Weekly Cartoon
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Canada Post National Day for Truth and Reconciliation released
SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND -A haunting black and white photograph of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School may grace the cover of Canada’s Post information package outlined its four new commemorative stamps, for the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, but it isn’t on a stamp. Canada Post released their new stamps September 28 with about 75 people, including survivors and their families, attended the unveiling at the Woodland Centre on Wednesday (September 27). The release marked the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, also known as Orange Shirt Day, said Heather George, a Mohawk from Akwesasne and Executive Director of the Woodland Cultural Centre. “Truth and Reconciliation is not easy and it will take time, but it is possible providing there is a willingness to understand the hurt...
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Haudenosaunee Nationals squad capture bronze medal at historic international tournament
By Sam Laskaris Writer The Haudenosaunee Nationals, a women’s box lacrosse squad stacked with Six Nations players, managed to bring home some hardware from a prestigious American tournament. The club captured the bronze medal in the women’s category at the North American Invitational, also known as LAXNAI. The event, which also included three male divisions, concluded on Sunday in Utica, New York. This marked the first year a women’s category had been staged at the tourney. And for many coaching and managerial reps, it was an opportunity for them to assess players who could potentially play at the inaugural world women’s box lacrosse championships, which will be held next year in Utica. “It’s really exciting to see where this team is going,” said Joni Squire-Hill, one of the 14 Six...
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Sam Laskaris – BEHIND THE ACTION – Brandon Montour
By Sam Laskaris Writer There’s no denying the 2022-23 campaign was a career year for Six Nations’ Brandon Montour. Though he’s still 29, there are no guarantees Montour, a defenceman with the National Hockey League’s Florida Panthers, will have another season, both personally and team-wise, quite like last season. Montour racked up career highs for goals (16), assists (57) and points (73) in his 80 regular season appearances last year. He was also one of the major reasons why the Panthers advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup finals this past spring. Montour made quite a name for himself in the 2023 playoffs with his impressive play. He scored eight goals and added five assists in 21 matches. Yet Montour and the rest of the Panthers were unable to...
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Winners of the Bitove Indigenous Award are announced
By Sam Laskaris Writer A half dozen athletes are the latest recipients of a Bitove Indigenous Award. The awards, established last year, are through the Canadian Olympic Foundation via the prominent Bitoves, a Canadian business family. Each recipient receives $5,000 to cover the financial costs of their training and competitions. Alternatively, award winners can utilize their funding to support initiatives that they are contributing to within their own Indigenous communities. The Canadian Olympic Committee released its Team Canada Impact Agenda last year. The agenda includes the commitment to making sport safe, inclusive and barrier-free so that more young people can play and also stay involved in sport. The Bitove Indigenous Award is part of that commitment. The six award recipients this year are ski jumper Alexandria Loutitt, wrestler Justina Di...
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‘Photography not allowed,’ Poilievre says of ceremony with Algonquin leaders
OTTAWA-Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said he did not share photos of a ceremony he participated in with Algonquin leaders on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation out of respect for their traditional customs. Poilievre shared two photos on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter, on Saturday with a post about joining Algonquin elders and leaders at the eternal flame on Parliament Hill to mark the occasion. The women in the photos were not Algonquin but Inuit, including Manitok Thompson, who was a cabinet minister in the Northwest Territories and then in Nunavut after the territory was created in 1999. Sebastian Skamski, a spokesman for Poilievre, said Saturday the Conservative leader had been at an earlier event with Algonquin leaders to commemorate the day on Parliament Hill. He said...
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Gwichin Assembly opens with concern over suspensions, governance
By Aastha Sethi Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Before the meeting even reached its printed agenda, Ruby McDonald, of Fort McPherson’s Teet?’it Gwich’in Council, questioned the Gwich’in Tribal Council’s board about the absence of Teet?’it Gwich’in president Abe Wilson. Wilson is one of two directors suspended by the GTC’s board in the past two years for code of conduct violations, Grand Chief Ken Kyikavichik said earlier in the summer. The other suspended director is Mavis Clark, interim president of Tsiigehtchic’s Gwichya Gwich’in Council. A forensic audit to be discussed later at this week’s assembly has raised issues that Kyikavichik says include “inappropriate payments” from some of the Designated Gwich’in Organizations, the four community councils, to related parties, and insufficient record-keeping. Kyikavichik posted a summary of the audit, conducted by accounting firm...
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Statement by the Prime Minister on the results of the provincial election in Manitoba
October 4, 2023 Ottawa, Ontario The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the results of the provincial election in Manitoba: “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I congratulate Wab Kinew and the New Democratic Party of Manitoba on their election. “Last night, Manitobans elected their first First Nations premier – a historic win for Indigenous Peoples and for Canadians. “I look forward to working with Premier-designate Kinew and the provincial government to deliver results on the things that matter most to Manitobans. This includes making life more affordable for families, driving economic growth, advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples, building more homes, faster, strengthening our universal health care system, and accelerating climate action while putting more money back in people’s pockets. “Together, we will build a...
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Premier Wab Kinew: From rapper to reporter to Manitoba’s top political office
By Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- Rap artist. Journalist. Economics student. Premier. Wab Kinew’s path as a young man, including several brushes with the law and some convictions, did not appear a likely path tobecoming the first First Nations premier of a province. Kinew and the Manitoba NDP won a majority government Tuesday night, defeating the governing Progressive Conservatives and making Canadian history. “I was given a second chance in life. I’d like to think that I made good on that opportunity,” Kinew said in his victory speech. “My life became immeasurably better when I stopped making excuses and I started looking for a reason. And I found that reason in our family, I found that reason in our community and I found that reason in our province and country....
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A timeline of recent provincial elections and governments in Manitoba
WINNIPEG -Manitobans elected a new government on Tuesday, with the New Democrats sweeping the Progressive Conservatives from power after seven years in Opposition. Here is a look at Manitoba elections and governments over the past 20 years. New Democrats, 2003 The NDP under then premier Gary Doer wins a second consecutive term with a larger majority, capturing 35 of the 57 legislature seats. The New Democrats secure longtime Progressive Conservative strongholds in suburban Winnipeg. Party leader Stuart Murray steps down two years later after lukewarm support in a party leadership review. He is replaced by Hugh McFadyen. New Democrats, 2007 The NDP under Doer wins a third consecutive majority with 36 seats. Two years later, Doer leaves the premier’s office to become Canada’s ambassador to the United States. The New...
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Manitoba NDP to form majority government in historic win for First Nations premier
By Steve Lambert and Brittany Hobson THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- Wab Kinew, who is to become Canada’s first First Nations provincial premier, spoke to young Indigenous people and those from all backgrounds in his victory speech Tuesday after the NDP won a majority in the Manitoba election. “I was given a second chance in life,” Kinew said to a cheering crowd. “And I would like to think that I have made good on that opportunity. And you can do the same.” Kinew’s late father was not allowed to vote as a young man under Canadian law at the time. His mother’s birthday was election night, and he brought her on stage to celebrate the historic win along with his wife and three sons. The NDP’s victory also brought the resignation of...
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‘Gratifying’: Indigenous leaders reflect on Kinew’s historic election win in Manitoba
By Jeremy Simes THE CANADIAN PRESS Manitobans made history Tuesday night for electing an NDP government led by Wab Kinew, who is to become the first First Nations premier of a province in Canada. Kinew was raised as a young boy on the Onigaming First Nation in northwestern Ontario, later moving with his family to Winnipeg. His late father was not allowed to vote as a young man under Canadian law at the time. “To witness this tonight, it’s really gratifying,” Eric Robinson, a former Manitoba NDP cabinet minister and deputy premier, said in an interview. “I think First Nations people, and Indigenous people in general across Canada, should feel proud of Manitoba. We’ve demonstrated through perseverance, some hard work and participation in the mainstream Canadian politics, that it has...
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B.C. disaster response outdated and inaccessible for evacuees: ombudsperson report
By Brieanna Charlebois THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER- Emergency support programs for disaster evacuees in British Columbia are outdated, under-resourced, inaccessible and poorly communicated, according to a report by the province’s ombudsperson. Ombudsperson Jay Chalke’s report on the government’s response to wildfires and severe flooding in 2021 analyzed the fairness in delivering assistance programs and says there was unclear and confusing communication, unreasonable delays and a lack of flexibility about how help was delivered. Chalke said after the report’s release on Tuesday that the process of delivering assistance does not take into account the distinct needs of Indigenous evacuees, elderly people or those with physical and cognitive disabilities. “A major takeaway from this report is that (in) trying to deliver government programs, especially in extreme situations like this, equity needs to...
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As Manitobans vote, Onigaming watches
By Mike Stimpson Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Opinion polls in Manitoba strongly suggest a former Onigaming resident is about to become the keystone province’s next premier, and that cheers the hearts of people in the First Nation community near Nestor Falls. Wab Kinew, who was born in Kenora and spent his early years living on the Ojibways of Onigaming First Nation, is leader of the Manitoba NDP. Recent polls indicate the party likely will win a majority in Manitoba’s general election on Tuesday. “Oh my God, we’d be so proud and so supportive of him, even though we’re in Ontario and he’s in Manitoba,” Onigaming resident Sherry Copenace said when asked about the prospect of a Premier Kinew. “We’re all rooting for him.” Like Kinew, Chief Jeffrey Copenace grew up...
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Red Dress Day event crafting a path to healing
By Amanda Rabski-McColl Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Many busy hands will be remembering MMIWG2S on Wednesday. The Timmins Native Friendship Centre (TNFC) is hosting a vigil at 10 a.m. on Oct. 4 to honour and remember the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit people. The vigil will be followed by a crafting social from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Everyone is encouraged to bring whatever craft they are working on. Limited supplies for red dress crafts are being provided by the friendship centre. “We only have so much, but if people have something that they’re working on like beading or painting or anything that they’d like to work on that they’ve already started, they’re more than welcome to bring that,” said Jaylin Renaud, TNFC Aboriginal healing...
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Manitoba Tory Leader Heather Stefanson stands by ads opposing landfill search
By Brittany Hobson THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG-During her first appearance in Winnipeg in more than a week, Manitoba’s Progressive Conservative Leader Heather Stefanson stood by her party’s decision to take out billboard and newspaper ads that highlighted the province’s decision not to search a landfill for the remains of two First Nations women on the final day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s provincial election. Stefanson was flanked by many Tory candidates at her party’s campaign headquarters on the final day of campaigning ahead of Tuesday’s provincial election. She reiterated promises to cut taxes, spend new money on health care and tackle crime if re-elected. It was the first time in 10 days Stefanson spoke during a press conference in Winnipeg, and the first time she spoke since the Progressive Conservatives...
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Protest song from Willie Dunn gets a contemporary remake with archival footage in new video
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter A short video that mixes historic images with contemporary film and honours Indigenous sovereignty and resistance is now available on YouTube. “I Pity The Country” was released on Sept. 29, one day before the third annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. Willie Dunn, the late Mi’kmaq musician, film producer and politician, first recorded “I Pity The Country,” a powerful protest song, in 1971. The song begins with the lyrics “I pity the country. I pity the state. And the mind of a man. Who thrives on hate.” The new version of the video from filmmakers Door Number 3 Productions includes Leanne Betasamosake Simpson, a musician and writer of eight books from Alderville First Nation in Ontario, singing portions of the song. Simpson...
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After a four week campaign, Manitobans to decide on Tories’ bid for a third term
By Steve Lambert THE CANADIAN PRESS WINNIPEG- Manitobans are to make history today as they cast final ballots in an election that has followed four weeks of promises, debates and controversial advertisements. If Heather Stefanson leads the incumbent Progressive Conservatives to a third consecutive majority, she would become the first woman to be elected premier in a Manitoba general election. Stefanson took over the top spot midterm in a party leadership race after former premier Brian Pallister retired in 2021. If the New Democrats win after seven years in Opposition, leader Wab Kinew would become the first First Nations premier of a province in Canada. His late father was not allowed to vote as a young man under Canadian law at the time. Opinion polls have suggested the New Democrats...
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B.C. court rejects challenge to huge Squamish Nation housing project in Vancouver
By Darryl Greer THE CANADIAN PRESS VANCOUVER- A massive Vancouver housing development spearheaded by the Squamish Nation has cleared a legal hurdle after a B.C. Supreme Court judge rejected a challenge by a residents’ association over lack of consultation. The Kits Point Residents Association had been seeking to have the Senakw project’s services agreement between the First Nation and the City of Vancouver declared unlawful. The project at the foot of the Burrard Street Bridge leading into Vancouver’s downtown core is slated to include 6,000 rental units, and is being funded by $1.4 billion in federal loans. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was on the site last year when the project broke ground, and former Vancouver mayor Kennedy Stewart touted the development as “the largest First Nations economic development in Canadian history.”...
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Progressive Conservatives’ ‘stand firm’ pledge not to search Manitoba landfill denies international human rights: Indigenous
By Dave Baxter, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Indigenous leaders say that by using a promise not to search a landfill for human remains as a pillar of their re-election campaign, the Manitoba Progressive Conservatives are now running on a promise to deny international human rights. Voters will go to the polls Tuesday to pick Manitoba’s next provincial government, and in the final days and weeks of the campaign, the PCs have been pushing through both newspaper ads and billboards a promise to “stand firm” and continue to say to to offering any assistance for a search of the Prairie Green Landfill for the remains of Morgan Harris and Marcedes Myran, two First Nations women believed to have been murdered and dumped there by an alleged serial killer. According to the Assembly...
