Prosecutors add hate crime allegations in shooting over Spanish conquistador statue
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)-State prosecutors added hate-crime allegations Thursday to charges of attempted murder against a New Mexico man accused in the shooting of a Native American activist amid confrontations about aborted plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador in public, at a court hearing Thursday in northern New Mexico. Defendant Ryan David Martinez pleaded not guilty to all charges at the arraignment overseen by a district court judge from a courthouse in TierraAmarilla. Assistant District Attorney Tony Long indicated that his office will pursue sentence enhancements based on the use of a firearm and try to prove that the shooting was motivated by bias against a particular social group. Martinez was arrested on Sept. 28 after chaos erupted and a single shot was fired at an outdoor...
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Conservation deal aims to protect 30 per cent of B.C. land by 2030
VANCOUVER- An environmental agreement to protect 30 per cent of British Columbia’s land by 2030 was signed today between the federal and British Columbia governments and the Indigenous-led First Nations Leadership Council. The target of the framework agreement means another 100,000 square kilometres of land must be designated, adding to the 20 per cent of B.C. that’s already protected, the most of any province or territory. A federal government statement says it’s the first agreement with a province to support Ottawa’s 30-per-cent-protection goal, which underpins Canada’s national biodiversity strategy. It says the federal government will invest up to $500 million over the life of the deal, with B.C. providing matching funds. Federal funding includes $50 million to protect 4,000 square kilometres of old-growth forest, and $104 million to restore the...
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Canadian prisons ‘disturbingly and unconscionably Indigenized’: corrections watchdog
By Alessia Passafiume THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- The federal prison watchdog says there are still too many Indigenous people behind bars in Canada. And nearly everything about the correctional system that can be measured, from the amount of time accused people spend behind bars before trial to the likelihood of their being placed in maximum-security institutions, perpetuates that discrimination. That’s what correctional investigator Ivan Zinger said on Thursday as he released a progress report that marked 10 years since he first flagged glaring issues in the system. The problem has gotten significantly worse, he said. “The disproportionate and growing number of Indigenous individuals behind bars is among Canada’s most pressing human rights issues, and it has featured prominently in all public reports issues by my office over the past decade,”...
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NDP to back Tory motion calling for carbon price off all heat sources
By Mia Rabson THE CANADIAN PRESS OTTAWA- The New Democrats intend to back the Conservatives on a motion to pull the carbon price off all home heating until after the next election, NDP House Leader Peter Julian said Thursday. “The reality is we need to make sure that affordability is available to all Canadians and that’s why we’re supporting this motion,” said Julian. The decision delivers another political blow to the Liberals, who have been scrambling for days to defend their decision to pause the carbon price on home heating oil for the next three years. The change is intended to give people who still use that fuel the time and money that is needed to replace it with electric heat pumps. The heating pump controversy has added to concerns...
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‘He was a good man’: Family of First Nations man question Winnipeg in custody death
By Brittany Hobson THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- Loved ones of a First Nations man who died in police custody say officers failed to help him when he needed it most. Family and friends of Elias Whitehead, along with First Nations leaders in Manitoba and Ontario, held a news conference Thursday calling for changes to how police approach wellness checks. They also voiced concern about the force Winnipeg officers used while taking the 37-year-old into custody last month. “The police are supposed to keep people safe. They’re supposed to help people, but this wasn’t the case for Elias. Where was his help?” said Jody Beardy, Whitehead’s partner. “Elias was a good man. He was kind. He would help anyone who needed it, and he would befriend anyone.” Police have said officers...
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B.C. Indigenous leaders tell Premier Eby at summit that more doors must open
By Dirk Meissner THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER- The British Columbia government must do more to open the doors of power to Indigenous people and initiatives in the province, Premier David Eby was told Thursday. B.C.First Nations hear “good messages” from the New Democrat government, but still face bureaucratic holdups at crucial stages of negotiation, said Robert Phillips, a First Nations Summit political executive. Phillips made the comments at the opening of three days of meetings between Eby and members of his cabinet and more than 1,000 Indigenous leaders from about 190 First Nations. “We’re hearing good messages, don’t get me wrong, from the premier and the cabinet,” he said. “I commend the government for this work but I want to see it in details. That’s the necessary next steps that...
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‘This situation will only get worse’: Doctors warn physician shortage to continue
By Austin Campbell Local Journalism Initiative Reporter With millions of Ontarians already not having a family doctor, provincial medical leaders are warning the situation will only get worse in the coming years. Dr. Andrew Park, president of the Ontario Medical Association, led a virtual media briefing on Wednesday to raise awareness about unsustainable workloads, emergency room closures, and the present strain on medical care in the province. Park was joined by NOSM University dean Dr. Sarita Verma, NOSM University assistant dean Dr. Sarah Newbery, and Sioux Lookout’s Meno Ya Win Health Centre chief of staff Dr. Laurel Laakso. Around 2.3 million Ontarians do not currently have a family doctor. “With half of the physicians in northern Ontario expected to retire in the next 5 years, this situation will only get...
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Indigenous leaders say `B.C.’ must do more to implement DRIPA four years after it became law
By Aaron Hemens Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Indigenous leaders say the province must take more action to implement the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) four years after it became law. The critique came on the opening day of the eighth annual B.C. Cabinet and First Nations Leaders’ Gathering on Thursday in “Vancouver.” The two-day event is set to see more than 900 one-on-one meetings take place between Indigenous leadership and provincial government representatives. More than 190 Indigenous groups registered for the event, according to Premier David Eby, who said that the goal is to exchange dialogue and advance government-to-government relationships. “That’s a lot of meetings. And you will hear the message that needs to be about implementation of this work,” said Robert Phillips, a Secwepemc political...
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Garden River approves Robinson Huron deal
By Kyle Darbyson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Garden River First Nation leadership has finally approved their Robinson-Huron annuity settlement, with this agreement involving around $10 billion in federal and provincial money split between 21 Indigenous communities. Of these 21 First Nations, Garden River was the last one to accept its individual settlement agreement, a byproduct of a Sept. 19 election that resulted in a new chief and several different members of council. “We had to catch ourselves up to speed on all of this,” Chief Karen Bell told the Sault Star on Thursday afternoon, shortly after this settlement announcement was released. “And we had some engagement with our elders and … the negotiating team and the legal team, so that we knew what we were signing and why we were...
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Six Nations man who held off police facing attempted murder and weapons charges
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER- A 40-year-old Six Nations man who held multiple police forces at bay for two days is facing attempted murder and weapons charges. Six Nations Police have charged Matthew Dane Porter, of Ohsweken in connection with a weapons incident on Chiefswood Road between Fifth Line and Sixth Line in the Ohsweken. The incident began Oct., 31st and came to an end on November 1, 2023 shutting down a portion of the Six Nations community and cutting access off to the community’s only bridge spanning the Grand River. Police have charged Matthew Dane Porter of Ohsweken, Ontario with : Attempted Murder Using a Firearm – section 239 (1) (a.1) (two counts), Use Firearm while committing offence – section 85 (1)(a), Careless Use of Firearm –...
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Police investigation shuts down Six Nations roadway after man shot “multiple times” in gunfire exchange
OPP and the Six Nations Police Service scoured Chiefswood Road for evidence Thursday (Nov., 2) after a ‘barricaded individual’ began shooting at drivers and responding officers Tuesday Oct., 31. The incident continued overnight ending in a barrage of gunfire that sent the man to hospital. (Photo by Jim C. Powless) SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER-A section of Six Nations remained shut down Thursday, Nov., 2, 2023) after a 40-year-old Six Nations man, who barricaded himself inside his residence engaging in an exchange of gunfire with police, was taken into custody and hospitalized . OPP and Six Nations Police continued to investigate the scene along Chiefswood Road, Thursday, looking for evidence both along the roadway and at the home. The section of roadway along Chiefswood Road between Fifth Line and...
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B.C. Indigenous summit addresses the elephant in the backroom
B.C. Indigenous summit addresses the elephant in the backroom VANCOUVER- British Columbia Premier David Eby says Indigenous leaders “raise an important point” about bureaucrats standing between First Nations and political leaders on the path to reform. Eby addressed First Nations’ frustrations of trying to change attitudes, relationships and laws in the province at the opening news conference of the eighth B.C. Cabinet and First Nations Leaders’ Gathering, underway in Vancouver. He was responding to First Nations Summit executive Robert Phillips, who says he’s still waiting to see the province and Indigenous leaders work together on “true co-development” of reforms. Despite B.C.’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act four years ago, Phillips says First Nations teams still face roadblocks behind the scenes as bureaucrats “stop” what he calls the...
Navy wants connections with Kivalliqmiut
By Stewart Burnett Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The HMCS William Hall is running through some final testing before going into operation, but Royal Canadian Navy members have already visited Rankin Inlet seeking to make connections with the Kivalliq region in advance of affiliating the ship with the Kivalliq. The Navy is building six Arctic and offshore patrol vessels, explained Sabrina Nash, assistant director of Public Affairs with the Royal Canadian Navy, at a town council meeting Tuesday, Oct. 24. Four are currently in the water. “Each of those ships, our goal is to affiliate them with different regions in the **>Inuit<** Nunangat so we can work together and build relationships with the local communities,” said Nash. The HMCS William Hall will be the one for the Kivalliq. “Our arctic vessels...
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First Nations speak out against Action4Canada
By Madeline Dunnett Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Events organized by Action4Canada are not welcome in K’omoks First Nation territory, according to an Oct. 26 statement from the First Nation’s chief and council. Action4Canada describes itself as a grassroots movement that opposes “the destructive policies tearing at the fabric of this nation.” It was founded by Tanya Gaw, who was on a speaking tour of Vancouver Island last week, including a stop at Bay Community Church in Comox on Oct. 26. The Canadian Anti-Hate Network describes the group as “one of the country’s most active Christian Nationalist organizations with a history of Islamophobic, conspiratorial, and anti-2SLGBTQ+ activism.” The K’omoks First Nation stated that “it is deeply disheartening to witness the promotion of divisive beliefs and racism, as exemplified by Ms. Gaw’s...
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Concordia University bring Picard, Kelley on as experts in residence to Indigenous Directions
By Marc Lalonde Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) Chief Ghislain Picard said the hiring of former Quebec Aboriginal Affairs minister Geoffrey Kelley as an expert -in-residence at Concordia University’s Indigenous Directions was his suggestion. When Concordia went looking for experts-in-residence for its new Indigenous Directions department, it found Picard, who has been chief of the AFNQL for more than 30 years. From there, Picard suggested the addition of Kelley, even though Kelley is not Indigenous — a member of Concordia’s senior management said. “When Ghislain Picard was approached to take up the position, he suggested a dual posting might make the most sense and proposed Geoffrey Kelley as a former politician with whom he had enjoyed several successful negotiations,” said Concordia VP...
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No sign of Gill twins or mother in first court appearance
By Jeff Pelletier Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A lawyer appeared virtually in an Iqaluit courtroom Monday on behalf of Amira Gill, Nadya Gill and Karima Manji. Amira and Nadya are 25-year-old twins who are accused, along with Manji, their mother, of using fraudulently obtained Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. enrolments to get scholarships and education funding from the Kakivak Association between 2016 and 2022. The three, all from Ontario, face two counts each of fraud over $5,000. Ontario lawyer J. Scott Cowan appeared over Zoom as Manji’s defence and as an agent on behalf of the Gills. Manji and the twins were not present. In the brief appearance, Cowan and the Crown agreed to set their next appearance date for Jan. 8, 2024. Cowan provided a brief statement to Nunatsiaq News following...
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B.C. and Tahltan Nation sign agreement requiring consent for changes to mine
LAKE, B.C.- A new agreement between the province and an Indigenous government in northern British Columbia will require the nation’s consent ahead of any significant changes at a major copper and gold mine. Chad Norman Day, president of the Tahltan Central Government, says the agreement means substantial changes to the existing environmental assessment certificate for the Red Chris mine can only proceed with Tahltan approval. Day says the deal is a “significant milestone on our path toward reconciliation.” A joint statement released by the Tahltan and B.C. governments says the nation and the province’s environmental assessment office will conduct their own analyses of proposed changes, including those needed to transition Red Chris from open-pit to underground block cave mining. The Red Chris property spans more than 230 square kilometres and...
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Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke congratulates two Kahnawà:ke men on landmark court win
MCK congratulates Derek White & Hunter Montour The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke (MCK) would like to congratulate Kahnawa’kehró:non Derek White and Hunter Montour on today’s landmark decision in the Quebec Superior Court case, R. v. White and Montour. Although White and Montour were found guilty of indictable offences related to their role in the tobacco trade on May 9th, 2019, they sought and were granted a stay of proceedings while a Notice of constitutional questions was filed on the basis of Aboriginal and Treaty rights. Today, Honourable Judge Sophie Bourque’s ruling granted them a permanent stay of proceedings and dramatically altered the landscape of Canadian Aboriginal law. Bourque’s ruling proposed a tremendous change to the legal test Canada uses to determine what they recognize as an Aboriginal right under...
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Judge overturns Mohawk pair’s tobacco conviction, citing centuries-old treaties
A judge found that White and Montour were exercising the rights of the Mohawk nation to direct its own economy. By Jason Magder Montreal Gazette Published Nov 01, 2023 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 3 minute read Derek White was convicted of fraud, conspiracy to commit fraud and profiting from organized crime for not paying federal excise tax on tobacco that was imported from the United States. A judge ruled those charges are invalid. PHOTO BY SEAN GARDNER /NASCAR Two men won’t face criminal charges thanks to ancient treaties written in the 1600s and 1700s, a Superior Court judge ruled Wednesday. In a much-anticipated and precedent-setting trial, Judge Sophie Bourque ruled that the Crown was wrong to charge Derek White and Hunter Montour with criminal charges related to smuggling tobacco. The pair were among...
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Pine Creek First Nation reaches $200 million treaty settlement
By Dave Baxter Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A Manitoba First Nation may soon see a massive financial windfall that would see the community receive more than $200,000,000 from the federal government, and every band member receive a $30,000 payout, because of a promise made more than a century ago that was never kept. On Wednesday, Pine Creek First Nation (PCFN) Chief Derek Nepinak and the community’s band council announced they have come to an agreement with the feds over what is commonly referred to as a “cows and plows” claim. PCFN is part of Treaty #4 and according to the federal government when the Treaty was originally signed back in 1874, the federal government promised to supply agricultural equipment and livestock to families and individuals to assist them in adjusting...
