Residential school records released day before archbishop testifies at Senate
OTTAWA-A Catholic archdiocese that includes parts of Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario released long-awaited residential schools records this week. The news comes as religious leaders face accusations they are keeping information about the largely church-run institutions secret. Archbishop Murray Chatlain says the Keewatin-Le Pas archdiocese gave the documents to the Winnipeg-based National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation on Monday. That was one day before his testimony at a Senate committee that is studying the withholding of records. Chatlain says an archdiocese staff member found a box of files containing some residential school lists in 2021, and they agreed to digitize the records in consultation with the national centre. But he says copies had been shared only with a local historical society to date, and the records didn’t make their way to...
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Canada’s first Speaker of colour aims to restore decorum in the House of Commons
By Marcus Medford Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Greg Fergus says respectful debate among people with different experiences and perspectives is necessary in politics, but he’s concerned about the lack of decorum within debates in Parliament. Fergus said liberal democracies, like Canada’s, are “robust on the one hand and extraordinarily fragile on the other” but believes they’re worth fighting for. Fergus was elected as the 38th Speaker of the House of Commons last month following Anthony Rota’s resignation. Fergus fulfilled his “lifelong dream” of becoming a Member of Parliament in 2015, winning as a Liberal in Quebec’s Hull-Alymer riding. He called being named Speaker “the cherry on the sundae.” Fergus is the first person of colour in Canada to assume the role of Speaker, and he credits diversity as one of...
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UN meetings press Indigenous solutions to international issues
By Patrick Quinn Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Cree Nation met with Volker Turk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in mid-October. Turk visited Ottawa to discuss general issues ahead of an in-depth review of Canada’s human rights situation in November, an exercise applied to most countries every four years. Cree Nation Government Justice Director Donald Nicholls presented four points on behalf of the Coalition for the Human Rights of Indigenous Peoples and discussed specific Cree issues in a separate meeting. The Coalition emphasized the importance of implementing the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), for which Canada passed national legislation in 2021. Nicholls called on all institutions to implement UNDRIP within their areas of influence. The Coalition wants Canada to complement UNDRIP by adopting...
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B.C. Indigenous leaders lobby for transition from open net salmon farms
OTTAWA- An alliance of British Columbia Indigenous leaders is calling on the federal government to stand firm on plans to transition away from open-net salmon farms in B.C. waters by 2025. Chiefs from across the province are in Ottawa for meetings with federal officials, including Fisheries Minister Diane Lebouthillier (dih-YAN’ lih-boo-TIL’-yay.) Bob Chamberlin, chair of the First Nations Wild Salmon Alliance, says they told the minister that most B.C. First Nations want the transition. But Chamberlin acknowledges support for the plan isn’t unanimous among Indigenous people in the province, where about a dozen First Nations are involved in the salmon farming industry. Lebouthillier wasn’t immediately available for comment. The B.C. Salmon Farming industry says any debate about the future of salmon farms must include the perspectives of Indigenous people who operate...
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Indigenous men imprisoned for 18 years for Alaska murder settle for $5M after vacated conviction
By Becky Bohrer THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Three of the four Indigenous men who served 18 years in prison for a murder conviction in Alaska that was ultimately vacated will receive a total of nearly $5 million in a settlement confirmed by the city of Fairbanks on Monday. The convictions of the so-called Fairbanks Four in the 1997 death of Fairbanks teenager John Hartman were vacated in 2015 after a key state witness recanted testimony and following a weeks-long hearing reexamining the case that raised the possibility others had killed Hartman. The men, George Frese, Eugene Vent, Marvin Roberts and Kevin Pease, argued that an agreement that led to their release in which they agreed not to sue was not legally binding because they were coerced. The men also maintained there...
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Woman missing from B.C. First Nation along Highway of Tears found dead
VANDERHOOF, B.C.- A woman who disappeared from a First Nations community in central British Columbia last month has been found dead. Vanderhoof RCMP and the Saik’uz First Nation say the remains of Chelsey Quaw, who was first reported missing on Oct. 11, were found in a wooded area on the Indigenous community’s territory. Police say the BC Coroners Service is investigating the cause of death, and no further details on the case are available at this time. Quaw was one of two community members missing from the First Nation, located 100 kilometres west of Prince George along Highway 16, this year. The stretch of highway between Prince George and Prince Rupert is known as the Highway of Tears after dozens have vanished or been killed along it over the last...
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Indigenous soldiers determined to carry on family legacies
By Jamin Mike THE CANADIAN PRESS Indigenous Peoples have been part of Canada’s military history dating back to the War of 1812, when it’s estimated more than 10,000 First Nations people fought. More than 7,000 Indigenous people later served in the First and Second World Wars and the Korean War. Many continue to serve today. Wednesday is National Aboriginal Veterans Day, which was first observed in Winnipeg in 1994. The Canadian Press spoke with three Indigenous soldiers about why they enlisted: Wendy Jocko, 63, from Pikwakanagan First Nation in Ontario Jocko hails from generations of Canadian soldiers. The first was Constant Pinesi, an influential grand chief of the Algonquins, who fought with the British during the War of 1812. “It has been said that if it wasn’t for Indigenous warriors,...
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Turpel Laford removed from Order of Canada after Indigenous identity discredited
OTTAWA-Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a high-profile former judge whose claims to Indigenous identity have been discredited, is no longer a member of the Order of Canada. A notice in Saturday’s Canada Gazette, the federal government’s official newspaper, said her appointment was terminated on Sept. 26 following her own request and the Governor General’s subsequent approval. She had been appointed in 2021. A social media post by the Indigenous Women’s Collective, which had called for her removal, thanks the Governor General for “correcting a wrong.” Tracey Robinson, a member of the collective and a Treaty First Nations woman from Saskatchewan, said Turpel-Lafond’s removal sends a message that tangible consequences await those who engage in Indigenous identity theft. The claims about Turpel-Lafond in a CBC investigation in October 2022 have already rippled through...
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First Nations appearing at standing committee come out hard against Metis self governance legislation
By Shari Narine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter First Nations chiefs and administrators from Ontario west to Alberta told the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs to scrap proposed legislation that would recognize Metis governments in three provinces. The previous week, the standing committee had heard from leaders of the Metis Nations of Alberta, Saskatchewan and Ontario who asserted that Bill C-53, an act that would recognize their governments, dealt only with internal governance and did not relate to land or resources. “You cannot have self-government without the land,” Chief Greg Desjarlais of Frog Lake First Nation in Treaty 6 territory in Alberta told the standing committee on Tuesday. “The title of the Bill says it’s to give effect to treaties with those governments,” said Jason Batise, executive director of...
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First Nations seek salmon return to Columbia Basin in new treaty with U.S.
By Chuck Chiang THE CANADIAN PRESS First Nations groups on the Canadian side of the Columbia River Basin are adamant that salmon runs that have long been blocked by dams in the United States must be restored, potentially in a renewed river treaty between the two countries. But experts say possible solutions, such as “salmon cannons” that suck fish through a pipe and shoot them out upstream and over obstacles, are all costly and potentially limited in their effectiveness. Representatives from the Ktunaxa and Syilx Okanagan nations say they continue to bring up salmon restoration in negotiations for a modern Columbia River Treaty and will not stop until a solution can be reached within or outside a new agreement. The U.S.-Canada treaty regulates the cross-border Columbia River to prevent flooding...
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‘Very duped’: Indigenous musicians upset over Buffy Sainte Marie ancestry revelations
By Kelly Geraldine Malone THE CANADIAN PRESS Buffy Sainte-Marie, wearing a shining dress and long necklace, was led on the stage by a group of Indigenous people in traditional regalia after she was inducted into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame in 1995. Her iconic dark hair and fringe hung long as she told the crowd about the importance of artists from remote communities. “Most especially in the whole wide world, I’d like to acknowledge all the grassroots Indian artists who haven’t yet taken home a Juno, but who continue, as they have in the past, to capture our hearts at powwows across Canada, doing that magic which music does so well,” Sainte-Marie said to applause. Those words now ring hollow for some Indigenous musicians after a recent CBC News...
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Sex offender in 2011 child abduction in B.C. wanted Canada wide
By Chuck Chiang THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER B.C.-British Columbia’s premier says he is “deeply disturbed” that a high-risk sex offender who abducted a three-year-old boy in 2011 is on the loose after failing to return to his halfway house in Vancouver. Police say 58-year-old Randall Hopley is wanted on a Canada-wide warrant and was last seen Saturday afternoon. Police say Hopley has a history of convictions for assault, property and sexual crimes, including three sex offences against children. He was convicted of the 2011 abduction of a three-year-old boy in southeastern British Columbia, which touched off a Canada-wide search for the child. Hopley had taken the boy from his family home, held him captive in a cabin for four days before returning him apparently unharmed, although the parole board said...
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U.S. regulators will review car tire chemical that kills salmon, upon request from West Coast tribes
By Mark Thiessen THE ASSOCIATED PRESS U.S. regulators say they will review the use of a chemical found in almost every tire after a petition from West Coast Native American tribes that want it banned because it kills salmon as they return from the ocean to their natal streams to spawn. The Yurok tribe in California and the Port Gamble S’Klallam and Puyallup tribes in Washington asked the Environmental Protection Agency to prohibit the rubber preservative 6PPD earlier this year, saying it kills fish, especially coho salmon, when rains wash it from roadways into rivers. Washington, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Connecticut also wrote the EPA, citing the chemical’s “unreasonable threat” to their waters and fisheries. The agency’s decision to grant the petition last week is the start of a...
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Brantford man seeking information on missing man “Douglas”
BRANTFORD, ONT- The Brantford Police Service is seeking the public’s assistance in locating a missing 39-year-old male, Douglas. Douglas is described as a white male, 5’-8”, 200lbs, brown hair, bald on top, brown beard, blue eyes, last wearing light khaki pants, a navy fleece sweater with no hood, and dark running shoes. He was last seen in the downtown area on Monday, October 30th, 2023. The Brantford Police Service are concerned for Douglas’ well-being and are seeking assistance from anyone who may have information, which may assist in locating him. Anyone with knowledge of Douglas’ whereabouts are asked to please contact the Brantford Police Service at 519-756-7050. Tipsters who wish to remain anonymous are asked to contact Brant-Brantford Crime Stoppers at 519-750-8477 or 1-800-222-8477. Alternatively, a web tip may be...
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Evictions being used to battle drug trafficking on Pine Creek First Nation
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A First Nations community is taking tough and extreme measures to stop drug and alcohol dependency and warn that anyone caught trafficking could be immediately evicted from their home. In a notice from the community’s Chief Derek Nepinak and council, Pine Creek First Nation (PCFN) said multiple community members living in a band-owned housing unit were arrested and charged by RCMP for drug trafficking. PCFN said that as part of their Housing and Tenancy Policy, which community members must sign to rent or lease a band-owned home, those charged by RCMP in the incident have been evicted from the house. The community is now warning that anyone who lives in a band-owned home arrested for trafficking will face immediate eviction and said the...
Mary Ellen Turpel Laford removed from Order of Canada after Indigenous ID questions
OTTAWA- Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, a high-profile former judge embroiled in a controversy surrounding her claims to Indigenous identity, has been removed from the Order of Canada at her own request. A notice in Saturday’s Canada Gazette, the federal government’s official newspaper, says her appointment was terminated on Sept. 26 following her request and the Governor General’s approval. A social media post by the Indigenous Women’s Collective, which had called for her removal, says “stealing Indigenous intergenerational trauma and identities brings very real consequences” and the group thanks the Governor General for “correcting a wrong.” Turpel-Lafond was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2021. She has also returned honorary degrees from several universities, including Simon Fraser University, Brock, and two Vancouver Island schools, while McGill, Carleton and the University of...
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Six Nations Elected Chief Mark Hill serves eviction notices on homeless as he prepares to leave office
By Lynda Powless Editor SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND- In the waning days of his office Six Nations Elected Chief Mark Hill served eviction notices on homeless people living on Six Nations “Glebe” lands adjacent to the Woodland Cultural Centre Thursday (Nov. 4). Turtle Island News learned the notices give the trespassers 14 days to leave the property that borders the former Mohawk Residential School Institute and is part of a search for possible unmarked graves connected to the institute. The tents and trailers that dot the land have been on the property for almost a year. The homeless encampment became a focus of Turtle Island News articles in August. The encampment at that time consisted of a few tents. Since then, it has grown in tents and trailers and...
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Chiefs’ salaries up for review in Kahnawake
By Miriam Lafontaine Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) will soon be assessing whether or not to raise chief salaries, which were last raised above cost-of-living increases roughly 15 years ago. An external consultant, Gallagher, has been contracted to carry out the review, executive officer Onerahtokha Marquis said. The hope is to see how chiefs’ salaries compare to other First Nations governments across Canada to see if they’re at a fair market value, she said. “We just want to ensure that their compensation package reflects the nature of their roles and responsibilities,” Marquis said. This current review would be to assess whether there should be a salary increase above the cost-of-living percentage increase already given to chiefs, in addition to all other MCK staff, each year....
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History made in tobacco case
By Eve Cable Local Journalism Initiative Reporter After a gruelling, more than seven-year legal battle, Derek White and Hunter Montour were granted a permanent stay of criminal procedures this week by a Quebec Superior Court judge, who recognized the role of traditional law, including the Covenant Chain, in the tobacco trade across Turtle Island. “It’s been long, it took a toll on our whole family, but I always said we’d have our day in court, and today was our day. And we won what we set out to do,” White told The Eastern Door after the victory on Wednesday morning. Judge Sophie Bourque read aloud her decision before going over a 25-page summary of how she came to her conclusion, asking the packed courtroom to refrain from reacting to the...
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First Nations police demand fair funding
By Marcus Bankuti Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Kahnawake Peacekeepers run a 24-hour operation, so it might seem strange to find the lights off at the station. But electricity doesn’t come cheap. “We’re trying to save money wherever we can, so we can provide the services that people need,” said Peacekeepers chief Dwayne Zacharie. One reason for the penny pinching? Discrimination, according to the Quebec Association of First Nation and Inuit Police Directors (QAFNIPD), which represents 22 Indigenous police forces. The Peacekeepers and other First Nations police departments are funded at a rate that falls far short of neighbouring services. “Everything that a police officer needs on a daily patrol shift, that’s what’s missing,” said Shawn Dulude, president of the QAFNIPD and chief of the Akwesasne Mohawk Police. It’s the...
