Rainstorm causes flooding, evacuation and road closures
By Tara Lindemann Writer SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER – Six Nations band administration offices closed with staff working from home, the seniors’ were evacuated to a nearby lodge and homeowners all took on nature when rainfall hit Wednesday, (June 18) causing severe flooding and a “state of emergency” to be declared. While community members began clean-up of the day long downpour Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council (SNEC) announced that, in the wake of a “state of emergency,” it will be assessing support following the severe flooding. The territory and surrounding area experienced multiple heavy downpours, closing roads and delaying traffic. “Closed Road” signage blocked several parts of the territory the next day, The assessment includes “checking the status of SNGR buildings and gathering information from...
Register
Time to clear the air on cannabis
Nothing could be burning hotter than Six Nations Elected Council’s (SNEC) move to try to control its cannabis flop. Since it began four years ago it has been a fine example of how not to proceed. It took almost two years to develop Six Nations cannabis “law” not to mention time to appoint an on again, off again Six Nations Cannabis Commission (SNCC) who’s only consistency has been the presence of one of its members former councillor Carl Hill. Even the current elected Chief Sherri-Lyn Hill can’t hide from the controversy. She was a councillor through the progression of a cannabis industry here. As time went on the chair has changed, the members have changed, SNEC has changed and during those years the community decided it would not wait and...
Register
Today in History
June 24 In 2021, the chief of Saskatchewan’s Cowessess First Nation said the community found 751 unmarked graves at the site of a former residential school. Chief Cadmus Delorme said there may have been markers on some at one point. June 25 In 1876, General George Custer’s U.S. army regiment was massacred in the battle of the “Little Big Horn” in Montana; 263 soldiers, including Custer, died in the engagement with several thousand Lakota and Cheyenne warriors. The U.S. military concluded Custer made several mistakes that led to the massacre. In 1968, two notable firsts accompanied a sweeping victory for Pierre Trudeau’s Liberals in a federal election. Lincoln Alexander became Canada’s first Black MP when he won a Hamilton seat for the Conservatives. Len Marchand’s victory in Kamloops, B.C., made...
Register
Weekly Cartoon
...
Register
From Ceremony to Commitment: What is the meaning of King Charles
By Kinnukana, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Alberta Native News On May 27, 2025, King Charles III, delivered the Speech from the Throne as King of Canada, opening the 45th Parliament with words that acknowledged the historical and ongoing presence of Indigenous Peoples and their unceded territories. His speech marked an important commitment toward ongoing reconciliation and it must be seen as more than ceremony. It is a binding commitment that the Canadian Government should be held accountable to, in both policy and practise. King Charles opened the Speech with a formal land acknowledgement recognizing that everyone at the Senate was gathered on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people. King Charles also acknowledged the Indigenous peoples land he was on and where Canadian’s are fortunate to live. He said,...
Register
Rivermen register convincing victory against host James Gang
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Six Nations Rivermen were able to overcome several obstacles and register their most lopsided victory of the season on Sunday. The Rivermen defeated the host Ennismore James Gang 19-2 in an Ontario Series Lacrosse contest held at the Robert E. Young Recreation Complex. For starters, the Rivermen were without their head coach Wayne Hill, who was in Austria watching his son compete in an international ball hockey event. The Rivermen entered the match a bit rusty, not having played or practiced in 15 days. Plus, their team bus was rather late on Sunday. As a result, the Rivermen arrived in Ennismore way behind schedule and did not get a proper warmup in before the match started. The James Gang got off to a quick start,...
Register
Ironmen announce first signees for Northern Premier Hockey League season
By Sam Laskaris Writer The roster of the Six Nations Ironmen is beginning to take shape. The first 10 players that have been signed by the Ironmen to compete in the team’s inaugural season in the Northern Premier Hockey League (NPHL), an Ontario-based Senior A men’s hockey circuit, were announced this past week. The Ironmen, a local men’s hockey squad, had previously primarily only competed in the Fred Sasakamoose Chief Thunderstick National Hockey Championship, the Canadian tourney for Indigenous adult clubs. The Six Nations club, however, is now also an expansion entry into the NPHL. The Ironmen will take part in the league’s Metropolitan Division. Among those who have signed with the Ironmen for the upcoming season are forwards Theo Hill, Tyler Hill and Steven LaForme. All three had played...
Register
SPORTS BRIEFS: Six Nations Lacrosse
By Sam Laskaris Writer Rebels sweep opening playoff round The Six Nations Rebels managed to win their first-round playoff series in the minimum three games. The local club squared off against the Hamilton Bengals in the best-of-five Ontario Junior B Lacrosse League’s Western Conference quarter-final series. The Rebels swept the series 3-0, capping it off with a dramatic 10-9 overtime victory against the host Bengals on Sunday night. That match was held at the Dave Andreychuk Arena in Hamilton. The Rebels had kicked off the series on Friday night by downing the Bengals 14-9 in a match that was held at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. Six Nations also edged the visiting Bengals 8-7 on Saturday. The Rebels had entered the series as the favourites. They were the conference’s third-seeded team...
Register
Canada Day: Resurrecting John A. Macdonald statues ignores critical lessons about Canada’s history
By Eric Strikwerda Associate Professor, History, Athabasca University “We’re freeing John A.,” Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently announced, unveiling plans to return a statue of Sir John A. Macdonald to its place of prominence overlooking the south lawn of the Ontario legislature at Queen’s Park. The statue’s return comes five years after activists, disgusted by the first Canadian prime minister’s racist policies, sprayed pink paint over the statue’s base. Ford’s announcement was welcome news to the mostly conservative historians, editorialists and assorted pundits who have decried Macdonald’s “cancellation.” Their objections have been part of passionate debates about whether racist and harmful figures from the past should be celebrated through statues, school and state institution names and public infrastructure projects. For these conservatives, the issue is simple. Dismantling statues is dismantling...
Register
Squamish business beat: Inclusive hiring—Addressing bias against Indigenous job seekers
By Ina Pace, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Squamish Chief Insights from a Métis career professional reveal how traditional recruitment methods may be excluding valuable perspectives from the workplace. “Diversity is, I mean, it’s Canada, right? Yes, even speaking to you—your accent there,” says HR consultant and career professional Michelle Precourt to the Squamish Chief reporter, who has a British accent. In theory, what springs to mind from these words is that diversity and hence inclusivity should be at the heart of Canada, which means organizations and companies ought to be applying these principles when it comes to seeking potential employees. In practice, however, not all employers and recruiters are informed or educated as to how to apply these principles universally. This means employment isn’t always equally attainable for some...
Register
Israel killed at least 14 scientists in an unprecedented attack on Iran’s nuclear know-how
By John Leicester PARIS (AP) — Israel’s tally of the war damage it wrought on Iran includes the targeted killings of at least 14 scientists, an unprecedented attack on the brains behind Iran’s nuclear program that outside experts say can only set it back, not stop it. In an interview with The Associated Press, Israel’s ambassador to France said the killings will make it “almost” impossible for Iran to build weapons from whatever nuclear infrastructure and material may have survived nearly two weeks of Israeli airstrikes and massive bunker-busting bombs dropped by U.S. stealth bombers. “The fact that the whole group disappeared is basically throwing back the program by a number of years, by quite a number of years,” Ambassador Joshua Zarka said. But nuclear analysts say Iran has other...
Register
As politicians fast-track extraction, Coast Salish leaders stress economic vision: ‘We need to be in these rooms’
By Amy Romer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, IndigiNews Leaders from “Vancouver’s” top businesses got a lesson on Indigenous economics from three Coast Salish leaders last Thursday. Amid international tariff threats and colonial governments fast-tracking resource extraction on Indigenous lands, leaders from the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh and səl̓ilwətaɬ First Nations told a Greater Vancouver Board of Trade gathering about their visions for co-operative economic development, the evolving role of industry, and how today’s shifting economic landscape is affecting their communities. səl̓ilwətaɬ elected Chief Jen Thomas said collaboration between Coast Salish communities has been important, and that over the past five years, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ilwətaɬ “have come together like brothers and sisters.” Sḵwx̱wú7mesh councillor Sxwíxwtn (Wilson Williams) told the gathering of business leaders that Indigenous communities “used to be out of sight,...
Register
Two men sent to hospital after Highway 6 collision
HALDIMAND COUNTY, ON – The Haldimand County Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) is investigating a two-vehicle collision that occurred on Highway 6 between Second Line and Third Line sending two people to hospital. Emergency services responded to the collision Tuesday, (June 24, 2025) at about 9:45 p.m that saw two drivers a 28-year-old man and a 37-year-old man, take to hospital with serious, but non-life threatening injuries. Highway 6 was temporarily closed between Second Line and Third Line to allow emergency crews to respond has re-opened. Anyone with information or dashcam footage from the area around the time of the incident is asked to contact the OPP at 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at www.helpsolvecrime.com or 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS)....
Register
Senate under pressure to deal with Carney’s major projects bill quickly
By Kyle Duggan Prime Minister Mark Carney’s controversial major projects bill could be in for a speedy trip through the Senate this week. Bill C-5 will be introduced at first reading in the upper chamber today after it was fast-tracked through the House of Commons and underwent a rare pre-study by the Senate. A programming motion adopted by the chamber fixes the bill to a strict schedule, with a final vote that must take place by the end of Friday. The politically charged legislation has upset Indigenous and environmental groups who criticize the government for rushing to grant itself sweeping new powers to fast-track project permits. But Carney has said Canada is facing an economic crisis due to the trade war with the U.S. and the country urgently needs to...
Register
Northern Labrador in ‘crisis’ as people ration food, toilet paper, baby supplies
It’s frustrating for Rosie Harris to go to the two stores in Nain and be unable to buy essential items like toilet paper, baby wipes, cleaning supplies, ketchup, or rice, due to the Kamutik W ferry being unable to deliver to the Inuit community on Labrador’s north coast. Harris has four young children at home who are picky eaters, and without staple foods they eat, the mother has had a hard time cooking enough food they enjoy. She’s also been unable to buy the sensitive laundry detergent her daughter needs, she says. “We are in a crisis, and people need to treat it that way. If not for yourself, then think of the children and think of the elders,” Harris says. “If this was anywhere else in Canada, something would...
Register
Nova Scotia to fund Mi’kmaq-led climate change action on Cape Breton
The Nova Scotia government is giving the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources in Cape Breton $893,000 to fund Mi’kmaq-led climate change adaptation work. The institute that represents the five Mi’kmaq First Nations on Cape Breton on natural resources matters says it will use the money to develop climate change monitoring and action plans for these communities. Lisa Young, the executive director of the institute, said in a statement the organization’s approaches to addressing climate change are rooted in Mi’kmaq knowledge. The institute will use the funding to hire a Mi’kmaw climate change co-ordinator and project assistant, develop educational material in Mi’kmaq and English and establish a monitoring plan that uses culturally relevant indicators of climate change. Membertou First Nation Chief Terry Paul said in a statement climate change is one...
Register
How the Battleford Trail shaped Saskatchewan’s growth
By Shaynee Modien, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Shaunavon Standard During the growth of the province of Saskatchewan, a strong connection was developed between the north and south, much like it is today. However, it was the development of a wagon trail leading into and out of Battleford that started it all. The Battleford Trail, as it became known, was the main connecting point for supplies for those traveling to and from Battleford. The trail connected the Swift Current region in the south to Battleford and the Meadow Lake region in the north. The most famous section of the trail is the 300 km (190 mi) trail from the south, known as the Swift Current-Battleford Trail. This was an important link developed in the late 19th century for transportation and...
Register
Quebec launches review of Puvirnituq water crisis
By Arty Sarkisian, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Nunatsiaq News The Quebec government is launching an independent review of the Puvirnituq water crisis to determine the causes and a path forward, says Ian Lafrenière, the minister responsible for relations with First Nations and the Inuit. “We’re not looking for a Band-Aid solution. I want to see how we can do better, what could be done, what’s feasible. This is a priority for us,” Lafrenière said Tuesday in an interview with Nunatsiaq News. He visited Puvirnituq for a few hours on June 20 for the first time since the state of emergency was declared in Nunavik’s second-largest community of roughly 2,100. The state of emergency lasted 20 days, ending June 6. The water crisis was spurred by a break in the main...
Register
What to know about “Alligator Alcatraz,” Florida’s immigration detention site in the Everglades
By Kate Payne TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — An immigration detention facility located at an isolated Everglades airfield surrounded by mosquito-, python- and alligator-filled swamplands is just days away from being operational, federal officials said Tuesday. Florida officials are racing ahead with the construction of what they’ve dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” to help carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda, working to build a compound of heavy-duty tents, trailers and temporary buildings similar to sites used during natural disasters. The construction of the facility in the remote and ecologically sensitive wetland about 45 miles (72 kilometers) west of downtown Miami is alarming human rights advocates and environmentalists. State officials say the installation is critical to support the federal government’s immigration enforcement agenda. Florida is moving forward with the construction on land...
Register
Canada Post honours Indigenous leaders in their fields
Canada Post has issued a stamp honouring a First Nations Elder and Knowledge Keeper who has spent more than five decades preserving the language and culture of his people . Bruce Starlight from Tsúut’ínà Nation, Julia Haogak Ogina and Sophie McDougall are three Indigenous leaders being immortalized on stamps. The stamps were issued on June 20, a day before National Indigenous Peoples Day. Known as Dit’óní Didlishí (Spotted Eagle), Bruce Starlight is an Elder and Knowledge Keeper who has spent more than five decades advocating to save his language and culture from extinction. The set is the fourth in Canada Post’s multi-year Indigenous Leaders series. Starlight is the son of the late Chief James “Jim” Starlight and was born in 1947 on the Tsúut’ínà Nation. Starlight served as chief...
Register
