UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY – Respect Mother Earth On Your Hunt
By Xavier Kataquapit Gold has arrived. Here in the north of Ontario we see vast streams of gold shimmering across the landscape as autumn is here and the the leaves are turning. There are also flashes of red and brown as though a huge blanket has descended onto Mother Earth from the heavens. This is my favourite time of the year as it is not too hot or too cold and the wilderness beckons us to wander and wonder at the sights and scents of fall. It was an extremely hot summer, there were terrible forest fires and many alerts of dangerous storms and even tornadoes here in northern Ontario. Climate change is reminding us of the damage we have done to the environment with the rise of global warming...
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Local players capture bronze medal at international tournament
By Sam Laskaris Writer One of the Haudenosaunee Nationals teams was able to capture some hardware at the World Lacrosse Super Sixes tournament. The Haudenosaunee men’s squad edged Australia 14-13 in its bronze-medal match held on Sunday at Oshawa’s Civic Fields. The Haudenosaunee roster included three players – Justin Martin, Nonkon Thompson and goaltender Warren Hill – that helped the Six Nations Chiefs win a third consecutive national Mann Cup championship last month. Meanwhile, the Haudenosaunee women’s squad just missed out on a medal at the international tournament. It was downed 14-8 by the Canada White club in its bronze-medal outing. The Canada Red team won the women’s gold-medal matching, downing Australia 14-11. Canada also took home the gold in the men’s final, beating the United States 16-12 in the...
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Late goal secures win for Ironmen over host Lakers
Tyler Hill scored the game-winning goal for Six Nations Ironmen in a road win against the Woodstock Lakers. (Photo by Honee Anderson) By Sam Laskaris Writer Tyler Hill wasn’t sure if he was going to be the hero or possibly the scapegoat in his hockey game this past Saturday. As it turned out, it was the former. Hill, a member of the Six Nations Ironmen, scored the winning goal with 94 seconds remaining in the third period as his squad edged the host Woodstock Lakers 6-5 in a Northern Premier Hockey League (NPHL) contest. “It was pretty exciting,” Hill said of his winning tally, which was his second goal of the game. “Unfortunately, I ran into the goalie after I scored. So, I wasn’t exactly sure whether the goal counted...
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Senior women’s hockey returns to Six Nations
By Sam Laskaris Writer After an absence of more than four decades senior women’s hockey has returned to Six Nations. The Six Nations Stars have joined the Ontario Women’s Hockey Association and will compete in a 10-team league during the 2025-26 season. The Stars’ regular season opener is scheduled for Friday versus a team from Ilderton. The local squad will play all of its home contests at the Six Nations Sports & Cultural Memorial Centre. Puck drop for Friday’s historic match is scheduled for 8 p.m. Kristen Smith, one of the Stars’ founders, said it is believed that Six Nations last had a senior women’s team in 1982. Smith, who is also a forward with the Stars, said a lack of Indigenous representation in the Ontario association led to the...
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Brantford police, Chief Coroner investigating sudden death on trail
BRANTFORD-Brantford police and the Chief Coroner’s office are looking into the sudden death of a man found on a walking trail over the long weekend. On Monday, Oct. 13, at around 10:30 a.m., officers were called to the area of Birkett Lane and River Road, after receiving a report of a deceased male on one of the trails near the embankment. The man has since been identified and the investigation is now before the Office of the Chief Coroner, to determine the cause and manner of death. Police do not have any reason to believe the death is suspicious or criminal, nor does the incident pose a risk to public safety. No further details will be released at this time, as it is now a Coroner’s case....
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Canadian flotilla activists released from Israeli detention share their experiences
By Cassidy McMackon Two Canadians who were on board a Gaza-bound flotilla that was intercepted by Israeli forces say their experience in detention was “horrific” and they are relieved to finally be home. Ontario residents Khurram Musti Khan and Mskwaasin Agnew were among six Canadians on board the Conscience vessel that was intercepted on Oct. 8. The members of the Canadian Boat to Gaza, part of the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, were aiming to bring humanitarian aid to Gaza and break Israel’s naval blockade. Both activists returned home this weekend, along with Quebec doctor Nimâ Machouf. Devoney Ellis, Sadie Mees and Nikita Stapleton, all of Newfoundland and Labrador, were expected to return to St. John’s on Tuesday. Reached by phone Monday at his home in Milton, Ont., Musti Khan said he...
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B.C. Premier Eby says lifting the tanker ban would sink billions in ‘real’ projects
By Wolfgang Depner Lifting the oil tanker ban off British Columbia’s North Coast for a nonexistent pipeline from Alberta would endanger billions in other real investments that Premier David Eby says will need the support of coastal First Nations. “This is a pretty straightforward issue for British Columbia,” Eby said. “The oil tanker ban off the coast is the social licence with First Nations along the coast to be able to do significant economic development in the region,” he said on Tuesday at an unrelated news conference. Eby said he’s asking the federal government to reaffirm its support for the tanker ban off the West Coast, after Prime Minister Mark Carney said on Friday that lifting the ban would depend on a number of factors. Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has...
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First Nations have moral authority for nature, AFN convention hears
By Rosemary Godin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cape Breton Post Indigenous people have a responsibility to nature, Sen. Dan Christmas said last week as a special conservation gathering held at Membertou First Nation welcomed Indigenous knowledge keepers and land protectors from British Columbia to Canada’s North to Hunters Mountain in Nova Scotia. “We (Indigenous people) have a moral authority to do sustainable development,” Christmas said. “And it is not up to any outside government. It falls on our shoulders. We have that responsibility.” Hosted by the national Assembly of First Nations, Membertou First Nation in Cape Breton was chosen as the site for hundreds of delegates. The gathering was called “Upholding our Relationship to Mother Earth and Stewarding for Abundance.” The event was opened and closed by Christmas who said...
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‘We need to get them out’: Beluga trainer fired by Marineland speaks out
By Liam Casey Marineland’s crumbling infrastructure, staffing shortage and lack of resources have created dangerous conditions for its belugas and they should be moved immediately, a fired beluga trainer says. Kristy Burgess, who worked at the Niagara Falls, Ont., park when a young beluga was put down in February, said Marineland’s threat to euthanize all 30 of its remaining belugas if it doesn’t receive emergency funding is a “repulsive” tactic that uses the whales as leverage. “We need to get them out,” Burgess said of the last captive whales in Canada. “Immediately.” Burgess is speaking out for the first time about her experience at Marineland as the very whales she loved now face possible death. Nineteen belugas, one dolphin and one killer whale have died at the park since 2019,...
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Displaced Iroquois Lodge residents could find temporary home in Brantford
By Carly McHugh Writer Six Nations elders evacuated from the Iroquois Lodge after a June rainstorm caused community-wide flooding may soon return to their own land. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is in the process of securing a lease at the Fox Ridge Community in Brantford, a long-term care home the city has put a bid in to purchase from Sienna Living. The three-year lease will allow the approximately 50 displaced residents to live closer to home, while a new facility is built on Six Nations. At their social services committee meeting on Wednesday, the City of Brantford detailed tentative plans to begin moving the residents to Fox Ridge once the sale closes on Oct. 30. The current arrangement is to house them on one side of the building, while...
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Natuashish band council office, cultural stage burn down hours after election
The Mushuau Innu First Nation band council office in Nautashish was destroyed by fire early Friday morning. Aaron Poker. By Heidi Atter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent RCMP are investigating after the Mushuau Innu First Nation Band Council Office and a cultural stage burned down early Friday morning. Police say at approximately 3:09 a.m. on Friday morning they spotted smoke coming from the band council office and local fire crew arrived on scene shortly thereafter. No one was injured but the building sustained “significant damage,” RCMP say. The cause is under investigation. In a statement on Facebook, newly-elected Chief Patricia Andrew said “what happened last night was wrong, and not the kind of news anyone wants to start their day with.” “Our community has been through enough, and violence...
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Some Indigenous Peoples Day events strike conciliatory tone amid Trump’s focus on Columbus
By Terry Tang From Seattle to Baltimore, many Americans were celebrating Monday as Indigenous Peoples Day, determined to see it as a triumph of perseverance over centuries marked by trauma. Tribal nations and communities gathered at powwows, markets and musical performances among other joyful events to honor their culture and their history. Some states and cities have for decades now made the second Monday in October about honoring Native Americans alongside the Italian explorer Christopher Columbus, for whom the federal holiday was declared in 1937. And President Joe Biden signed a declaration recognizing both days. President Donald Trump, keeping a vow he made in April, reversed that last week, pledging “to reclaim his extraordinary legacy of faith, courage, perseverance, and virtue from the left-wing arsonists who have sought to destroy...
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Labrador priorities in the 2025 N.L. election
By Frey Blake-Pijogge, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Independent Labrador has four seats in the House of Assembly, representing 10 per cent of the legislature. While the mainland part of the province has just six per cent of the province’s population, it also accounts for around 72 per cent of Newfoundland and Labrador’s total land mass, much of which is Innu or Inuit territory and home to natural resources the province wants to develop, like minerals and hydroelectric power. As Labradorians head to the polls on Tuesday, here’s what the parties and some of their Labrador candidates are saying on issues impacting communities across Labrador. Indigenous Rights When the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) released its final report 10 years ago, the federal and most provincial and territorial governments committed...
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Łútsël K’é dev corp moves on from Barlas saga with new deal
By Claire McFarlane, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Cabin Radio Łútsël K’é Dene First Nation’s economic development corporation has acquired a Yellowknife-based company, Unico Contractors. Leigh-Anne Palter, the chief executive officer for the T’sa Group of Companies, said the move marks a turning point for the corporation. “The last 10 years have been very difficult,” said Palter. “The corporation and as a result the community, because of prior leadership, haven’t been able to realize the benefits of the growing economy in Yellowknife.” In August, Ron Barlas – the former head of the Denesoline Corporation, which is owned by T’sa – lost his appeal after a Northwest Territories Supreme Court judge earlier ruled he had engaged in “egregious conduct” related to the misappropriation of millions of dollars. The Barlas scandal illuminated a...
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Brant County facing budget pressures ahead of 2026 property tax discussions
By Celeste Percy-Beauregard, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator It’s too early to know what Brant County’s tax hike will be next year, but a long-term property tax forecast shows some of the 2026 budget pressures. The plan looks at the county’s anticipated capital projects, operating expenses, and revenue across the next 10 years, and the impact those projects could have on property taxes each year. The 2026 forecast is 13.6 per cent — the highest anticipated across the decade. But a consultant from Watson & Associates, which put together the forecast, was quick to point out it’s not the final property tax levy. It’s “a raw set of data based on the expenditures and revenues in a particular year,” Byron Tan told council at a meeting at the...
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New Brunswick at risk of electricity shortage in 3 years: exec
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner NB Power has asked an American firm to build a controversial natural gas-diesel plant at a cost of more than $1 billion because without it, New Brunswick risks running out of electricity within three years, says an executive. Brad Coady, the vice president of business development at NB Power, laid out the possibility of a bleak future to a group of politicians who represent a province where three-quarters of people still depend on electricity for heat in the bone-chilling winter. On Friday, he told the standing committee on public accounts at the legislature that he discovered the problem during an NB Power executive meeting in the fall of 2023, when he learned the public utility had already blown through its...
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Province at risk of electricity shortage in 3 years: exec
By John Chilibeck, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Daily Gleaner NB Power has asked an American firm to build a controversial natural gas-diesel plant at a cost of more than $1 billion because without it, New Brunswick risks running out of electricity within three years, says an executive. Brad Coady, the vice president of business development at NB Power, laid out the possibility of a bleak future to a group of politicians who represent a province where three-quarters of people still depend on electricity for heat in the bone-chilling winter. On Friday, he told the standing committee on public accounts at the legislature that he discovered the problem during an NB Power executive meeting in the fall of 2023, when he learned the public utility had already blown through its...
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No response from Inuit organizations over Marineland belugas
By Dominique Gené, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News Inuit organizations have not responded to a suggestion to take in 30 beluga whales from Marineland that have been at risk of being euthanized after the Niagara Falls amusement park said it can no longer afford their care. Marineland had asked the federal government for financial support, warning it would have to euthanize the whales if help didn’t come by Oct. 7. Fisheries Minister Joanne Thompson rejected the park’s request to export the whales to China. The Canadian Press reported Thursday that the whales are alive, after the Tuesday deadline has passed. Jason Etok, who grew up in Nunavik, urged Inuit leaders to step in and help provide habitat for the belugas, suggesting they could be released in Hudson Bay, Ungava...
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AFN National Chief reminds First Nations leaders their decisions change lives
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak delivered the opening address at a Markham conference. (Photo by Sam Laskaris.) By Sam Laskaris Writer TORONTO-Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak reminded leaders at a two-day conference in Toronto to remember their decisions and deeds change the lives of thier people. Woodhouse Nepinak delivered the opening address at the First Nations Leading The Way Conference on Oct. 8. The two-day event, held at the Hilton Toronto/Markham Suites Conference Centre, featured First Nations leaders from across the country who were on panels and workshops, which provided details on fiscal independence, financial management, access to financing and sound land governance. Early on in her address Woodhouse Nepinak reminded the assembled leaders of various First Nations institutions “through your deeds...
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Northwest MPPs support NAN’s call for change after Ginoogaming tragedy
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Thunder Bay Source GINOOGAMING — The band office for Ginoogaming First Nation reopened Friday, the day after the arrest of two suspects in the shooting death of a man in the community on Long Lake’s east shore. A shelter-in-place advisory for the Ginoogaming-Longlac area was lifted Thursday afternoon, more than a day after police issued it following a shooting incident that took the life of Sebastian Towegishig and injured another person. Meanwhile, Indigenous leaders and Northwestern Ontario MPPs say the situation that unfolded in Ginoogaming this week illustrates an urgent need for change. “I empathize with other First Nations within the municipality of Greenstone who also are struggling with having their hands tied when they want to deal with members who are harbouring...
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