Amikwa cannabis trial dates set for spring 2025
By Jacqueline St. Pierre Local Journalism Initiative Reporter SUDBURY—The high-profile case involving 10 defendants charged with operating unregulated cannabis stores on Wahnapitae, Henvey Inlet, and Garden River First Nations has entered a critical new phase as trial dates have been scheduled for three weeks in the spring of 2025: the weeks of April 7, April 21 and April 28. This case, which began with a constitutional challenge over four years ago, revolves around the assertion that the legalization of cannabis in 2018 infringes on the defendants’ rights as First Nations people to trade the substance as part of their economic development. The defendants argue that the Cannabis Act and Controlled Drugs and Substances Act violate their rights under Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, which recognizes and affirms Indigenous...
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Missing woman’s body discovered: NAN
By Carl Clutchey, Local Journalism Initiative reporter A 41-year-old Sandy Lake First Nation woman who had been missing for more than a week this month in Thunder Bay’s south core was found dead on the weekend. But city police have yet to say if there is a connection between her case and a city man who they charged this week with a serious crime involving “human remains.” In a news release on Wednesday, Thunder Bay Police Service would only say that Deborah Anishinabie “is no longer the subject of a missing person investigation.” “This is now a private matter between investigators and the family,” the release said. In a second news release on Wednesday about a “sudden death investigation,” police said remains of a person who they did not identify...
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CP NewsAlert: No charges against officers in arrest of prominent Alberta chief
ALBERT-(CP)-Alberta’s police watchdog says there’s no evidence an offence was committed when Mounties used force to arrest Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Chief Allan Adam outside a Fort McMurray, Alta., casino in 2020. The Alberta Serious Incident Response Team also says there’s no evidence of racist treatment against Adam....
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DGR opponents get petition presented to Parliament
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY – People need to understand it’s far from a done deal that a deep geological repository for nuclear waste will be built in Northwestern Ontario, Dodie LeGassick said Wednesday. LeGassick, a We the Nuclear Free North member, made the remark after a petition against the repository, or DGR, was tabled in the House of Commons by MPs including Thunder Bay–Superior North Liberal Marcus Powlowski. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization announced on Nov. 28 it has selected a location between Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and Ignace township for a DGR that could be built in the 2030s and early 2040s, pending regulatory and environmental approvals. But the fight is far from over, LeGassick told Newswatch. “This agreement that Wabigoon Lake has gotten...
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NDP seeks distance from Liberals, sees fight in next election is with Conservatives
OTAWA-(CP)NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh began 2024 by propping up Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s minority government. He is ending the year calling for Trudeau’s resignation. Singh’s gradual effort to limit his alliance with the Liberals hastened this week after Trudeau’s finance minister quit, plunging the government into more political chaos and raising questions about whether Trudeau can even stay on as prime minister much longer. But Singh is still not putting any kind of timeline on when his party will join the Conservatives and Bloc Québécois to defeat the government and trigger an election. After Chrystia Freeland’s sudden departure — a move blamed entirely on Trudeau who told her he she would be replaced as finance minister — Singh said it is time for Trudeau to resign. But when asked if...
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Mik’maq elver fishers hope quotas create safety on N.S. rivers, but critics doubtful
(CP)Indigenous elver fishers who once were at odds with federal fisheries officers say they’re hopeful that a new plan to provide them quotas this season will create more peace on the water. Earlier this month, a letter released by the federal Fisheries Department proposed a new quota system for the lucrative baby eel fishery that shifts 50 per cent of the total allowable catch of about 9,960 kilograms to First Nations fishers from commercial licence holders. Commercial elver fishers in the Maritimes have condemned the new system, saying it slashes their quotas without compensation, leaving little motivation for non-Indigenous companies to share their methods and facilities with the Indigenous entrants. However, Blaise Sylliboy, a 26-year-old Mi’kmaq fisher, says he is optimistic about receiving a legal quota, after he was arrested...
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Survivors’ Secretariat warns it’s at risk of bankruptcy without funding decision
(Canadian Press)-The Survivors’ Secretariat says it will be bankrupt by the end of the month unless Canada makes a decision on whether it will fund the group’s work. The organization documents what happened at the Mohawk Institute, a residential school that operated in Brantford, Ont., and supports survivors of the school. Laura Arndt, the secretariat’s lead, says it has been waiting months to hear whether it will get funding through the residential schools and missing children community support fund. In 2021, after numerous First Nations reported finding what appeared to be human remains on the sites of former residential schools, Ottawa set aside money to fund searches of the sites and documentation of what happened at the schools. Arndt says bureaucratic processes in the department of Crown-Indigenous relations are delaying...
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Brantford Police asking the public for help to identify fraud suspect
BRANTFORD-The Brantford Police Service is asking the public for help in identifying a male suspect in a fraud investigation. On Tuesday, December 10, 2024, police said a victim reported receiving a phone call from a man who falsely identified himself as an employee from the fraud department of a large financial banking institution. During the course of a 2.5-hour phone call, the male suspect convinced the victim to provide his PIN number and then sent a fraudulent courier service to the victim’s residence to collect his debit and credit cards. The victim’s cards were then used to withdraw cash and purchase pre-paid Visa cards. The Brantford Police Service are seeking assistance from the public to identify the suspect shown in the surveillance photograph provided. These fraudsters can be very convincing...
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B.C.’s projected deficit grows again to $9.4 billion in latest fiscal update
(CP)-British Columbia’s new finance minister said she is “realistic” about the economic challenges facing the province after announcing this year’s record deficit is projected to reach $9.4 billion. Brenda Bailey said Tuesday that the forecasted deficit for 2024-2025 has grown by $429 million from the $8.9 billion estimated in the last fiscal update in September, mainly due to lower revenues. But Bailey said the rising deficit projection will not change the provincial government’s intention to make “smart, targeted investments” to grow the economy, rather than cutting services. She also promised affordability relief for B.C. residents on the path to a balanced budget. “It’s my view (that) you can’t pour from an empty cup,” Bailey said of the need to build up the economy instead of short-term cuts. “And so, the...
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Happy Holidays!
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Six Nations Elected Council reporting backlogs results in six month long late audit
By Lynda Powless Editor Six Nations own source revenues, to the tune of almost $10 million, are continuing to pick up funding shortages for Six Nations government programs overseen by Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC). SNEC Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill’s communications staff did not respond to requests for comment on the funding shortfalls. Instead SNEC approved the almost six months late 2023-2024 audit in a closed session and dropped it quietly on its website Monday Dec. 9th showing the community is picking up over $9 million in costs to run government programs. The audit shows last year (2023-2024) the band received a total of $120,103,972 in federal and provincial government transfers compared to the cost to run the band at $129,262,977. Without Six Nations own source revenues SNEC would have been facing...
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Administration costs increasing
Compensation paid to Senior officials. Compensation and travel expenses paid to senior officials included in the consolidated financial statements are as follows: Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) administration costs are continuing to grow with the 2023-2024 audit showing a cost of $66,840,447 in salary and benefits costs. That’s a $6,513,194 increase over last year (2022-2023). Costs to run the administration rose to $129,262,977, a $7,424,610 increase. SNEC, on recommendation from former band administrator Darren Jamieson, passed a motion setting $50,000 as a compensation package base pay for band employees . Six Nations has only three departments soley operated by Six Nations band members including Lands and Resources, Lands Membership and Records Management. At the same time SNEC’s computer department is in the basement of housing. Veteran Councillor Helen Miller said...
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Six Nations Elected Council back to 12 councillors amid massive administrative changes
By Lynda Powless Editor With a year under their belt in a massive administrative shift Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) is back up to 12 full-time councillors and a year that saw $808,967 in council costs, a $25,055 dip from the year before. But the dip in honoraria isn’t due to cuts. The 2023 election saw new councillors coming on mid-stream in a transition year. The 59th Six Nations of the Grand River Elected council was sworn in November 7, 2023. It is split by six veterans and six new councillors. The new council is made up of Elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill, her first term as an elected chief. The 12 councillors include Alaina VanEvery, Amos Key, Audrey Powless-Bomberry, Carol Lesley Greene, Cynthia Jamieson, Dayle Bomberry, Dean Hill, Gregory Frazer, Hazel...
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SNEC Christmas turkey give-away approved in closed meeting
Six Nations is making it easier for families to celebrate the holidays with a feast. Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) will dedicate $25,000 to give the community items for a holiday dinner. SNEC announced the decision at the General Council meeting on December 10, but approved the motion on December 2, at an in-camera meeting. “This is for community members living on the reserve,” Elected Chief Sherri Lyn Hill said. Hill made the announcement as part of her bi-weekly Chief’s update to the community. SNEC will use the $25,000 to purchase turkeys, hams and 5lbs bags of potatoes to help families enjoy the holiday without the financial burden of an expensive meal. Community members will have the option of choosing either a ham or turkey, but may not have both....
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Eligible Six Nations band members can apply for federal boarding program compensation
Six Nations members who were a part of a federal boarding program could receive compensation for abuse they endured. During the General Council meeting on December 10, Six Nations Elected Councillor Lesley Greene told councillors and community members she wanted to raise awareness regarding the Indian Boarding Homes class action settlement. She said she had never heard of the class action, but was informed of it at the Chief’s of Ontario General Assembly in Thunder Bay in November. In May 2024 the Federal Court approved a $1.9 billion settlement for the more than 400,000 Indigenous people who were placed in a home through the program between September 1, 1951, and June 30, 1992. “It doesn’t matter if you’ve been part of any other settlement, you can still apply,” she said....
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SNEC mourns staff member who passes away
Six Nations and Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations are mourning the loss of Sean Coaster. Six Nations Elected Chief Sherri Lyn Hill paid tribute to Coaster, a Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) staff member at the SNEC General Council meeting on December 10 and said his absence will be felt. “Council is especially saddened by a recent loss of an employee,” Hill said. “All of us at SNEC join in expressing our sincere condolences to his family, friends and coworkers.” Coaster joined SNEC on February 26, 2024, as a staff cleaner with the Housing Department and Hill said, “he quickly became known for his dedication and strong work ethic.” He was responsible for maintaining cleanliness across various key spaces within our community, including the Housing Office, Lands and Membership,...
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Volunteers backbone of community
Volunteers are the backbone of the community and without them many events, gatherings and community projects could not happen. Six Nations Elected Council made sure to thank volunteers and staff on December 10, at the last General Council meeting of 2024. Councillor Greg Frazer said without dedicated staff and volunteers events like Bread and Cheese, parades, the fall fair and many others could not have reached the size or level they’ve gotten to. “Now, we’re coming to the end of the year and we’re entering into the festive season. We’ve had a lot of social events this year,” he said. “Thank you to all of the volunteers that come to help. We can’t put this on without you. Staff of course work late and work long hours, We really do...
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Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday
It may seem early, but at Turtle Island News we want to wish you, all of our readers, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday. As office’s wind up, parties are over, and it’s now time for family. Time to reconnect, to wind down, and to have fun and remember the spirit of the season. And in that spirit, we bring you that infamous editorial from the Sept. 21, 1897 issue of the New York Sun that answers the question… “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus.” Dear Editor, I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say that there is no Santa Claus. Papa says “If you see it in the Sun, it is so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia, Your...
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Weekly Cartoon
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Today in History
Dec 15 In 1890, Chief Sitting Bull, whose Sioux forces had wiped out Gen. George Custer and his army at the “Battle of Little Big Horn” in Montana in 1876, died in North Dakota after being shot by police trying to arrest him. He was born in 1831 along the Grand River in South Dakota. In 2021, the Canadian Press Newsmaker of the Year for 2021 was the children who didn’t come home from Indigenous residential schools. The runners-up for Newsmaker of the Year were health workers and the two Michaels who were released after nearly three years in a Chinese prison. Dec 17 In 1982, Indian and Northern Affairs Minister John Munro announced the federal government had agreed to pay Yukon natives $183 million to settle one of the...
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