‘Our ancestors are always in the room when we speak,’ Crystal Lewis on Sḵwx̱wú7mesh language revival
By Bhagyashree Chatterjee Local Journalism Initiative Crystal Lewis has been busy figuring out––what do Indigenous youth in the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) need most, and how can those needs be met? For Lewis, who was elected BC Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Youth Representative at 29, answering these questions means addressing systemic issues like mental health, homelessness, and cultural loss. Over the past year, Lewis has participated in discussions on provincial and national levels, focusing on youth policy recommendations and cultural heritage. Advocacy and leadership roles Lewis began her work in governance as an intern on Parliament Hill, assisting former for Nunavut Member of Parliament Mumilaaq Qaqqaq and contributing to the development of the Indigenous Youth Parliamentary Internship Stream through GreenPAC. She has since expanded her focus to “include advocacy...
Register
Expanded nurse practitioner role ‘a game-changer’ for health care, says Livingstone-Macleod MLA
Tens of thousands of rural Albertans are already benefiting from improved health care access thanks to an expanded role for nurse practitioners, Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic told the legislature. “This program is a game-changer for our health care system,” said Petrovic, the UCP’s parliamentary secretary for health workforce engagement. Petrovic said rural and remote areas like Coaldale, Consort and Two Hills have seen 33 nurse practitioners accepted since Alberta first sought applications for the program. So far it’s provided access to “vital primary health care” for 30,000 Albertans. Speaking to the legislative assembly Nov. 21, Petrovic estimated another 21,000 Albertans would benefit soon. Of 67 applications received since the program launched in April, 56 have been approved. The Nurse Practitioner Care Program increases the compensation of successful applicants, requires that...
Register
Positive reaction for First Nation flag
The decision to fly Fort William First Nation’s flag at Thunder Bay’s Alstom rail-car plant is already having its intended impact. Two weeks after the community’s green-and-white flat was raised at the Montreal Street operation at the suggestion of the workers’ union, feedback appears to be positive. “Not just from workers, but from the community at large,” Unifor Local 1075 president Justin Roberts said on Tuesday. The Alstom operation is located right across from Fort William First Nation. “It’s nice that they can see their flag flying (at the plant) from there,” Roberts said. Roberts said he hopes it encourage more Fort William First Nation (FWFN) residents to apply for work at the Alstom operation, which manufactures streetcars and other light-rail vehicles. In an earlier interview with another media outlet,...
Register
Ontario eyes new electricity generation sites, possibly including nuclear
Ontario is eyeing three sites across the province for new electricity generation facilities, including the possibility of large-scale nuclear plants. Energy Minister Stephen Lecce says the province is on track to meet rising electricity demands through to 2035, but after that point the need will continue to skyrocket and Ontario needs to secure more power for the future. The Independent Electricity System Operator has said demand is set to increase 75 per cent by 2050. Lecce is looking to three sites that are owned by Ontario Power Generation and already zoned for electricity generation – Nanticoke in Haldimand County, Lambton in St. Clair and Wesleyville in Port Hope. Lecce is tasking OPG with starting discussions with the municipalities and First Nation communities about putting various forms of electricity generation there....
Register
Supreme Court of Canada sides with First Nation in police funding dispute
The Supreme Court of Canada says Quebec must provide more money for a First Nations police force after acting dishonourably by refusing to negotiate the funding terms. The top court dismissed the province’s appeal of a ruling that said Quebec violated the principle of good faith and failed to uphold the honour of the Crown in refusing to adequately fund the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation’s police force. The Quebec Court of Appeal ruled in December 2022 that the provincial and federal governments owed almost $1.6 million to the First Nation in Mashteuiatsh, Que., to make up for years of underfunding. The federal government agreed to pay its share of the money, but Quebec asked the Supreme Court to overturn the decision. In its 8-1 ruling today, the Supreme Court says Quebec...
Register
Trudeau delivers long-awaited apology to Williams Lake FirstNation
Williams Lake First Nation has received a formal apology from the Canadian government for being displaced from its village lands at the west end of Williams Lake in the 1800s. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau issued the apology in person in Ottawa on Monday, Nov. 25 to Chief Willie Sellars, elder Amy Sandy, councillors Ann Louie, Dancing Water Sandy and Shae Chelsea. Trudeau said an apology is a deeply important step. “It’s about taking responsibility in large part for what happened decades ago, but it is also about commitment. A commitment we make to recognize the past, recognize the errors of the past, but commit to learning from them and not just making right on them, but learning to never make them again.” The official apology was read out by...
Register
With childcare shortages local daycare forced to close
Six Nations Band Council funding denials forcing private day care to close… 42 children could be left without childcare By Austin Evans Writer After 15 years of denied funding requests, Little & Littler Treasures Child Care is planning to close its doors by Christmas. On November 14, Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) published a community advisory saying privately-owned daycare Little & Littler Treasures was closing its doors the following day. “The decision to close this private daycare impacts numerous families who depend on Little Treasures Daycare for quality childcare,” the advisory reads. The daycare had 42 children registered. It has a capacity for 50. “Six Nations of the Grand River is aware of the challenges that a sudden loss of daycare will have on families and children.” The advisory recommended...
Register
Six Nations Well-Being has resources to help with grief
By Austin Evans Writer The team behind the upcoming Six Nations hospice wants community members to know they aren’t alone in their grief. Six Nations Well-Being invited the community to join them in Veterans Park on November 19 for National Grief and Bereavement Day. National Grief and Bereavement Day falls on the third Tuesday of November each year, and is a time for people to come forth with their grief and learn about the resources available to help them through it. Lois Bomberry, project manager for the upcoming Six Nations hospice, said the day gave them a chance to bring awareness to an otherwise sensitive discussion. “Grief and bereavement is a topic that should be on everybody’s mind or discussion if they’re in need of resources,” she said. “[We] just...
Register
Stoneridge Day care centre gets internet upgrade
Six Nations Council approves internet upgrade for Stoneridge Children’s Centre Arliss Skye, Director of Social Services, presented a proposal to upgrade the internet infrastructure at 18 Stoneridge Circle, home to the Stoneridge Children’s Centre at the Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) General Finance meeting on November 18. She said the internet currently goes down frequently due to high winds and aging equipment, causing significant downtime. Skye explained that the service interruptions have been severely impacting operations, with staff often unable to access essential online resources. This is forcing employees to leave the office and work from home resulting in lost working hours. “The [internet] has been offline more than it’s online, and it’s interfering with a lot of the business we do,” she said. “In some cases, staff have had...
Register
Six Nations man facing assault charges
By Austin Evans,Writer An Ohsweken man found sleeping in a car was arrested for assaulting a Six Nations Police officer. Six Nations Police officers responded to reports of a car hitting a trailer on Harold Road on October 12 at 10:45 pm. Police say witnesses saw the car driving erratically in the area before losing control and striking the trailer. Police noted tire marks leading up to the trailer, claiming there was minimal damage to the trailer itself. Police located the suspected car a short distance away, and found a man asleep in the passenger seat as they approached. Officers claim they woke the man up and he was uncooperative with them throughout the investigation. As a result of the investigation, police arrested and 34-year-old Thomas Worme of Ohsweken, charging...
Register
Brantford Native Housing wins Award for Excellence
By Kimberly De Jong Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) presented Brantford Native Housing (BNH), also known as Hotinohsioni Inc. with the Award for Excellence during the 2024 ONPHA Conference, which ran from Thursday, November 7 to Saturday, November 9, 2024. In a video published by ONPHA on November 9, Marlene Coffey, ONPHA’s CEO, congratulated the BNH team for all of their hard work and their dedication in responding to community needs. “The Award for Excellence is given to non-profit housing providers who go beyond their housing mandates to build strong communities and partnerships, house under-serviced communities, and demonstrate a strong commitment to effective housing management,” said Coffey. Brantford Native Housing, which is the only Indigenous-led housing provider in Brantford-Brant, was originally born out of the...
Register
Six Nations Police seek information on school damages
OHSWEKEN, ON- Six Nations Police are continuing to investigate a vehicle fire and damages at a local school after receiving calls from the public over property damage. Six Nations Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a Cayuga Road school Monday, November 18, 2024, at about 9:00 p.m.. Police said a silver Mercedes Benz C230 had been seen spinning around the rear of the property and the school track. Police found a vehicle on fire upon their arrival, but the suspects had fled the scene. The Six Nations Fire Department assisted with extinguishing the vehicle fire. The vehicle was destroyed by fire. The vehicle was not reported to police as stolen. Witnesses told police a man and woman were heard arguing after the vehicle lost control, hit...
Register
30 years and counting!
By Lynda Powless, Editor Time really does fly when you’re having fun. And we have been! Turtle Island News will be 30 years old this week! It’s hard to believe we have been around for three decades. It certainly doesn’t seem that long. In our early days as publisher there is no question I wondered if Turtle Island News would continue on to the next generation or become just a reminder discussed over coffee tables. But here we are 30 years later and now I wonder how much longer newspapers in general will be around. Social media has taken its hit on the newspaper industry. One-time readers are using technological devices, mobile phones and computers to get real-time information, quick news hits for those tuned in. The younger generation tends...
Register
Weekly Cartoon
...
Register
UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY – We Need To Do More…
By Xavier Kataquapit www.underthenorthernsky.com I was raised knowing many people in my circle of family and friends who have had to deal with troubles and problems that they had no control over. As I grew up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, tragedy and trauma just seemed be a normal part of life for everyone. My parents generation grew up with limited education and what schooling they had occurred in the Residential School system where they faced abuse, colonization and a sense that they were less than human. As a result, they passed on this trauma to their children. Some families survived to a degree through this communal trauma but many others were unable to cope. This colonization and oppression resulted in countless people who...
Register
Anderson adjusting to life in university hockey ranks
By Sam Laskaris Writer As was the case several years ago, Brenden Anderson once again finds himself adjusting to a new level of hockey. Anderson, a 21-year-old forward who is a Six Nations member, is a rookie with the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks men’s hockey squad. The Golden Hawks compete in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), a 19-team league, which includes three entrants from Quebec – McGill, Concordia and The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. When he entered the junior ranks five years ago, with a Junior B franchise called the Brantford Bandits, Anderson found himself competing against players who were up to five years older than him. And now in the OUA, he is participating against some players who are 26 or 27 years old. “It’s kind of...
Register
Chiefs’ star captures national Tom Longboat Award
By Sam Laskaris Writer A key member of the Six Nations Chiefs 2024 Mann Cup championship squad has won a prestigious national award. Eli McLaughlin had helped the Chiefs win their second straight national Senior A men’s lacrosse title in September. And McLaughlin was announced as the male recipient of the Tom Longboat Award at a gala ceremony in Ottawa this past Saturday. The award, named in honour of the legendary Six Nations distance runner Tom Longboat, is annually presented to the top Indigenous athlete in Canada. Justina Di Stasio, a wrestler who represented Canada at this year’s Paris Olympics, was chosen as the female winner of the Tom Longboat Award. Besides winning the Mann Cup with the Chiefs, McLaughlin, who is 31, also helped the Haudenosaunee Nationals capture a...
Register
SPORTS BRIEFS:Nanticoke lone local player to crack Buffalo Bandits’ lineup
By Sam Laskaris Writer Tehoka Nanticoke will be seeking a third consecutive National Lacrosse League (NLL) championship this season. Nanticoke is the only Six Nations member that has cracked the roster of the two-time defending NLL champion Buffalo Bandits this season. The Bandits announced their 2024-25 roster on Monday. Nanticoke was one of seven forwards named to Buffalo’s 21-man roster. The 26-year-old is entering his third NLL season. Nanticoke had a stellar rookie campaign with the Bandits, earning 51 points (32 goals and 19 assists) in 18 regular season matches. He added 14 points, including six goals, in a half dozen playoff contests, helping the Bandits win the 2023 NLL title. Nanticoke then collected 39 points, including 21 goals, in 13 regular season games last season. And he was once...
Register
Policing in Squamish’s Indigenous communities
By Bhagyashree Chatterjee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter What does it mean to police a community as diverse as Squamish? How can law enforcement better connect with Indigenous communities to build trust and respect? For Const. Kelly Dean of the Integrated First Nations Policing Unit (IFNU), these questions aren’t just theoretical—they’re at the heart of his everyday work. “In my role, it’s different,” Dean shared during an interview with The Squamish Chief. “I have a heart connection with the community. When something happens, it’s not just a call—I see how it impacts families. The community feels like my extended family.” ‘These choices are intentional’ Established in 2008, the Integrated First Nations Policing Unit (IFNU) serves the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, covering Squamish, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. Based...
Register
Anti-Indigenous racism training launched for some health-care workers
New made-in-Manitoba training on “culturally safe care” will educate current and future doctors, nurses and their colleagues on anti-Indigenous racism with a goal of improving treatment for all patients. Health-care workers will be able to register for Giga Mino Ganawenimaag Anishinaabeg — an Ojibwa phrase that translates to “We will take good care of the people” — as of Monday. Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, based out of the University of Manitoba, announced the imminent rollout of its 10-module training program on Tuesday. Participants will be assigned case studies and reflection questions to increase their understanding of historical injustices and persistent prejudices that affect the health outcomes of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. “A lot of times, racism is almost subterranean,” said Lee Sanderson, one of five Indigenous...
Register
