Murray Sinclair…he became the shoulder we all leaned on
Tributes are pouring in from across the country as Indigenous people across Canada mourn the loss of a great statesman. Murray Sinclair, former Canadian senator and head of Truth and Reconciliation Commission has passed at the age of 73. A member of Peguis First Nation in Manitoba, Murray Sinclair whose Indigenous name was Mazina Giizhik (the One Who Speaks of Pictures in the Sky) has left behind a legacy that touched thousands of Indigenous people. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said, in a special media post, “The Honourable Murray Sinclair dedicated his life to repairing Canada’s relationship with Indigenous Peoples. As the Chief Commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, he challenged us to confront the darkest parts of our history—because he believed we could learn from them and be better...
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Today in History
Nov 11 In 2008, Joseph Boyden won the $50,000 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his second novel “Through Black Spruce,” a portrait of contemporary aboriginal life and family struggles that ensue after a beautiful young woman goes missing. In 2021, Indigenous author Lee Maracle, who championed the stories of native women to change the face of Canadian literature, died. A family friend said the acclaimed author, poet and teacher died at a hospital in Vancouver at age 71. She was one of the first Indigenous authors to be published in Canada in the early 1970s. She held posts at a number of Canadian universities and won accolades. Nov 12 In 1992, Canada’s Inuit accepted a $580 million federal land claim settlement giving them control over a large part of the eastern...
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Feeling conflicted: We’koqma’q community members share thoughts on land claim settlement
By Meghan Dewar, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter We’koqma’q First Nation has accepted a land claim settlement of $125 million, which will involve each community band member receiving $75,526. Band member Amber Bernard shared her thoughts on the settlement, which range from excitement for her fellow We’koqma’q neighbours to sadness regarding the lasting effects of colonization. “When the offer was first given, I thought, ‘Oh wow, this is amazing,’ because it’s something that my grandparents and my parents have spoken about for most of their lives. To see that settlement finally happen, I thought it was really great for everyone who has been waiting for a very long time. For me, I’m excited,” Bernard explained. “I know that’s what the community voted in favour of, but another part of me can’t...
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Daughter’s birth prevents Montour from attending jersey retirement night
By Sam Laskaris Writer Brandon Montour’s jersey retirement night with his junior squad did not go quite as planned last week. The Caledonia Corvairs, a Junior B squad that competes in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League (GOJHL), were keen to honour Montour, a Six Nations member, on Oct. 30. The plan was to have Montour, who won the Stanley Cup as a member of the Florida Panthers this past June, in attendance for his jersey retirement night. But as it turned out, Montour, who is now a member of the Seattle Kraken, was not able to come to the Corvairs’ home rink, the Haldimand Country Caledonia Centre, that evening. Caledonia Corvairs’ president Brendan Painter explained what happened. “It’s a bit of a crazy morning,” he said. Montour had played...
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Arena Lacrosse League draft to be staged this weekend
By Sam Laskaris Writer There’s no shortage of players looking to showcase their skills in the Arena Lacrosse League (ALL). And that’s certainly pleasing news for ALL commissioner Paul St. John. The Ontario-based ALL East Division consists of eight clubs. Three of those squads – Six Nations Snipers, Ohsweken Bears and Paris RiverWolves – all play their home contests locally, out of the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The ALL will stage its annual draft this Saturday in Brampton. More than 120 players are eligible to be selected. St. John said any player that has registered with the league and has paid registration fees will be drafted by an ALL team. National Lacrosse League (NLL) draftees can also be selected in the ALL draft since there is no certainty that they will...
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SPORTS BRIEFS: Tournaments gearing up
By Sam Laskaris Writer Popular lacrosse tournament returns One of the more popular local lacrosse tournaments will be back for another running next month. The Dreamcatcher Lacrosse Festival, a men’s tournament, will be held Dec. 6-8 at the Iroquois Lacrosse Arena. The annual event is organized by the Dreamcatcher Charitable Foundation. Dreamcatcher’s events co-ordinator Josh Powless said organizers are currently finalizing which 10 clubs will participate in this year’s event. “We’re just confirming the teams that will be in it,” he said. “It will be 10 teams. And we’ve already got 2-3 teams on the waiting list.” Powless said that traditionally about half of the tournament entrants are local teams. “And some come from the (United) States and Toronto,” he added. Powless said the lone American club that will participate...
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Statement by the Prime Minister on the result of the United States presidential election
November 6, 2024 Ottawa, Ontario The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the result of the United States presidential election: “On behalf of the Government of Canada, I congratulate Donald Trump on being elected as President of the United States of America for a second term, and Senator JD Vance for his election as Vice-President of the United States (U.S.). “Canada and the U.S. have the world’s most successful partnership. We are neighbours and friends, united by a shared history, common values, and steadfast ties between our peoples. We are also each other’s largest trade partners and our economies are deeply intertwined. “During President Trump’s first term, we successfully renegotiated the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA), which has created thousands of good-paying jobs and has brought investment and opportunity...
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Memorial in Winnipeg on Sunday for judge, senator, TRC chair Murray Sinclair
A public memorial honouring former judge, senator and chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission into residential schools, Murray Sinclair, is set to take place in Winnipeg on Sunday. The event, which is being organized by the federal and Manitoba governments, will be at Canada Life Centre, home of the NHL’s Winnipeg Jets. Sinclair died Monday in a Winnipeg hospital at the age of 73. A teepee and a sacred fire were set up outside the Manitoba legislature for people to pay their respects hours after news of his death became public. The province has said it will remain open to the public until Sinclair’s funeral. Sinclair’s family continues to invite people to visit the sacred fire and offer tobacco. The family thanked the public for sharing words of love...
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Whitehorse city council sworn in
By Talar Stockton, Local Journalism Initiative The new Whitehorse city council was sworn in in front of a full house on Nov. 1, 2024. Mayor Kirk Cameron, alongside Couns. Anne Middler, Dan Boyd, Lenore Morris, Eileen Melnychuk, Jenny Hamilton and Paolo Gallina, swore an oath of office and pledged allegiance to King Charles III and all heirs and successors. Per tradition, council also swore the oath of Athens, promising to never disgrace to Whitehorse by any act of dishonesty or cowardice, and to fight for the city’s ideals. “We will transmit this city, not only, not less, but greater, better and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us,” the council said in unison during the ceremony, repeating after Justice of the Peace Steven Smith. In attendance were Chief Ruth...
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Fatal northern Quebec police shooting followed drunk driving call, watchdog says
A police shooting that left one man dead and another seriously injured in a northern Quebec village early Monday allegedly occurred after officers answered a call about someone trying to drive while intoxicated. But Quebec’s police watchdog released few other details on Tuesday about what happened around 4:10 a.m. that morning in Salluit, an Inuit fly-in community about 1,850 kilometres north of Montreal. The oversight agency — Bureau des enquêtes indépendantes — said Nunavik police received a 911 call about someone who was allegedly trying to drive while impaired. Based on preliminary information, the agency said two officers arrived at the scene a few minutes after the call and had a physical altercation with two men. The watchdog’s statement didn’t say whether either of the men was armed, but said...
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Brantford Police seeking information on two men in butter thefts
Brantford Police are seeking information on the two men above in relation to a theft of butter from a local store. (Brantford Police Supplied Photos) BRANTFORD, ONT-Brantford police are asking the public to help identify two men who stole over $1000 of butter. Two men were seen stealing around $1200 of butter from a grocery store located at Lynden Road and Wayne Gretzky Parkway October 29 at 8:25 pm. The suspects were wearing all black clothing and black baseball hats and fled the scene in a white van. Brantford police are seeking information from the public to identify the men. Brantford Police Services released pictures of the two suspects, hoping information from the public will assist them in identifying the men. Anyone with information related to this investigation is...
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Nearly 60 per cent of Quebec Inuit feel food-insecure, new data shows
By Cedric Gallant Local Journalism Initiative Reporter About 60 per cent of Quebec Inuit are facing food insecurity, with one-third indicating they have had to reduce food intake or disrupt their eating patterns because of it. Statistics Canada published results from its Indigenous Peoples Survey, conducted in 2022, in August. Respondents answered 18 questions meant to determine whether households both with and without children were able to afford the food they needed over the previous 12 months. Out of nearly 16,000 Quebec Inuit surveyed, approximately 9,500 felt they were in a state of food insecurity. Just over 3,000 respondents reported they felt severely food insecure. The question of food security in Nunavik goes beyond buying power, said Jordyn Stafford, food security manager with the Nunavik Regional Board of Health and...
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Indigenous broadcaster Dan Smoke co-founder of “Smoke Signals” has died
By Lynda Powless Editor LONDON-ONT- It was the familiar voice with a welcoming laugh that made us all smile. One of the longtime voices of Smoke Signals radio show, Indigenous broadcaster and educator, Dan Smoke died Monday Nov., 4, 2024. His wife, and fellow broadcaster Mary Lou Smoke announced the passing in a Facebook post Monday. Mary Lou Smoke, announced the death as “the love of her life,” had passed due to complications of pneumonia and Type 2 diabetes. “Dan committed his life to helping all people,” the post said. “He will be missed dearly.” Smoke Signals, was created and hosted by the couple launching in the early 1990s. It was Canada’s longest-running Indigenous campus radio show available Sundays on CHRW Radio Western 94.9 FM. The show featured...
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Company vows to sue over damages after New Mexico authorities destroy cannabis crops
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — State police have destroyed tens of thousands of pounds of marijuana plants at greenhouses in northwestern New Mexico, marking what regulators say is the largest seizure and destruction of cannabis in New Mexico since new possession and cultivation laws took effect in 2021. Authorities announced the operation Monday, saying dozens of agents were assigned to eradicate the plants in October. The state Cannabis Control Division had started the process of revoking the license of NNK Equity LLC, having filed a noncompliance order and a default order earlier this year. The company was accused of not posting its licenses on site, failing to obtain water rights for cultivation, not having cameras that could monitor certain areas of its operation and violating sanitation and health requirements. “The organization...
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Details revealed for B.C. solar facility which includes First Nations partners
By Sam Laskaris Local Journalism Initiative Reporter The Nlaka’pamux Nation Tribal Council (NNTC) is part of an historic solar facility that is being constructed in British Columbia. Details of the quA-ymn Solar project, which is being built just southwest of Kamloops, were announced on Nov. 4. The project is a partnership between the six NNTC member communities and BluEarth Renewables, a leading power-producing company which has lengthy experience in renewable energy projects across North America. The project is going ahead as it has secured a $35 million loan from the Canadian Infrastructure Bank (CIB). The new project will feature a 15-megawatt solar facility, which will connect into BC Hydro’s energy grid. The power generated will be sufficient enough to generate more than 2,000 homes annually. “This is not a project...
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Vancouver festival features collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous performers
By Renée Sylvestre-Williams Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Urban Ink’s TRANSFORM Festival, co-presented with The Cultch, is set to return to the Vancouver Playhouse for its fifth anniversary celebration. The festival, showcasing a vibrant array of Indigenous and non-Indigenous artists, will run from Nov. 6-9. It is co-curated by Urban Ink artistic director Corey Payette and The Clutch’s executive director Heather Redfern. The festival is also guided by protocol keeper Quelemia Sparrow. This marks the first time the festival is back on stage after several years of digital and hybrid formats. Highlights include Canada’s Drag Race Season 4 winner, Venus, circus performer Sido Adamson, and dancer and ballroom performer Ralph Escamillan. The four-day lineup also features the world premiere of In Spirit, a concert honouring National Indigenous Veterans Day, with performances...
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Quebec police watchdog investigates shooting that left 1 dead, 1 injured in Far North
-Canadian Press-Quebec’s police watchdog is investigating after one person was killed and another injured in a shooting involving police in the northern territory of Nunavik. The watchdog, known as the BEI, says the altercation with police took place early Monday morning in Salluit, a remote village in the Far North. The watchdog says that according to preliminary information one person was killed and another suffered serious injuries. Five investigators will be dispatched soon to investigate further and meet with witnesses. Quebec provincial police will carry out a parallel criminal investigation. Salluit is an Inuit fly-in village of just over 1,400 people, about 1,850 kilometres north of Montreal. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 4, 2024. ...
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Premier to face leadership challenge Wednesday
By Jeff Pelletier, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter Nunatsiaq News Nunavut Premier P.J. Akeeagok is expected to face a challenge to his leadership this week after MLA Solomon Malliki announced he plans to make a motion Wednesday to remove Akeeagok as head of the Nunavut government. In the legislature, Malliki, who represents the Aivilik riding, didn’t give any reason why he wants Akeeagok to be removed. But during an afternoon break in proceedings, Malliki told Nunatsiaq News he wants to oust Akeeagok over what he says is a lack of transparency. “There’s no transparency in this government. We weren’t getting our answers,” Malliki said. Malliki, who chairs the regular members’ caucus, added that he believes he has enough support from regular members to have the premier removed but acknowledged he “can’t...
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BRFN: Ousted Chief’s counsel disputes removal, alleges council errors
By Ed Hitchins, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Legal counsel representing four Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN) councillors has alleged that ousted BRFN Chief Judy Desjarlais has overstepped her boundaries. Desjarlais posted a series of letters to Facebook on October 28th, with lawyer Naz Mitha, the counsel representing BRFN, pointing out an apparent series of violations. BRFN said an investigation concluded Desjarlais violated the First Nations’ bylaws, and she was removed in late September. Mitha claims a binder containing Band Council Resolutions, among other items, is missing. “While Ms. Desjarlais is challenging her removal, I anticipate that you will accept that,” said Mitha in the letter dated Friday, October 25th. “Until a court says otherwise, she is no longer Chief of the BRFN.” “We note that...
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