain is scarce, up to 70 per cent...
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Son of late Innu leader says Hydro-Québec does not have consent for Gull Island, wants work halted immediately
By Heidi Atter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent A Sheshatshiu man is calling for Innu leaders to step down and for all work at Gull Island to stop after Innu Nation gave Hydro-Québec a green light to resume preliminary work before Innu have their say in a referendum. Innu Nation’s assent precedes a forthcoming vote by Innu on an agreement between Innu and the Québec public utility for the proposed hydroelectric megaproject in central Labrador and to settle a legal challenge. “I was furious. I was very upset,” said Jerome Jack, an Innu land defender and son of late Innu leader Bart Jack, who was instrumental in the Innu resistance to Muskrat Falls nearly a decade ago. “They still don’t have the consent from people, and they’re still going...
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Six Nations actor Graham Greene, known for role in “Dances With Wolves,’ dies at 73
By Cassidy McMackon Oscar-nominated Six Nations of the Grand River /Canadian actor Graham Greene, who broke through with memorable roles across several genres at a time when the entertainment industry shunned Indigenous talent, has died at age 73. Greene’s management team said he died on Monday in Stratford, Ont., after a long illness. The actor, who was born in Ohsweken, Six Nations of the Grand River , Ont., and is from the Six Nations Reserve, starred in a steady stream of film, television and theatre projects from the late 1970s onward. Last year, he won a Canadian Screen Award for playing a version of himself in the comedy thriller “Seeds,” directed by Kaniehtiio Horn. Horn, who was born in Ottawa and raised on a Mohawk reserve, says she first encountered...
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Warming temperatures affect glaciers’ ability to store meltwater, contributing to rising sea levels
By Danielle Halle and Wesley Van Wychen In higher elevations, firn, frozen water that is something between snow and ice, covers the top of glaciers. Firn plays a critical role in regulating glacial meltwater and sea level rise. It does this by absorbing meltwater, the water released by melting glaciers. The ability of the firn layer to absorb meltwater — its “sponginess” — can be determined by the amount of pore space available, which is impacted by several variables such as temperature, firn grain size and presence of ice layers within the firn layer. A more spongy firn layer allows for more meltwater to be stored as it trickles down and refreezes when it reaches colder temperatures at depth. Layers of firn can exist between refrozen ice layers. The greater...
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Two-way race in ITK presidential election
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Two candidates will be on the ballot in September for the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami presidential election. Incumbent Natan Obed will face former CBC North managing editor Kevin Kablutsiak. ITK, the national organization representing Canadian Inuit, made the announcement Friday morning, a day after the nomination deadline. The winner will be determined Sept. 18 during the organization’s annual general meeting in Cambridge Bay. Obed, 49, has been at the helm of ITK since 2015. He is the longest-serving president in the organization’s history. He won the 2015 and 2018 presidential elections, then was acclaimed in 2021 when no one ran against him. Obed announced he will run in the upcoming election as a “veteran,” despite previously saying this would be his final...
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Quebec has turned down funds aimed at addressing systemic racism in the courts
By Miriam Lafontaine The Quebec government has turned down federal funding aimed at combating systemic racism in the criminal justice system, saying it doesn’t agree with the program’s approach. The federal government first offered $6.64 million in funding to provinces and territories in 2021 to improve fairness in the courts. Spread out over five years, the money was aimed at addressing the overrepresentation of Black people in the criminal justice system by promoting the use of race and cultural assessments before sentencing. These assessments — known as Impact of Race and Culture Assessments, or IRCAs — analyze how a convicted person’s experience of systemic racism contributed to their criminal charges. While most provinces have accepted the federal funding aimed at supporting defendants or to cover the costs of assessments through...
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Sam Laskaris, Turtle Island News contributing writer, receives Excellence in Journalism Award
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Linda Debassige presents Sam Laskaris with his Excellence in Journalism Award. Turtle Island News is pleased to announce that its sports writer Sam Laskaris has been chosen as the 2025 Debwewin Citation winner. The award is presented by the Anishinabek Nation for Excellence in Journalism. It recognizes excellence in reporting or storytelling about Anishinabek issues Anishinabek Nation is a political advocate of 39 First Nations across Ontario Sam was presented with the award on Aug. 28 at Casino Rama Resort in Chippewas of Rama First Nation during the Anishinabek Evening of Excellence ceremony Sam is a veteran journalist and sports writer and has been a contributing writer to Turtle Island News for over a decade. We congratulate him on his award....
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Tourism operators’ bottom line burned by another summer of wildfires
By Lauren Krugel Fewer tourists are coming to Jasper, Alta., than usual this year, but it’s not for a lack of people eager to visit the picturesque Rocky Mountain town. Numbers are about as good as they can be, considering about one-fifth of the town’s overnight accommodations burned when a ferocious wildfire swept through last summer, said Tourism Jasper CEO Tyler Riopel. “There’s about as many people visiting Jasper this summer as we have overnight accommodations for, so I say it’s a win,” he said. “We’re seeing between a 16- and 20-per-cent actual visitor number reduction overall, and that is 100 per cent directly attributed to the loss in fixed-roof accommodations and campgrounds.” Spots that are available are almost entirely full, Riopel said, adding the squeeze is likely to last...
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Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated pouring $98 million into housing
By William Koblensky Varela, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunavut News Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated has approved $98 million in spending on housing after receiving the money from the federal government’s Urban, Rural and Northern Indigenous Housing Strategy, according to an Aug. 29 press release. Housing will be prioritized for women and children fleeing violence; Elders; and youth in crisis, according to Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. (NTI), which held a board of directors meeting in Kinngait this week. “Members noted a 46 per cent increase in project spending, with significant investments in Inuktut revitalization, community infrastructure, housing, the Inuit Health Survey, post-secondary education, tuberculosis care, and suicide prevention initiatives,” the NTI press release states. In the same board meeting, NTI learned that the Nunavut Trust will pay out $92.9 million this year, more...
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Hundreds of Manitoba wildfire evacuees face uncertain September
By Maggie Macintosh, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Winnipeg Free Press Six-year-old Raylynn Mercer spent much of his summer break bicycling around hotel parking lots and cuddling with his Chihuahua, Princess. “He’s a trooper,” Irene Mercer said as she reflected on the abrupt end of her son’s first school year and uncertainty surrounding his entry into Grade 1. “Due to fires, they weren’t allowed to celebrate the end of kindergarten. He was very crushed.” The Mercers and others from Mathias Colomb Cree Nation, also known as Pukatawagan, were forced to flee south about 100 days ago. The 2025 wildfire season is the worst on record in 30 years. More than two million hectares of Manitoba have burned and while most fires are out or under control, widespread infrastructure damage is delaying...
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Archeology field schools to continue in 2026 at Tse’k’wa historic cave
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca CHARLIE LAKE, B.C. — The road to a career in archeology at the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) will continue to run through Charlie Lake until at least 2026. The Tse’k’wa Heritage Society, located in the area, announced a third field school to take place in the area of its cave during the Archeology Night Out on Wednesday, August 27th at Treaty 8 Tribal Association offices in Fort St. John. A field school provides practical on-location instruction in archeological methods such as excavation, surveying and mapping. Previously, the Tse’k’wa National Historic Site, a cave with roots tracing back to the Ice Age, has hosted field schools in 2022 and 2024. The property is owned wholly by Doig River First Nation (DRFN),...
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What it could mean for the Fed to lose its independence
By Christopher Rugaber WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump’s attempt to fire a member of the Federal Reserve’s governing board has raised alarms among economists and legal experts who see it as the biggest threat to the central bank’s independence in decades. The consequences could impact most Americans’ everyday lives: Economists worry that if Trump gets what he wants — a loyal Fed that sharply cuts short-term interest rates — the result would likely be higher inflation and, over time, higher borrowing costs for things like mortgages, car loans and business loans. Trump on Monday sought to fireLisa Cook, the first Black woman appointed to the Fed’s seven-member governing board. It was the first time in the Fed’s 112-year history that a president has tried to fire a governor. Trump...
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‘My hero is here’; Eskasoni first responders honoured for special work they do
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Words of gratitude, loud applause and even tears of emotion were waiting for first responders at the end of a special parade in their honour Wednesday afternoon in Eskasoni First Nation. Organizers of the event held to express appreciation to the community’s firefighters, RCMP officers, paramedics, mental health and crisis teams were pleasantly surprised at the size of the crowd that filled the powwow grounds to say thank you. The crowd cheered and recognized not only present first responders, but also those from the past who had retired. As the crowd ate their supper, supplied by the chief and band council, or watched their children play on several inflatables in the field, awards were handed out and some tears were...
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Some Indigenous businesses halt exports to U.S. despite long-standing free-trade ties
By Alessia Passafiume -CP-AP-Some small Indigenous businesses are halting shipments to the U.S. in the wake of President Donald Trump’s tariff regime, even though trade ties exist that predate the founding of both Canada and the United States. “There needs to be a resolution to allow Indigenous Peoples to continue to undergo the trade routes that they have established and practised, and the treaties that have been signed in the past have suggested that these would be honoured,” said Matthew Foss, who serves as the vice president of research and public policy at the Canadian Council for Indigenous Businesses. “It’s up to the federal governments in Canada and the United States to figure out how to honour those.” Trump announced last month his government was going to suspend duty-free de...
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1.2M immigrants are gone from the US labor force under Trump, preliminary data shows
By Corey Williams It’s tomato season and Lidia is harvesting on farms in California’s Central Valley. She is also anxious. Attention from U.S. Immigration Control and Enforcement could upend her life more than 23 years after she illegally crossed the U.S.-Mexico border as a teenager. “The worry is they’ll pull you over when you’re driving and ask for your papers,” said Lidia, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition that only her first name be used because of her fears of deportation. “We need to work. We need to feed our families and pay our rent.” As parades and other events celebrating the contributions of workers in the U.S. are held Monday for the Labor Day holiday, experts say President Donald Trump’s stepped-up immigration policies are impacting the nation’s...
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Community play celebrates stories along the Grand
By Kimberly De Jong, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brant Beacon After traveling to 12 different communities over the course of a month, The Voice of the River: Grand River Community Play tour officially came to a close at Chiefswood Park in Ohsweken on Saturday, August 23, 2025. Put on by the Canadian Centre for Rural Creativity and Grandview Theatre, The Voice of the River celebrated the power of community, of creativity and of the Grand River.Jean Farquharson and Ivy Miller speak about the life of a dragonfly during the final showing of The Voice of the River Peter Smith, co-producer, writer and director of Voice of the River, said that the project first began during the COVID-19 pandemic when he was invited to join the Grand River Histories Project with...
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Brantford City Council won’t ask Ontario to repeal Bill 5
By Kimberly De Jong, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brant Beacon City of Brantford Council ultimately decided not to request that the provincial government repeal Bill 5, “Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, 2025,” during its regular Council meeting on Tuesday, August 25, 2025. Last week, at the Committee of the Whole, Planning and Administration meeting on Tuesday, August 19, councillors voted on whether they would approve a resolution to: Endorse the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s (AMO) request that the province include municipalities in the development of the regulatory framework to implement Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Oppose the provisions contained in Bill 5 that would reduce the environmental protections, override municipal planning authority, or prevent good faith consultation with Indigenous communities. Encourage the Province to support responsible housing and...
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Tourism operators’ bottom line burned by another summer of wildfires
By Lauren Krugel Fewer tourists are coming to Jasper, Alta., than usual this year, but it’s not for a lack of people eager to visit the picturesque Rocky Mountain town. Numbers are about as good as they can be, considering about one-fifth of the town’s overnight accommodations burned when a ferocious wildfire swept through last summer, said Tourism Jasper CEO Tyler Riopel. “There’s about as many people visiting Jasper this summer as we have overnight accommodations for, so I say it’s a win,” he said. “We’re seeing between a 16- and 20-per-cent actual visitor number reduction overall, and that is 100 per cent directly attributed to the loss in fixed-roof accommodations and campgrounds.” Spots that are available are almost entirely full, Riopel said, adding the squeeze is likely to last...
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‘This requires a dialogue that is grounded in opening up’
By Aastha Sethi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Métis scholar Kristy McLeod and Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Webstad have co-authored a book, Decolonization and Me, which is set to be released on September 1. McLeod, born and raised in Victoria, British Columbia, said she did not know much about Métis culture growing up and only began to become familiar with it as an adult – eventually pursuing a PhD focused on it. Many of her relatives are non-Indigenous. “I was really close with my maternal extended family and on that side of the family, I was the only child that did not have blonde hair and was not fair-skinned. That certainly raised a lot of questions for me,” she told Cabin Radio. “I had memories I’d suppressed during...
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OPP hit second major illicit cannabis operation in Haldimand County, seize $8 million in product
HALDIMAND COUNTY, ON – The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) have seized another major illicit cannabis operation in Haldimand County and Ohsweken. OPP, after an eight-month illicit cannabis investigation, have laid charges against five individuals and seized $8 million in illicit cannabis, including dried cannabis, cannabis plants, edibles and vapes, as well as contraband tobacco. It’s the second major seizure in a month. A major OPP investigation in late July led to the arrest of 16 people and seizure of $55 million in illegal cannabis. In the latest seizure OPP communications officer Angie Sloan confirmed a search warrant was executed in Ohsweken as part of the investigation. Howev er, she said it is not OPP policy to provide addresses of search warrants. The investigation launched in October 2024, involved the OPP Provincial Joint...
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