Brantford Native Housing wins Award for Excellence
By Kimberly De Jong Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Ontario Non-Profit Housing Association (ONPHA) presented Brantford Native Housing (BNH), also known as Hotinohsioni Inc. with the Award for Excellence during the 2024 ONPHA Conference, which ran from Thursday, November 7 to Saturday, November 9, 2024. In a video published by ONPHA on November 9, Marlene Coffey, ONPHA’s CEO, congratulated the BNH team for all of their hard work and their dedication in responding to community needs. “The Award for Excellence is given to non-profit housing providers who go beyond their housing mandates to build strong communities and partnerships, house under-serviced communities, and demonstrate a strong commitment to effective housing management,” said Coffey. Brantford Native Housing, which is the only Indigenous-led housing provider in Brantford-Brant, was originally born out of the...
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Six Nations Police seek information on school damages
OHSWEKEN, ON- Six Nations Police are continuing to investigate a vehicle fire and damages at a local school after receiving calls from the public over property damage. Six Nations Police responded to a report of a suspicious vehicle at a Cayuga Road school Monday, November 18, 2024, at about 9:00 p.m.. Police said a silver Mercedes Benz C230 had been seen spinning around the rear of the property and the school track. Police found a vehicle on fire upon their arrival, but the suspects had fled the scene. The Six Nations Fire Department assisted with extinguishing the vehicle fire. The vehicle was destroyed by fire. The vehicle was not reported to police as stolen. Witnesses told police a man and woman were heard arguing after the vehicle lost control, hit...
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30 years and counting!
By Lynda Powless, Editor Time really does fly when you’re having fun. And we have been! Turtle Island News will be 30 years old this week! It’s hard to believe we have been around for three decades. It certainly doesn’t seem that long. In our early days as publisher there is no question I wondered if Turtle Island News would continue on to the next generation or become just a reminder discussed over coffee tables. But here we are 30 years later and now I wonder how much longer newspapers in general will be around. Social media has taken its hit on the newspaper industry. One-time readers are using technological devices, mobile phones and computers to get real-time information, quick news hits for those tuned in. The younger generation tends...
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Weekly Cartoon
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UNDER THE NORTHERN SKY – We Need To Do More…
By Xavier Kataquapit www.underthenorthernsky.com I was raised knowing many people in my circle of family and friends who have had to deal with troubles and problems that they had no control over. As I grew up in my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast, tragedy and trauma just seemed be a normal part of life for everyone. My parents generation grew up with limited education and what schooling they had occurred in the Residential School system where they faced abuse, colonization and a sense that they were less than human. As a result, they passed on this trauma to their children. Some families survived to a degree through this communal trauma but many others were unable to cope. This colonization and oppression resulted in countless people who...
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Anderson adjusting to life in university hockey ranks
By Sam Laskaris Writer As was the case several years ago, Brenden Anderson once again finds himself adjusting to a new level of hockey. Anderson, a 21-year-old forward who is a Six Nations member, is a rookie with the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks men’s hockey squad. The Golden Hawks compete in the Ontario University Athletics (OUA), a 19-team league, which includes three entrants from Quebec – McGill, Concordia and The Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières. When he entered the junior ranks five years ago, with a Junior B franchise called the Brantford Bandits, Anderson found himself competing against players who were up to five years older than him. And now in the OUA, he is participating against some players who are 26 or 27 years old. “It’s kind of...
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Chiefs’ star captures national Tom Longboat Award
By Sam Laskaris Writer A key member of the Six Nations Chiefs 2024 Mann Cup championship squad has won a prestigious national award. Eli McLaughlin had helped the Chiefs win their second straight national Senior A men’s lacrosse title in September. And McLaughlin was announced as the male recipient of the Tom Longboat Award at a gala ceremony in Ottawa this past Saturday. The award, named in honour of the legendary Six Nations distance runner Tom Longboat, is annually presented to the top Indigenous athlete in Canada. Justina Di Stasio, a wrestler who represented Canada at this year’s Paris Olympics, was chosen as the female winner of the Tom Longboat Award. Besides winning the Mann Cup with the Chiefs, McLaughlin, who is 31, also helped the Haudenosaunee Nationals capture a...
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SPORTS BRIEFS:Nanticoke lone local player to crack Buffalo Bandits’ lineup
By Sam Laskaris Writer Tehoka Nanticoke will be seeking a third consecutive National Lacrosse League (NLL) championship this season. Nanticoke is the only Six Nations member that has cracked the roster of the two-time defending NLL champion Buffalo Bandits this season. The Bandits announced their 2024-25 roster on Monday. Nanticoke was one of seven forwards named to Buffalo’s 21-man roster. The 26-year-old is entering his third NLL season. Nanticoke had a stellar rookie campaign with the Bandits, earning 51 points (32 goals and 19 assists) in 18 regular season matches. He added 14 points, including six goals, in a half dozen playoff contests, helping the Bandits win the 2023 NLL title. Nanticoke then collected 39 points, including 21 goals, in 13 regular season games last season. And he was once...
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Policing in Squamish’s Indigenous communities
By Bhagyashree Chatterjee Local Journalism Initiative Reporter What does it mean to police a community as diverse as Squamish? How can law enforcement better connect with Indigenous communities to build trust and respect? For Const. Kelly Dean of the Integrated First Nations Policing Unit (IFNU), these questions aren’t just theoretical—they’re at the heart of his everyday work. “In my role, it’s different,” Dean shared during an interview with The Squamish Chief. “I have a heart connection with the community. When something happens, it’s not just a call—I see how it impacts families. The community feels like my extended family.” ‘These choices are intentional’ Established in 2008, the Integrated First Nations Policing Unit (IFNU) serves the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish Nation) and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, covering Squamish, North Vancouver, and West Vancouver. Based...
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Anti-Indigenous racism training launched for some health-care workers
New made-in-Manitoba training on “culturally safe care” will educate current and future doctors, nurses and their colleagues on anti-Indigenous racism with a goal of improving treatment for all patients. Health-care workers will be able to register for Giga Mino Ganawenimaag Anishinaabeg — an Ojibwa phrase that translates to “We will take good care of the people” — as of Monday. Ongomiizwin-Indigenous Institute of Health and Healing, based out of the University of Manitoba, announced the imminent rollout of its 10-module training program on Tuesday. Participants will be assigned case studies and reflection questions to increase their understanding of historical injustices and persistent prejudices that affect the health outcomes of First Nations, Métis and Inuit people. “A lot of times, racism is almost subterranean,” said Lee Sanderson, one of five Indigenous...
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NDP will not support Liberal GST holiday bill unless rebate expanded: Singh
OTTAWA-(CP)NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will not support a Liberal plan to give Canadians a GST holiday and $250 unless the government expands eligibility for the cheques, saying the rebate leaves out “the most vulnerable.” The Liberals announced a plan last week to cut the federal sales tax on a raft of items such as toys and restaurant meals for two months, and to give $250 to more than 18.7 million Canadians in the spring. Speaking after a Canadian Labour Congress event in Ottawa, Singh said he’s open to passing the GST legislation, but the rebate needs to include seniors, students, people who are on disability benefits and those who were not able to work last year. Singh said he initially supported the idea because he thought the...
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Chief reflects on years of work to rebuild
By Darlene Wroe Local Journalism Initiative Reporter TEMAGAMI – Chief Michael Paul has been serving on either the Teme-Augama Anishnabai council or the Temagami First Nation council for the past nine years. Paul, 64, is currently serving his second year as TAA Chief and is finishing his first year as TFN Second Chief. Recovering status designation for descendants of original families is one of the main tasks Paul and others are focused upon. At the same time, defending TFN and TAA rights to hunt and fish is another main occupation. Paul explained that during the 1940s and 1950s, “Indian agents” approached First Nation people in the Temagami area and required them to prove who they were. If they could not successfully do so, or were not present, they were removed...
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‘Who profits on hunger?’ Inuit send pleading emails to minister about food costs
NUNAVUT-(CP)-People in Nunavut and northern Labrador have been writing to Canadian government officials this year to say grocers were charging exorbitant prices despite receiving a federal subsidy. The emails about the Nutrition North subsidy program ranged from desperate pleas to do something to lower food costs, to angry demands that retailers receiving subsidies be investigated. In April, Minister of Northern Affairs Dan Vandal acknowledged there was a problem. “I agree more work is needed to optimize the subsidy for Northerners to ensure 100 per cent of the subsidy is passed on directly to consumers,” Vandal said in a note to Nunavut Family Services Minister Margaret Nakashuk obtained through an access to information request. Some of the 17 emails from members of the public accused retailers of hiking food prices in...
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Closing First Nations infrastructure gap could generate $635B: report
OTTAWA-(CP)-Closing the First Nations infrastructure gap could generate $635-billion in economic output over the next seven years, a new report commissioned by the Assembly of First Nations says. The AFN and Indigenous Services Canada estimate there is a $349-billion infrastructure gap plaguing First Nations communities that they’re calling to be closed by 2030. The gap is the result of decades of underfunding and failed fiduciary duties affecting housing, roads, internet connectivity, water treatment plants, ports and schools that the AFN and Indigenous Services Canada say will become more costly to remedy without immediate investments. The report by the Conference Board of Canada released today says every dollar spent to close that gap will contribute $1.82 in economic output to Canada. AFN national chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak says the report shows...
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Boissonnault’s former company suspended from federal procurement
OTTAWA-(CP)-The federal government is barring a company previously co-owned by a Liberal MP and former minister from bidding on contracts with the federal government. Global Health Imports, which was co-owned by former employment minister Randy Boissonnault, is suspended for at least 90 days as the government makes a decision about their status under its policies. The company has one active contract with the federal government through Elections Canada, but Elections Canada says no deliverables have been received, and no payments have been made. Boissonnault’s former company has been at the centre of criticism for weeks, with reports it applied for federal contracts while falsely claiming to be Indigenous-owned. Boissonnault has insisted he has not participated in the company since he was re-elected in 2021 but resigned as employment minister last...
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Search for Anishinabek ancestral remains continues
By Mike Stimpson, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter THUNDER BAY — A large volume of earth remains unaccounted for at the National Marine Conservation Area where Parks Canada halted excavation in May after finding centuries-old human remains, Red Rock Indian Band’s chief says. Chief Allan Odawa Jr. shared a recent photo of the site after earth had been returned to it, with a large gap in the ground. The gap is where more than 60 missing loads of earth from excavation should be, he said. “We started bringing the material back (recently),” Odawa said last week while at the Chiefs of Ontario fall assembly in Thunder Bay. “We only filled probably two-thirds of the hole.” Odawa allegdes that Parks Canada and its contractor don’t know where the missing 60-plus loads went....
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‘People got to be safe:’ Manitoba premier responds to fatal police shooting
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew offered condolences Monday to the families affected by two fatal police shootings in the province and spoke to the challenge faced by officers on the front lines. “I want to take the opportunity to thank police officers across this province who go to work and keep us safe each and every day,” Kinew said while at the convention for the Association of Manitoba Municipalities. The night before, a street standoff involving police left one man dead and an officer recovering from a stab wound to the throat. Kinew told reporters no one wants to see a person die after an altercation with police but officers are often tasked with responding to high-risk situations. “Police officers have a difficult job to do, that’s at the best of...
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B.C. opens disaster aid to atmospheric river flood victims
(CP)-British Columbia is making disaster financial assistance available to victims of floodwaters that gushed through several communities when an atmospheric river dumped hundreds of millimetres of rain on parts of the province last month. The province says flood-affected residents of Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, the Squamish First Nation and North and West Vancouver are eligible. The financial aid of up to $400,000 per claim is aimed at compensating for “sudden, unexpected and uninsurable losses,” such as damage to a principal residence and debris removal. The deadline for applications is Feb. 23 next year. The atmospheric river that hit B.C.’s south coast from Oct. 18 to Oct. 20 brought almost 350 millimetres of rain to some areas, sending torrents down streets in places such as North Vancouver’s Deep Cove. The flooding and...
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U of W working group endorses ‘flexible’ approach to verifying Indigeneity for hiring, awards
University of Winnipeg leaders are reviewing new recommendations to create formal protocols to verify the First Nations, Métis and Inuit ancestry of job-seekers and award applicants. Post-secondary institutions have historically relied on self-identification when assessing candidates to fill positions intended for Indigenous scholars. For more than a year, U of W has been collecting feedback on identity, citizenship and “safeguarding opportunities” to thwart fraudulent claims and ensure rewards are gifted to the intended recipients. An internal working group has endorsed a flexible and multifaceted approach to assessing claims that allows Indigenous groups to determine their own memberships, accepts various forms of documentation and ensures privacy for people involved in the process. Members have called on administration to develop clear criteria for Indigenous identity that does not solely rely on genetic...
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Alberta seeks to ‘de-risk’ oil, gas pipeline investments in wake of Trump victory
Alberta’s government is looking for ways to encourage pipeline companies to boost capacity and increase the province’s oil and gas export volumes to the United States. But Premier Danielle Smith said her government is not interested in directly subsidizing a cross-border pipeline project, preferring instead to find ways to “de-risk” a potential private sector investment. “We’re looking to make connections with the United States, to see their appetite for assisting in helping to get more product going into the United States,” Smith told reporters Monday at an event in Leduc County, Alta. “Maybe de-risking the project involves having an American partner, an American pipeline company, partner with our companies here,” she added. “We just don’t think the best way of doing it is putting government dollars into it, but we...
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