Carney, Inuit leaders meet, agree on need for better co-operation
By Nick Murray Prime Minister Mark Carney and Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami leader Natan Obed kicked off a meeting today of the Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee by agreeing there’s room to improve the relationship between Ottawa and Inuit. Carney is in Kuujjuaq, Que., with six of his cabinet ministers for a meeting with Inuit leaders. The issues on the agenda include Arctic sovereignty, security and defence, housing and food security, the proposed Inuit university, and Inuit health and wellness. In opening remarks, Obed said Canada and Inuit need to work together “in a way that protects” Inuit interests on their homeland. In his own remarks, Carney said Canada will embed Inuit perspectives and knowledge in its approach to its decisions in the Arctic. The meeting comes after tensions between Canada and Inuit...
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The Latest: Supreme Court upholds birthright citizenship, rejecting Trump’s restrictions
The Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a broad conception of birthright citizenship, rejecting President Donald Trump’s executive order declaring that children born to parents who are in the United States illegally or temporarily are not American citizens. The decision, in line with the longstanding judicial interpretation of the 14th Amendment, comes on the final day of a Supreme Court term that has centered on Trump’s expansive claims of presidential power — and largely ruled in his favor. In its other Tuesday rulings, the court upheld laws in roughly half the states that prohibit transgender girls and women from playing on their public school and college sport teams and struck down limits on party spending in federal elections. Here’s the latest: Immigrant advocacy group welcomes birthright citizenship ruling “The Justices rightly...
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Year old charges against Six Nations woman dropped
OHSWEKEN, ON- Charges have been withdrawn against a Six Nations woman caught up in a police raid more than a year ago. Six Nations Police charged seven people in connection with a cocaine trafficking operation at Six Nations, but charges were dropped against one of those arrested. Charges of Firearm: Unauthorized Possession, Firearm: Knowledge of Unauthorized Possession, Firearm: Regulations – Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition against Cher General, 51, of Six Nations were dropped. The charges came after a Six Nations Police’ Drug Enforcement Unit raid on two residences and a motor vehicle on Chiefswood Road and Fifth Line Road April 9, 2025. General told Turtle Island News she ” had no involvement in any drug trafficking operation.” She said police raided her residence but no drugs were found. The...
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Week long heat warning across southwestern Ontario issued
Southwestern Ontario Canada is in a yellow-level warning after a “long-duration heat event” began Monday. The warning is in effect through to Friday, and could reach into the weekend with maximum temperatures reaching 36 C. It is only dropping to 21 to 25 and humidex values are expected to stay between 37 and 45 C. Watch for signs of heat exhaustion. Environment Canada warns signs include headache, nausea, dizziness, thirst, dark urine and intense fatigue. If any of these signs are present, stop any activities and drink water. If you are outside make sure to stay hydrated and take lots of breaks. Check any relatives or elderly who are more susceptible to the heat. Heat stroke is a medical emergency, and signs can include red or hot skin, dizziness, nausea,...
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Alberta court allows Elections Alberta to start verifying signatures
By David Boles, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, St. Albert Gazette The Alberta Court of Appeal has ruled that the province’s non-partisan elections body can start verifying signatures on the Stay Free Alberta petition. Justice Alice Woolley’s decision, released on June 29th, grants a partial stay to Elections Alberta to start verifying signatures on the Stay Free Alberta petition, which was signed by proponents of Alberta independence. Woolley’s decision notes Mitch Sylvestre, who spearheaded the petition, would sustain “irreparable harm” if signature verification didn’t begin until the legal dispute was solved. The decision follows a court decision from May 13 that saw Justice Shaina Leonard quash the petition, saying at the time that the chief electoral officer did not fulfill a duty to consult with First Nations peoples in Alberta. The...
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Saulteau’s Healing the Land Conference returns in 2026
By Edward Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Energeticcity.ca MOBERLY LAKE, B.C. — A northeast B.C. First Nations’ conference aimed at land restoration and sustainable land management will return this fall. Registration has begun for the 2026 Healing the Land Conference, a sustainability event organized by Saulteau First Nation (SFN) in Moberly Lake. Focusing on themes representing “the importance of aligning cultural, environmental and economic priorities,” the last event under the Healing the Land title took place in 2024. The event’s purpose was closely tied to SFN’s reclamation trade show held in 2019. The conference’s website says the event will “have in-person and online networking opportunities,” including cultural and social events, as well as the chance to use collaboration tools through the Whova platform. Exhibitor booths, including those for local land...
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Evacuations complete in Manitoba town, crews are fighting to keep blaze at bay
Additional firefighting crews are expected to arrive in a northwestern Manitoba town that was forced to evacuate over the weekend because of encroaching wildfires. Firefighters have so far been able to keep the out-of-control blaze away from Lynn Lake, a gold-mining community located approximately 1,000 kilometres from Winnipeg, but the town says on social media that the fire is about four kilometres from its main power line. The town says swampy terrain is expected to slow the spread of the fire in that direction. It says the blaze has grown to span 70 square kilometres since Saturday, when the fire was measured at 50 square kilometres. Emergency crews in town have also been helping with nearby evacuations on the Marcel Colomb First Nation, about 25 kilometres east of Lynn Lake....
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Inuit leaders meet with Carney, ministers this week amid tension between groups
By Nick Murray Inuit leaders are set to meet with Prime Minister Mark Carney and six federal ministers Tuesday in Kuujjuaq, Que., at the latest Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee meeting. But some Arctic observers say there is discernible tension between the two sides heading into the meeting — a first since the forum was launched in 2017. “I would think that the federal government going to the meeting on Tuesday would have their backs up a little bit,” said former MP Peter Ittinuar, who in 1979 was the first Inuk elected to the House of Commons. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization representing Canada’s Inuit, hosted an Arctic sovereignty forum earlier this month in Ottawa. It culminated with a call for the federal government to be a better partner and ITK’s rejection...
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Carney, Inuit leaders meet in Kuujjuaq today for Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee
By Nick Murray Prime Minister Mark Carney will be in Nunavik today to meet with Inuit leaders along with half a dozen of his cabinet ministers, including those who handle the energy, public safety and defence files. The Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee brings together federal cabinet ministers and Inuit three times a year, with the prime minister attending one of those meetings. This meeting is happening in Kuujjuaq, Que. and a number of issues are on the agenda, including Arctic sovereignty, security and defence, housing and food security, the proposed Inuit university, and Inuit health and wellness. Some Arctic observers say this is the first forum since it was launched in 2017 to see some tension between Inuit and federal leaders. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization representing Canada’s Inuit, hosted an...
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Can Bill C-37 deliver real authority to First Nations over water?
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com As First Nations leaders challenge one of Canada’s largest proposed artificial intelligence data centres over its potential impact on fresh water, many say Ottawa’s newly introduced clean water legislation leaves a fundamental question unanswered: Who ultimately decides what happens to waters in First Nations territory? The federal government says Bill C-37, the proposed First Nations Clean Water Act, would recognize First Nations’ jurisdiction over water on First Nation lands while establishing enforceable drinking water standards, a First Nations-led water commission, and a long-term funding framework backed by a $4.6-billion investment. The bill replaces Bill C-61, which died on the Order Paper when Parliament was prorogued ahead of last year’s federal election. Several First Nations leaders, however, say the legislation will ultimately be...
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Maple Leafs select First Nations player first over-all in NHL draft
By Sam Laskaris, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com While speaking about one of the best days of his life—being chosen first over-all in the National Hockey League (NHL) draft June 26—Gavin McKenna, a citizen of the Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin First Nation in Yukon, took time to discuss the achievement’s possible impact on Indigenous youth. “I think it will show them that anything is possible,” McKenna said in his first press conference after being drafted by the Maple Leafs. “I want to make those young kids believe in themselves and I want to be a good role model for all of them.” McKenna becomes just the second Indigenous player to be the top pick in the NHL draft, held annually since 1963. Dale McCourt, a member of Kitigan Zibi Anishnabeg First Nation...
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National Chief condemns Niagara Falls council meeting remarks
Calls for Compassion and Closing the Infrastructure Gap Unceded Algonquin Territory, Ottawa) – National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak spoke out today (June 29,2026) in response to reported remarks made during a recent Niagara Falls council meeting in which speakers indicated First Nations evacuees negatively affect tourism because they’re seen as “homeless” people and they are “too much at one time” for the city. “I am deeply disappointed by these remarks from Mayor Jim Diodati and other speakers in the council meeting,” said National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak. “The First Nations citizens in Niagara Falls are evacuees from Kashechewan First Nation who have been forced from their homes for six months now. They deserve care and compassion. This evacuation is already traumatizing, and many now feel unwelcome in the city...
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Alberta separatists gain partial court win, referendum petition to be verified
By Jack Farrell A group pushing for a separation referendum in Alberta has won a partial victory in court. An Alberta Court of Appeal judge ruled on Monday that the signatures on their referendum petition can be counted and verified. Justice Alice Woolley, in a written decision, said not verifying the signatures now could create more problems later on should things change with larger issues that have yet to be decided in court. “People who signed the petition may move or die. They may change addresses or phone numbers. Trust and confidence in the security and integrity of the collected sheets will begin to erode (if they’re not verified now),” Woolley wrote. Woolley’s decision is the latest development in a long-running court fight over a referendum petition launched by a...
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Nominee Glenn Joyal tells MPs he wants to uphold public confidence in Supreme Court
By David Baxter Supreme Court of Canada nominee Glenn Joyal said Monday he wants to uphold public confidence in the country’s top court. Joyal, nominated to the Supreme Court by Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, took questions from MPs and senators during a special meeting in the House of Commons. Joyal, who has been chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba since 2011, said fostering public trust in the judiciary involves demonstrating that judges understand the lived experience of people coming before the courts. Speaking in French, Joyal said he’s worked with people experiencing very difficult personal circumstances during his 28 years on the bench in Manitoba. He said that experience sharpened his judicial skills and gave him a firsthand understanding of the challenges facing individuals...
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Inuit leaders, federal ministers meet this week amid tension between groups
By Nick Murray Inuit leaders are set to meet with six federal ministers Tuesday in Kuujjuaq, Que., at the latest Inuit-to-Crown partnership committee meeting. But some Arctic observers say there is discernible tension between the two sides heading into the meeting — a first since the forum was launched in 2017. “I would think that the federal government going to the meeting on Tuesday would have their backs up a little bit,” said former MP Peter Ittinuar, who in 1979 was the first Inuk elected to the House of Commons. Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the organization representing Canada’s Inuit, hosted an Arctic sovereignty forum earlier this month in Ottawa. It culminated with a call for the federal government to be a better partner and ITK’s rejection of what it called “outdated,...
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BC First Nations create their own justice path after decades calling for police accountability
By Aaron Walker, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Windspeaker.com Indigenous people have long called for greater accountability following police-involved deaths, misconduct and concerns that existing oversight systems have failed to deliver justice to them. Governments have responded with inquiries, commissions and reviews. Police agencies have introduced reforms. Yet Indigenous leaders say many of their people continue to find complaints processes intimidating, difficult to navigate and disconnected from their lived realities. Now, rather than waiting for broader systemic change, First Nations in British Columbia are building their own support system. The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC) officially launched its Police Accountability Unit (PAU) on June 10. Available to Indigenous people across B.C., the unit provides free Indigenous-led legal advice and representation for police complaints, human rights matters, civil litigation and other...
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Man, 49, jailed for sex with teenager
By Bob Mackin, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Prince George Citizen A 49-year-old man who admitted to sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl was sentenced June 17 to 30 months in jail. In a hearing at BC Supreme Court in Smithers, Nathan Stanley Nicholas was also banned from possessing weapons for 10 years and placed on the national sex offender registry for 20 years. In her oral ruling, Justice Sandra Sukstorf said the Crown asked for a three-year sentence, emphasizing the seriousness of the crime, the age of the victim and her vulnerability and the invasive nature of the sexual assault. The defence proposed a conditional sentence order and probation. On Feb. 11, 2023, after they both consumed alcohol during a gathering at his house. Nicholas and the victim had sexual...
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Alberta separatists gain partial court win on referendum petition
By Jack Farrell The group pushing for a separation referendum in Alberta has won a partial victory in court. An Alberta Court of Appeal judge ruled on Monday that the signatures on their referendum petition can be counted and verified. Justice Alice Woolley, in a written decision, said not verifying the signatures now could create more problems later on should things change with larger issues that have yet to be decided in court. “People who signed the petition may move or die. They may change addresses or phone numbers. Trust and confidence in the security and integrity of the collected sheets will begin to erode (if they’re not verified now),” Woolley wrote. Wooley’s decision is the latest step in a long-running court fight over a referendum petition launched by the...
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Nominee Glenn Joyal tells MPs he wants to uphold public confidence in Supreme Court
By David Baxter Supreme Court of Canada nominee Glenn Joyal says he wants to uphold public confidence in the country’s top court. Joyal, nominated to the Supreme Court by Prime Minister Mark Carney last week, is taking questions from MPs on a House of Commons committee today. Joyal, who has been chief justice of the Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba since 2011, says fostering public trust in the judiciary involves demonstrating that judges understand the lived experience of people coming before the courts. Joyal says his time in Winnipeg helped him understand the judiciary’s relationship with Indigenous people and calls the experience “extremely humbling.” Justice Minister Sean Fraser, Federal Judicial Affairs Commissioner Marc Giroux and Maureen McTeer, chair of the independent advisory board tasked with reviewing Supreme Court nominations,...
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Food affordability in First Nations has people flying groceries in
By Maya Ekman, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWOnewswatch.com MUSKRAT DAM – “This is just the reality of living up here,” said Muskrat Dam community member, River Kakegamic, after scanning a box of burger patties for $60. “Recently, prices have gone up and it is a sad reality for people up North who rely heavily on our local stores,” she said. “A box of burgers was maybe $20 to $25, but recently it has jumped up to $60 a box.” Last week, Kakegamic travelled to Thunder Bay and brought groceries home with her for an additional $100 to $150 in freight fees on top of personal luggage. She said she brought back pantry food such as rice, pasta and spaghetti sauce. “Stuff that would cost me a lot more here,” she...
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