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Oka: 30 years later land dispute continues ... page 4

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By Lynda PowlessEditor Six Nations Elected

Council (SNEC) was giv-en an extension to today (Wednesday, July 15) to publically apologize to Six Nations Police Commis-sion (SNPC) Chair Steve Williams for demanding his resignation without grounds or face a lawsuit. SNEC members were

served a week ago, both as council members and per-sonally with notice of suit. Turtle Island News has

learned council may have been delayed to seek legal advice and could not meet the original deadline of Fri-day, July 10, 2020. The controversy stems

from a press release sent out by SNEC July 1, 2020. SNEC called for Williams’ resignation saying it want-ed to ensure accountability and transparency but of-fered no grounds. “We want to ensure ac-

countability and transpar-ency and make it clear that there can be no conflict of interest, or perceived or otherwise in such im-portant roles. This action speaks to good governance and to the future sustain-ability of our institutions who serve the community.” The statement continued,

“As we move forward, it is important that we have the trust of the community that we will make difficult decisions in order to devel-op and build stronger ser-vices in our community.” Williams accused Six

Nations Elected Council of targetting him in the me-

dia release sent out July 1, 2020 to media and a num-ber of organizations. “They have targeted me

in this. They sent that so called media release out not just to media but to local organizations and provincial and national or-ganizations. They targeted me,” he said. The call for Williams res-

ignation came within days of the Six Nations Police Commission(SNPC) send-ing a letter to SNEC sus-pending Councilor Wendy Johnson from the commis-sion. Johnson allegedly dis-putes the suspension say-ing she quit. The commission has not

released details on why the councilor was suspended or why they are asking for a replacement councilor. Wendy Johnson, a new

band councilor in her first term, had only attended one police commission meeting. Turtle Island News has

learned Wendy Johnson’s suspension may be tied to an incident involved a Six Nations Police officer who has been suspended for re-leasing confidential infor-

mation to councilor John-son and councilor Michelle Bomberry. Six Nations Police have

brought in a third party in-vestigator to look into the matter. Councilors Wendy Johnson, Bomberry and Hazel Johnson are all being interviewed by the investi-gation team. Councilor Wendy John-

son was also questioning why the police commission was promoting from within the service for a new police chief instead of hiring from outside. The SNPC is made-up

of Six Nations community members with SNEC filling two seats on the commis-sion. The website says the

SNPC acts as the super-visory body for the Police Service. It has, for the past two

years, been engaged in a succession plan for retiring Police Chief Glenn Lickers. The commission decided

to promote from within the service and has been work-ing with an outside firm to determine which of two candidates who applied would be promoted when the controversy began to unfold. The commission had

hoped to have the hiring resolved before June but as a result of the controversy has put it on hold with re-tiring Chief Glenn Lickers asked to stay on in the in-terim. The Six Nations Police

Commission issued a press statement last Thursday (July 2) asking SNEC for an-

swers. “The Six Nations Police

Commission takes allega-tions related to the breach of policies by any member of the Commission with the utmost seriousness,” the letter reads. The letter continued,

“The Police Commission has formally requested that the Six Nations Elected Council provide specific de-tails into the allegations of transparency and conflict of interest in relation to Mr. Williams, as a member of the Six Nations Police Commission.” The commission said Mr.

Williams has stepped back from his duties as this mat-ter plays out and an interim chairperson, Alisha Ander-son, has been appointed. Williams said he has been

approached by many peo-ple about the SNEC move. “They all say the same thing, ‘what did you do.’ I tell them nothing. I don’t know what this is about.” Williams said he received

a letter June 22 claiming he violated the 2018 Six Nations Police Commission Governance Policy section dealing with transparency and conflict of interest but has not been provided with any information on the al-leged violations. Those sections speak

to commission members using information gained from the commission meet-ing for personal gain. Williams says there is no

foundation for the call or information provided on how he realized any gain. “SNEC has not given me

any information,” he said. He has hired a lawyer to force SNEC to provide Wil-liams with information jus-tifying the request.Williams said as far as

he is concerned he is still a member of the commis-sion. “SNEC cannot call for my

resignation. The commis-sion can.” The commission met

Thursday, July 2, about the issue Williams was not present. Also absent from the meeting was SNEC ap-pointee councilor Wendy Johnson. Just two months ago,

elected Coun. Wendy Johnson, was calling for a full review of the police and commission citing general governance concerns. Johnson’s former hus-

band was a Six Nations Po-lice officer retiring recently. Councilor Wendy John-

son, after his retirement, became SNEC’s appointee to the commission. Turtle Island News has

also learned SNEC met be-hind closed doors with the band lawyer Friday, July 3, but has not provided any

information on their move. Questions to SNEC and

their communications of-ficer on the issue have gone unanswered including whether SNEC is paying for a security guard for Coun-cilor Wendy Johnson who allegedly told council she is “afraid. Elected Chief Mark Hill

has not returned Turtle Is-land News calls. Williams has been presi-

dent of Grand River Enter-prises for 25 years and has served 18 years on the po-lice commission. He is also the Chief Elec-

toral Officer for Six Nations Elected Council. Williams was the only one who ap-plied for the electoral offi-cer’s position when it was posted. The press release does

not indicate if Elected Chief Mark Hill declared a conflict of interest in the controver-sy. Hill is directly related to a Grand River Enterprise owner. Elected Chief Hill did sign the letter sent to Williams. The press release went

on to say the “Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council will continue to support the hard working efforts of the Six Nations Police officers in protecting our community,” SNEC said in the now two

week old statement. “We will provide more informa-tion in the days ahead.” SNEC members did not

respond to Turtle Island News repeated calls for comment or provide any additional information by press time.

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 2 I I LOCAL / ORÌ:WASE NE KÈN:THOR I

LOCALIOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020

www.theturtleislandnews.comaboriginalbusinessmagazine.com

Advertising deadline is 5 pm FridaysPhone: 445-0868 • Fax: 445-0865sales@theturtleislandnews.com

Six Nations Elected Council delays response to demand for apology

Councillor Wendy Johnson

Steve Williams

I LOCAL / ORÌ:WASE NE KÈN:THOR I I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 3 I

By Sidhartha BanerjeeTHE CANADIAN PRESSKANESATAKE, Que.-Slow-

moving vehicles waving flags and sounding their horns marked the 30th anniver-

sary of the Oka crisis on Saturday, with community activists urging real recon-ciliation and a settlement to the long-standing land claim that remains unresolved

three decades later. “Land back, we want our

land back, that’s part of rec-onciliation,’’ said Ellen Ga-briel, a Mohawk activist and spokesperson for the People of the Longhouse in Kanesa-take. “Giving our land back and

having us part of the deci-sion making process on what happens on our land, that’s reconciliation, and it has to be done in a decolonized framework, in a way that respects Indigenous laws, that respects the rights of the women who are the ti-tle holders of the land you’re standing on.’’ The commemoration was

to honour those commu-nity members who played a critical role during in the summer of 1990, when the country’s attention was on Oka, a small town about 50 kilometres northwest of Montreal. “The stand taken that sum-

mer became an important symbol for peoples across North America, inspiring

them to take similar stands against the emancipation of their ancestral lands,’’ Ga-briel said. Thirty years ago Saturday,

on July 11, 1990, Quebec provincial police moved in on a barricade erected by Mohawks that March to pro-test the planned expansion of a golf course and devel-opment on what is ancestral land. A provincial police officer

was killed and the situa-tion escalated into a tense, 78-day standoff between Mohawks and Canadian sol-diers. “Our basic human rights

were violated by the Surete du Quebec (provincial po-lice), the Canadian army, condoned by the govern-ments of Quebec and Can-ada, pushed forward by pri-vate enterprises including those within the municipal-ity of Oka,’’ Gabriel said. The 1990 siege ended

when the expansion was cancelled and the barricades came down.

Three decades later, how-ever, the underlying land dis-pute remains unresolved. The trio of federal minis-

ters that oversee Crown-In-digenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada said in a statement the pain and trauma inflicted contin-ues to this day. “Today, we must acknowl-

edge that progress in our re-lationship has been unequal, halting, and often, far too slow,’’ the government said, adding mistakes must be learned from. “We must resolve to nev-

er order the deployment of the Canadian Armed Forc-es against Indigenous Peo-ples, as we remain deeply committed to dialogue and peaceful resolution of con-flict.’’ Like the conversation

around residential schools and murdered and missing Indigenous women, Gabriel said the issue in Kanesatake won’t be an easy one. “It’s going to be an uncom-

fortable discussion,’’ Gabriel

said.“But when are we actual-

ly going to see actions and have a voice in what recon-ciliation is going to be.’’ Under a light rain, a roll-

ing convoy made its way through the community to a nearby provincial park, pass-ing by a real-estate develop-ment in Oka that has been a flash point in recent years, before returning home. A similar event took place

Saturday in Kahnawake Mo-hawk Reserve, southwest of Montreal, where a rolling convoy of vehicles from that community stopped briefly on the Mercier Bridge, which was barricaded in 1990 in solidarity for those manning posts in Oka. “A lot of people joined in

and it lasted a good two hours, driving on the high-way at about 10 kilometres an hour,’’ said Joe Deom, a sub-chief in the Bear clan. “I felt it good about the at-

tention our own people had to this anniversary, a lot of our own people weren’t even born at that time, so it’s good that they’re enthusias-tic about it.’’ Among those present in

Kanesatake on Saturday was NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Manitoba NDP MP Leah Gazan, invited by the Long-

house. Singh said thirty years re-

moved, lessons clearly hav-en’t been learned. “The problem was created

by Canada,’’ Singh said. “It’s 2020, with the resources this country has, there’s no excuse why this cannot be resolved.’’ In many ways, Gabriel

said, the situation remains unchanged _ land rights ar-en’t respected and systemic racism remains at the core of Indigenous people’s rela-tionship with governments. Ghislain Picard, the grand

chief of the Quebec Assem-bly of First Nations, marked the 30th anniversary with an open letter calling on Quebec Premier Francois Le-gault to change his tune on systemic racism, which the premier has said repeatedly doesn’t exist. “Systemic racism and dis-

crimination are not just concepts or theoretical no-tions,’’ Picard wrote. “Rath-er, they are a set of facts and behaviours and we should not be afraid to name and denounce them if we are genuinely willing to correct them.’’This report by The Canadian

Press was first published July 11, 2020.

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 4 I I LOCAL / ORÌ:WASE NE KÈN:THOR I

Convoys mark 30th anniversary of Oka crisis, land dispute unchanged

A woman holds a Warrior Flag during the convoy (CP Photo)

NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and Manitoba NDP MP Leah Gazan attended the anniversary speaking with Ellen Gabriel (middle) (NDP Twitter photo)

OKA July 11, 1990 OKA July 11, 2020 UNRESOLVED

By Donna DuricWriterAs both Ontario and Six Na-

tions discuss phased-in ap-proaches to re-opening pub-lic life in light of Covid-19, it appears some services and activities will remain closed for the foreseeable future on the reserve – or, until “im-munity protection” for Six Nations is established.That’s according to Six Na-

tions Elected Council’s phase three re-opening plan.Council has yet to an-

nounce when it plans to move into phase three but it

appears even in that phase, some activities and services will remain off-limits indefi-nitely.Among those are the splash

pad, the skate park and blue track at the Six Nations Sports and Recreation Com-plex – due to their proximity to the Covid-19 testing and assessment at the Six Na-tions Community Hall.Sporting events, longhouse

gatherings, church gather-ings, schools, team sports, summer camps and all large gatherings such as concerts and conferences will remain

off limits even after phase three is implemented.Six Nations is currently in

phase two of re-opening the economy and community. The following services and

amenities will be allowed to operate or re-open in phase three:-dine-in restaurants-gyms and fitness centres-childcare facilities-playgrounds and inflat-

ables-indoor recreational facili-

ties-sports training-post-secondary institu-

tionsSix Nations entered phase

one of re-opening on June 15, first, by taking down barricades at community entrances aimed at keeping Covid-19 out of the territo-ry. The following week, Six Nations entered phase two by announcing that the ma-jority of businesses – which had all largely shut down for almost three months – were allowed to re-open.Currently, Six Nations is in

phase two of its re-opening plan.Six Nations’ re-opening

plan largely echoes that of Ontario’s – with the prov-ince also saying it will restrict concerts and sporting events for the foreseeable future.Both the province and Six

Nations have similar re-strictions in phase two – no gatherings larger than 10, playgrounds and gyms remain closed, but restau-rants have been allowed to re-open if they can provide outdoor patio service.Mass gatherings will be per-

mitted on Six Nations again if or when immunity protec-tion for the entire commu-

nity has been established, according to the re-opening plan.Whether that means the

majority of residents have had a vaccine or herd immu-nity has been established re-mains unclear.Ontario Covid-19 cases –

both new cases and active cases – have been steadily decreasing since the middle of June and Six Nations has just reported one on July 13. Six Nations has had 15 pos-itive cases and out of those cases, there was one death.

SN Police investigate laser pointed at aircraft

Six Nations Police are inves-tigating after a report from air traffic control said that someone has been pointing a green laser at aircraft flying over Six Nations of the Grand River.Police said Monday they re-

ceived a report July 10th at about 10 p.m. that a laser was pointed into the cockpit of an aircraft on a south-to-north flight path that had been flying at low altitude over the territory. Video foot-age from the cockpit showed

the laser appeared to be shining from the west side of Cayuga Road, south of Sixth Line Road, police said.The pilot said there have repeat-ed incidents involving a laser from the same location.Police said the Canadian

Aeronautics Act contains a general prohibition against behaviour that endangers air-craft. It provides a fine of up to $100,000 and up to five years in prison for interfer-ing with the duties of a crew member, as well as Criminal

Code charges. The act applies to any person with a bat-tery-operated handheld laser in a prohibited zone outside of a private dwelling and without a legitimate purpose.

I LOCAL / ORÌ:WASE NE KÈN:THOR I I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 5 I

Fentanyl, cocaine, ammunition seized during drug raid in Ohsweken

Schools, sporting events, religious ceremonies to remain closed

Three Six Nations people are facing numerous charges after drugs, cash and ammu-nition were seized during a raid at a home in the village of Ohsweken Wednesday. Six Nations Police, armed

with two search warrants, found various illegal drugs and made several arrests at two locations July 8. The first search warrant

was at a home on Pine Cres-

cent in Ohsweken. Police arrested three people in the home. A second location was searched but no further arrests were made. Police did not reveal where the second location was. Items seized during the in-

vestigation include: Fentanyl, cocaine, eight firearms (two reported stolen), ammuni-tion, debt list, digital scale, cell phones, laptops, a gun

safe, cash safes, drug pack-aging and an undisclosed amount of Canadian cash. Three Six Nations people

are facing a host of charges in relation to the raid. Richard Arthur Bomberry,

33, of Ohsweken, is charged with:- Unauthorized Possession

of Firearm, Possession of Co-caine - Possession of Fentanyl

- Possession Over $5,000 -Possession Under $5,000

X2- Operation Motor Vehicle

While Prohibited X2- Firearm Possession while

Prohibited- Fail to Comply with Re-

lease Order X12 Bomberry was held for a

bail hearing.Karisa Marie Nanticoke,

31, of Ohsweken, is charged

with:- Unauthorized Possession

of Firearm- Cocaine- Fentanyl - Possession Over $5,000- Possession Under $5,000

X2 Nanticoke was held for a

bail hearing.Dora May Bomberry, 35, of

Ohsweken, is charged with: - Unauthorized Possession

of Firearm- Possession Cocaine- Possession of Fentanyl - Possession Over $5,000 - Possession Under $5,000

X2 - Fail to Comply with Re-

lease Order Other than to Attend Court- Disobeying Court Order Bomberry was released on

conditions and is expected in court Sept. 17, 2020.

Six Nations Elected Council is waiting on advice from federal health officers before deciding to re-open daycares on the reserve.Daycare staff were set to go back to work Monday (July 13) to make preparations

for re-opening but childcare centres have not yet opened.It’s not known when daycares will re-open. Elected Council discussed the re-opening of daycares at last night’s general council

meeting via Zoom. Council plans to set a “tentative” opening date based on approv-al of operational procedures from Peter Hill, public health and environmental health officer for Indigenous Services Canada.Currently, certain children and parents remain a priority for daycare operators that

have continued to operate since pandemic restrictions began in March. Priority space is given to parents who are: working parents in essential services, working parents in non-essential services with special needs children, and preschool-aged children 30 months to 5 years old.

SNEC discusses re-opening daycares

By Donna DuricWriterDespite massive outbreaks

of Covid-19 among migrant workers in Ontario, including several deaths, the annual in-flux of migrant workers tend-ing to Six Nations crops have been Covid-free – so far.As per provincial regulations,

all migrant workers who came to the province this summer were required to self-isolate for 14 days after arriving in Ontario. The province exempted mi-

grant workers, also known as temporary foreign workers (TFWs), from international travel restrictions currently in place across the country. However, like all travellers,

including Canadian citizens and permanent residents, TFWs who enter Canada by air or land were required to undergo health checks and isolate for 14 days upon arriv-al in Canada.Despite this, almost 200 mi-

grant workers in the Windsor area alone were diagnosed with Covid-19 in late June. A nearby farm in Norfolk

County, Scottlyn Farms, saw 164 migrant workers infected with Covid-19. Six Nations elected council

has asked local farmers who hire migrant workers to follow provincial precautions. “This will be guided by the

Six Nations Health and Safe-ty Code of Conduct, as set forth by the Six Nations Emer-gency Control Group and Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council,” Six Nations elected council noted in a press release. Migrant workers hired by Six

Nations farmers are expected to follow the guidelines be-low:-TFWs must self-isolate for

14 days outside of the com-munity and under the direc-tion of the local provincial public health unit before be-ing transferred into the com-

munity-Bunk housing will be in-

spected prior to the arrival of workers to ensure it meets the requirements for social distancing-Daily active screening of all

workers with daily logs com-pleted and subject to inspec-tion-Daily cleaning logs of

bunk-housing completed and subject to inspection-An outbreak plan in the

event that a worker becomes ill, including an action plan for testing, treatmentif necessary and a detailed

process for self-isolation-Daily necessities of food,

water, cleaning supplies and medications will be brought to the workers bythe farmer-No public transit (e.g. com-

munity taxi services)-Transportation will be

provided to TFWs from bunk-housing to fields and re-turn and for medical appoint-

ments-No outside visitors in

bunk-housing-Information and fact sheets

will be provided to farm-ers and TFWs and displayed throughout bunkhousing in the language of choice-Access to an interpreter will

be provided by Six Nations Health Services when required forcommunication needs.“It is vitally important that

we work together for the safe-ty of our community,” SNEC said in a statement. “Our public health partners are ea-ger to begin this collaborative

process with all farmers re-quiring this service.”It’s not known how many

migrant workers there are on Six Nations or where they are staying.Elected Council did not re-

spond to Turtle Island News’ requests for comment.

Migrant workers free of Covid-19 on Six Nations

Karihowanáhton30 Niioserá:ke tsi náhe

Ionsakahé:we ne Oka sa-honwatinataká:riOttawa, Ontar-

io (Ohiarihkó:wa 7, 2020) – Ne Minister ne Crown-Indigenous Rela-tions, Carolyn Bennett; ne Minister of Indig-enous Services, Marc Miller; tánon ne Min-ister ne Northern Af-fairs, Daniel Vandal, ni ki’ wahatirihowanáhte nón:wa wenhniserá:te tsi ionsakahé:we tsi náhe tsi na’tehotehno-nianí:ton tsi niiwén:en ne Kanehsatà:ke ne 1990: Áhsen niwáhsen niioserá:ke tsi náhe, nón:wa wenhniserá:te, tontahsá:wen ne Kane-hsatà:ke wahonwatina-taká:ri ne tánon e’thó nontà:wehte’ wahontá-weia’te’ ne Canadian Armed Force ratihá:-wi ionteriiohstáhkhwa

ne Kanehsatà:ke tánon Kahnawà:ke. Tenwen’ni-awe’ekhon niioserá:ke sha’tekarihotáhrhon ne ohóntsa a’orihwá:ke tánon kakenhronniáht-shera takarihón:ni. Kanien’kehá:ka Thó:ion, ohontsakwé:kon wa-teriió:ne tekeníhaton raia’tà:rakwe’ ne Joe Armstrong tánon ne Corporal Lemay wa-honnihéion. Ki tsá:ta niwáhsen sha’té:kon ni-wenhniserá:ke akenhn-hakwé:kon ne tiohton iawén:re tiohton ni-wáhsen siiohserá:te (1990) wa’thonrásaren ne Onkwehón:we tánon ohontsakwé:kon ne Can-ada ne Onkwehón:we wa’tiako’nikonhrhá:ren tánon tsi nén:we en-kakaratátieh tsi ni-iawèn:’en, ne Onkwehón:we iakoron-hiá:ken h tánon teia-ko’nikónhrhare,shé:kon

nón:wa. Nón:wa wenhniserá:te, ó:nenk tsi entewariwaní:rate tsi na’tetewaté:ron iáh shaté:iot té:ken, iáh teiorihwató:ken, tánon io’tkáte, só:tsi ioken-hé:ion. O:nenk tsi en-tewaweientéhta’neh nahó:ten teionkwater-ien’tawenrié:on khóni , ne ’áhsen niwáhsen niioserá:ke tsi i nii-awèn:’en ne Oka. O:nenk tsi entewakwatá:ko’ ne tóhsa nonwén:ton ai-etíhnhane ne CanadianArmed Forces aon-

sahonwanat i a ’ tón : -ti ne Onkwehón:we ne, tionkwehtáhkw-en taietewahthá:ren, tánon skén:nen aiete-watshén:ri ne ahontk-watá:ko nahó:ten te-ka’nikónhrhare. O:nenk tsi entetewa’nikonhráh-sa’ahte’ aietewak-watá:ko nr wé:so niioserá:ke ionkwah-

etkènhton tsi tió:tok-te ne akaienteré:’on ne Onkwehón:we akoia-n e re n h s e r a ’ s h ó n : ’ a wé:so niioserá:ke ‘eh niiotónhatie, tánon tsi iáh tekaná:non tewat-ká:was nohwísta tsi nón:we thé:non ioterih-waténtion, Kakorahser-ashón:’a tánon ratik-wé:kon ne Canadians iatahontiéhste ahatik-watá:ko ne kakenhron-niáhtshera ne kén:ton tehotiniatariiá:kon rati-há:we. Áhsen niwáhsen niioserá:ke ohna’kèn:ke’, ó:nen sén:ha ionkwan-ikonhraníron tsi ieio-konthkwen,eniakwahn-hotón:ko tánon oriwá:ke tsi tentewatháren Ehthók thí:ioht tsi en-wá:ton á:se entsitión:ni tsi na’tetewaté:ren tánon atswanontshé:ra tsi nénkwa’ ne Onkwe-hón:we ahontatkoráh-ste.

Turtle Island News is published weekly on the Six Nations Grand River Territory. It is a politically independent newspaper that is wholly owned and operated by aboriginal people. No portion of the newspaper, including advertisements, pictures or editorial content may be reproduced without permission.

Publisher -Lynda Powless, Turtle Island News PublicationsEDITOR - Lynda PowlessTurtle Island News is a member of:+Canadian Journalists Association+Native American Journalists Association

+International Committee to Protect Journalists WorldwideTurtle Island NewsP.O. Box 329, 2208 Chiefswood Rd., Ohsweken, ON, N0A 1M0T: 519.445.0868 F: 519.445-0865E: sales@theturtleislandnews.com or news@theturtleislandnews.com

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An army, a death land disputes still outstanding This past weekend marked the 30th anniversary

of the Oka Crisis. A land rights battle that not only haunts Canada’s conscious but sparked a rallying call to Indigenous people country wide. That now 30 year old unresolved land battle in 1990

would be followed by the Ipperwash Indigenous land battle five years later in 1995 that would see the death of Dudley George The 56-hectare Ipperwash Provincial Park was the

site of lands that had been expropriated and 16 Kettle and Stoney Point families displaced in 1942. George, 28, became the “first aboriginal person to

be killed in a land-rights dispute in Canada since the 19th century,” according to the commissioner who led the inquiry into his death. Acting OPP Sgt. Ken-neth Deane was eventually charged with criminal neg-ligence causing death, but resigned from the force and never served time.It would be 20 years before a resolution would lead

to Kettle and Stoney Point First Nation receiving a $95 million settlement and the promised return and clean up of lands taken by the federal government. But it seems the cleanup is taking a long time. Now

25 years later the land still remains under the control of the Department of National Defense. Then came Six Nations land Reclamation in 2006

that shut down a housing development known then as Douglas Creek Estates and would become the lon-gest lasting indigenous land protest in Canadian his-tory. Talks would be held between Ontario, Canada and Six Nations governance bodies that would end when the Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) walked from the tables joined by federal and provincial reps who refused to meet with just the HCCC. And it con-tinues to this day. The land has never been transferred back to Six Na-

tions and even the controversial Burtch lands that had been negotiated for return remain in the hands of a trust and a SNEC board that would lead to legal disputes between SNEC and the HCCC and cost Six Nations millions in legal fees while remaiing an unre-solved sore point.And then came the Wet’suwet’en, and a conflict

over a pipeline that would change the face of Indig-enous protests when non-natives, would take to the street in support There were weeks of solidarity protests hitting Can-

ada’s economy. Ports were shut down and rail stop-pages would paralyze parts of Canada’s railway when the Mohawks at Tyendinaga set up camp next to a railline Oka, Ipperwash, Six Nations: none of the disputed

lands are in First Nation control with Canada and On-tario still holding their hands over the land as two very different worlds continue to collide.

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 6 I I COMMENTARY I TSI NAHÒ:TEN RÓN:TON I

30th Anniversary of the Oka Crisis

By Lynda PowlessEditor SIX NATIONS OF THE

GRAND- After six weeks of no confirmed cases of COVID-19 the community not only has another case but dozens of people fear they may be affected.Turtle Island News has

learned that dozens of peo-ple who attended either of two parties over the week-end may have been in con-tact with an individual who has since tested positive for COVID-19. Turtle Island News has

learned an individual who travelled to the .U.S. did not quarantine upon return and while the person did not have any symptoms or get ill, it is believed the person may have been a carrier. Another member of the

family did become ill and learned after attending two parties in the community that he was positive for

COVID-19. Ohsweken Public Health

officials confirmed Mon-day another case of the COVID-19 virus in Six Na-tions Territory but provid-ed no details on if the case was the result of travel. That brings the total cas-

es at Six Nations to 15. The Six Nations

COVID-19 Assessment Centre was flooded with calls Monday and Tuesday from community mem-bers who learned through Facebook they may have been at a party attended by a person infected with COVID-19 A number of the people

who attended the party are going to Brantford for testing after learning the Six Nations testing centre is closed on Monday and Wednesday. Councillor Helen Mill-

er stresses the need for people to stay home and follow the rules around

COVID-19 testing. “I am particularly con-

cerned about people trav-elling back and forth to the U.S. I am hearing that some people are not quar-antining for 14 days like you are supposed to and that the safest thing is to just stay home. Wear your mask to protect each oth-er and follow the rules laid out in Phase 2.” She said there are still not

supposed to be large gath-erings. “No large parties. If everybody would just fol-low the rules we hopefully would not have too many more cases.” She warned “people

should do their own trac-ing. “Ask people before they are around you where have they been.” Ohsweken Public Health

said contact-tracing began when the case was con-firmed Monday.“Each of the identified

contacts have been ordered

to begin self-isolating for at least 14 days, or until test-ing is carried out and the results are received,” public health said. Public Health did not re-

lease details on how the case came to the commu-nity. In the past all cases in the community were the result of travel outside Six Nations. The latest confirmation

brings the total number of confirmed cases in Six Na-tions since the start of the pandemic to 15, said local health officials. To date the Six Nations

COVID-19 Assessment Centre said it has complet-ed 1076 tests and of those tests 1023 were confirmed negative cases.“We’ve all been getting a

little more comfortable go-ing about our day-to-day activities since entering stage two of the recovery plan, but this latest con-firmed case is a stark re-

minder that the virus is still in and around Six Nations Territory,” says Six Nations Health Service’s Director Lori Davis Hill. “Everyone should continue to con-duct themselves as though they have the virus and don’t want to spread it, and as if everyone else has the virus and they don’t want to get it.” Ongoing public health

and safety measures in-clude: - A limit of 10 people for

outside gatherings; - Practicing physical dis-

tancing in public places; - Wearing a mask while in

public spaces, especially in indoor settings and when physical distance cannot be maintained; - Staying at home if feel-

ing ill or experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms (cough, shortness of breath or fever) then calling the Six Nations COVID-19 As-sessment Centre toll free at

1-855-977-7707 or locally at 226-446-9909, and; - Keeping bodies and sur-

roundings clean and disin-fected, especially hands by washing and/or disinfecting them often and for at least 20 seconds. Public health officials

are also reminding com-munity members of their responsibility when it comes to contact-tracing, a tool that continues to prove extremely effective in finding and containing the COVID-19 virus, but only when an infected person can list the people they have been in contact with over the past 14 days. “If you can’t remember

the names of all of the peo-ple you have been in con-tact with over the past two weeks, you may be overdo-ing it and should consider reducing your interactions with others,” says Hill.

I LOCAL / ORÌ:WASE NE KÈN:THOR I I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 7 I

Ivan Thomas: Community celebrates esteemed educator’s 85th birthdayBy Donna DuricWriterThere were cheers, laugh-

ter, smiles, honks and road-side gifts for I.L. Thomas, an esteemed educator who even has a local school named after him, as the community celebrated his 85th birthday, social-dis-tance style on July 9.A large procession of

vehi Acles decked out in birthday decorations and

balloons gathered at his namesake school on Cayu-ga Road and drove by his house on Sixth Line Road last Thursday evening,

honking and shouting well-wishes, while drop-ping off presents roadside. Mr. Thomas, as he’s

known to the community from his years of teaching, was smiling from ear to ear and waving to people from his front lawn as about 50 vehicles slowly made their way down the road for the unique birthday celebra-tion. Mr. Thomas began teach-

ing when he was 19 years old. When he became a

teacher in the late 50s, he said he had to sign an oath

swearing his allegiance to the Crown or he wouldn’t have gotten hired.

Looking back, he said, he regretted doing that. Thomas attended teach-

er’s college right out of high school and became

a long time teacher at the old Number 11 school on Sixth Line Road.“He taught a lot of chil-

dren down below here,” said Coun. Melba Thom-as who came out to cele-brate her brother-in-law’s birthday. “With him being a long-time teacher, they didn’t hesitate to name (I.L. Thomas) school after him.”

Mr. Thomas was part of the collective that saw the entire reserve boycott the asbestos laden crumbling schools on Six Nations in the late 80s for two months until then-named Indian Affairs agreed to build new schools.The old, one-room schools

were filled with asbestos and kids were pulled out of classes and taught in base-

ments, churches and other vacant spaces. When the new schools

were built, one of them was named after Thomas, who was the principal of his namesake school for one year before retiring in 1996. Since then, he’s been

keeping busy at home looking after the yard and gardening.

Six Nations has 15th case of COVID-19

Happy Birthday Ivan! Community members piled into vehicles and formed a huge line down 6th Line Friday to wish the 85-year-old elder best wishes. (Photo by Jim C Powless)

Vehicles lined the roadway to wish Ivan Thomas happy birthday. (Photo by Jim C Powless)

The community showed Ivan Thomas Friday how much they wish him the best with a birthday pa-rade. (Photo by Jim C Powless)

NLL Award for Indigenous Players Coming

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 8 I I SPORTS / TEHONTKAHRI’TSHERÓN:NIS I

J O S H G I L E S T U R T L E I S L A N D N E W S S P O R T S R E P O R T E R . . . L O O K F O R H I M A T Y O U R N E X T S P O R T I N G E V E N T !

Award contenders might include Cody Jamieson, Lyle Thompson, and Doug Jamieson.

By Josh GilesWriterIn a round table discus-

sion show called ‘All Talk No Action’ NLL broadcast-ers were coming up with ideas of possible awards that could be added to the NLL list. Brad Challoner introduced the idea of the league returning to their roots and honouring the best First Nations talent in the league. Calling it the Gaylord

Powless Award, he came up with three finalists on the spot in Lyle Thompson, Doug Jamieson, and Cody Jamieson. “This was some-thing that I’ve been mari-nating on for a while. If the award was real, it wouldn’t just honour the best on the floor but the best in the communities, who repre-sent their culture and their game,” said Challoner. Challoner says he knows

the impact these three players have. “In my opin-ion, the best in the sport right now is Lyle Thomp-son. How he plays embod-ies the spirit of the award

and he really wants to help his team win. Plus, the things he’s doing in Geor-gia is phenomenal. Cody Jamieson, for the same rea-son. He was able to lead a team that moved from Rochester to Halifax and never missed a beat in go-ing to schools and helping in the community there. Doug Jamieson is unbeliev-able and at 23-years-old is the youngest goaltender ever to win the Goaltender of the Year Award.”When Turtle Island News

reached out to the NLL about the award idea they responded, “Indigenous peoples have and always will be a key focus not just of the NLL but lacrosse in general. We have steadi-ly built our diversity and inclusion process over the past few years, and are working on an even more advanced program going forward. Acknowledging and amplifying the story-telling around our Indig-enous players, staff and partners—past, present and future, is going to be

key to our overall strategy.” The League also said they would have the idea put under consideration. “The award is a great idea, we truly appreciate the sug-gestion, and is included in our review of improve-ments to the awards for next season.”Challoner truly came up

with a great idea and wants to see it in place. “I think it’s time for the league to respect where it came from

and the people who made this sport. It’s a medicine sport and a gift to the peo-

ple.”It truly is a great idea to

honour the best of the best

First Nations talent in the league.

After 2016, the NLL had stopped bringing in Hall of Famers for a period of time, but in 2020 it will be back. According to NLL Dep-

uty Commissioner and Executive Vice President

Jessica Berman who was on the Off the Crossbar (OTCB) Podcast recently, she announced the break-ing news.During the podcast

she said, “It is being re-

launched for this year in 2020 and we are excited to celebrate the history of our game. It is a necessary bridge to our alumni and the players of the future.” This is great news for NLL

players, coaches and fans as now the league has some catching up to do.Berman expressed that

the future of the game is what is most important for the league, “History can

teach us so much about our game and the future. We’re excited to have that come back, and there will be more to come on it, but it will be here in 2020.” It’s probable the league is

finalizing its steps in the process of what it will look like and possibly who will be inducted since 2016 when Tracey Kelusky, Josh Sanderson, and John Tava-res was inducted.

I SPORTS / TEHONTKAHRI’TSHERÓN:NIS I I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 9 I

NLL bringing back Hall of Fame in 2020

Brad Challoner suggests NLL award for Indigenous players

Cody Jamieson (Right) captained the Halifax Thunderbirds to a successful first season, and has become a rock for their offence. (Photo by the Halifax Thunderbirds.)

By Josh GilesWriterSIX NATIONS OF THE

GRAND - The Gaylord Powless Arena (GPA) is a huge attraction in Six Nations, hosting soft-ball, lacrosse, basketball, hockey and more on the multiple use site. Unfor-tunately, there is no set schedule put in place yet to re-open due to the COVID-19 outbreak.The arena area is being

used as a testing site for people from the com-munity to come and be

tested for the very same virus that shut down the arena and other sporting places in Six Nations. According to Six Nation Parks and Recreation, they don’t have a time-frame for when it will open up again, which is understandable, but un-fortunate. Minor lacrosse has been

able to make do with the field at OMSK, but Six Nations Minor Softball doesn’t have the same luck, according to Pres-ident Alisha Anderson.

“We can’t get any prac-tices started until they open up the diamond. It isn’t as easy to play ball out in the grass, and we want to prevent the risk of injury for everyone else.”But once the day comes

the GPA can re-open, An-derson wants to explore the idea more for local youth. “We were hoping to get something going for a little bit. Maybe some development train-ing going to help the kids along.”

When will the Gaylord Powless Arena re-open?

(NC) When you de-cide to buy a car, you can usually get a loan from a dealership or financial institution. In either case, it’s im-portant to understand the risks, shop around and negotiate to get the best offer.Dealerships and lend-

ers may propose to lower your loan pay-ments so you can stay within your budget.

You should know that this also means ex-tending the loan peri-od. Some dealerships will give you as much as seven or eight years to pay off the car. Any car loan that is longer than 60 months (five years) is considered to be a long-term loan.

The only advantage is that your regular pay-ments will be lower. However, this might encourage you to pur-chase a car that is be-yond your means and more than what you need.

• They significant-ly affect the total cost of the car. The longer the loan, the more you will pay in interest.

• Cars quickly lose their value. This be-gins as soon as they leave the dealership and continues as

the years go by. By the end of the first year, your car may be worth 25 per cent less than what you paid for it.

• You could be fac-ing negative equity, that is, a situation where the amount

of your loan is greater than the val-ue of your car. This means you will lose money if your car is worth less than the amount you owe on your loan when you sell it or trade it in.

Before buying a car,

it is important to fo-cus on the total cost of the car, not just the monthly payments.Find more informa-

tion at Canada.ca/money.www.newscanada.

com

Are there any advantages to long-term car loans?

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 10 I I CAR CARE I

Long-term car loans: Look before you leap

Some disadvantages of long-term car loans:

(NC) When it comes to vehicles, most of us can’t just trade for a new one when the initial joy wears off. That’s why Dustin Woods, associate ed-itor at Autotrader.ca, is sharing tips to reig-nite that fire and take your car from tired to inspired.

If your trunk has turned into a closet on wheels, it’s time for an overhaul. Some items are necessary to

keep around, like your emergency kit, but winter sports equip-ment and duffel bags of extra clothing may not be needed any-more.

We’re all guilty of it: shoving miscellaneous items in our glove box and completely for-getting about them. That said, it’s also where we keep our most important ve-hicle documentation, should we ever need it

in a pinch. Keep your glove box clean and tidy for peace of mind.

Nothing sparks joy like a clean ride. Re-move garbage, wipe down interior surfaces and add an air freshen-er for good measure.www.newscanada.

com

I CAR CARE I I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 11 I

How to spark joy with your car

De-funk your trunk.

Organize your glove box.

Revitalize your ride.

By Josh GilesWriterWhile many professional

sports teams are under-taking reviews of the team names the Edmonton Eski-

mos don’t plan on changing theirs. The CFL franchise announced recently in a

post on Twitter that they don’t intend to change the team name.In the post they wrote,

“The Edmonton Eskimos conducted an extensive research and engagement program with Canada’s Inuit community regard-ing our team name. We announced the findings from that program several months ago which includ-ed the fact that there was no consensus among the Inuit people and consider-able support for the Eski-mos name among Inuit in various parts of northern Canada.” But things still might

shift for Edmonton. “We recognize that there has

been increased attention to the name recently and we will ramp up our ongoing engagement with the Inu-it communities to assess their views.”With race at the forefront

of conversation, it was only a matter of time before it would come to a Canadian team, and the Edmonton Eskimos are the most well-known of Canadian contro-versial team names.

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 12 I I SPORTS / TEHONTKAHRI’TSHERÓN:NIS I

Edmonton Eskimos say no to name change

The Edmonton Eskimos have decided to not drop their name, but may face backlash from their sponsors.

Tootoo says Edmonton team name discussion should centre on feelings of Inuk people Jordin Tootoo says he

doesn’t find the Edmonton Eskimos’ team name objec-tionable, but that doesn’t mean the CFL club should keep it.Edmonton promised to

speed up a review of its name and provide an update

at the end of the month af-ter at least one of its spon-sors announced it plans to cut ties with the team un-less it changes its name.The team has seen repeat-

ed calls for a name change in the past and faces renewed criticism as sports teams in Canada, the United States and elsewhere are urged to remove outdated and some-times racist names and im-ages.Tootoo, the first Inuk

to play in the NHL, said in a statement released Wednesday that the dis-cussion should be “around

how the Inuk people feel’’ about the term. He said some might feel pride while others might feel hurt.“We should all understand

what the term means to the Inuk people,’’ he said. “My father’s generation

connects this term to de-

scribe who they are. He would refer to himself as an Eskimo. My generation re-fers to itself as Inuk. What is important to me is that people understand this. And, when referring to the Inuit people, they respect that we refer to ourselves today as Inuk.“I understand there are

names of sports teams that bring back feelings of op-pression for people and I can see why those names should be changed,’’ Tootoo added. “So, this

makes me ask the ques-tion, does the term Eskimo

for the Edmonton franchise bring back feelings of op-pression for Inuk people? For me, it does not. That is not a reason to keep the name. There could be oth-ers for whom it does create those feelings.’’Tootoo said the team

should explain why it orig-inally chose its name.“Was it racially charged,

or, was it because of admi-ration for the ability of the Eskimos to thrive in cold cli-mates, for their mental and physical toughness and for their resilience?’’ he said.“My point is that context

really does matter. And, they need to be honest with themselves and with the public. Truth goes a long way.’’Tootoo, from Rankin Inlet,

Nunavut, played 13 sea-sons in the NHL with Nash-ville, Detroit, New Jersey and Chicago. The 37-year-old retired in 2018.He established the Team

Tootoo Fund in 2011. The fund’s website says its goal is to help charitable caus-

es, including nonprofits, ad-dress suicide awareness and prevention.This report by The Canadi-

an Press was first published July 9, 2020

I CAREERS AND NOTICES I I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 13 I

THE ASSOCIATED PRESSWASHINGTON - The

Washington NFL franchise announced Monday it is dropping the “Redskins’’ name and Indian head logo, bowing to recent pressure from sponsors and decades of criticism that they are offensive to Native Amer-icans.A new name must still be

selected for one of the old-est and most storied teams in the National Football League, and it was unclear

how soon that will happen. But for now, arguably the

most polarizing name in North American profes-sional sports is gone at a time of reckoning over ra-cial injustice, iconography and racism in the U.S.The move came less than

two weeks after owner Dan Snyder, a boyhood fan of the team who once de-clared he would never get rid of the name, launched a “thorough review’’ amid pressure from sponsors.

FedEx, Nike, Pepsi and Bank of America all lined up against the name, which was given to the franchise in 1933 when the team was still based in Boston.“The NFL and Dan Snyder,

we have to commend them on making the right call to change the name,’’ said Oneida Indian Nation Rep-resentative Ray Halbritter, leader of the “Change the Mascot’’campaign. “Dan Snyder won today because now he has a legacy that

will be different from the racial slur that was the team name. I know that’s not an easy thing to do, but it was the right thing to do.’’The team said it is “retir-

ing’’ the name and logo and that Snyder and coach Ron Rivera are working closely to develop a new moniker and design. The announce-ment came on the old let-terhead with the Redskins name because the team technically retains it until

a new one is chosen and approved.Native American advo-

cates and experts have long criticized the name they call a “dictionary-defined racial slur.’’ Over a dozen Native leaders and organi-zations wrote to NFL Com-missioner Roger Goodell last week demanding an immediate end to Wash-ington’s use of the name. Goodell, who has fielded questions on the topic for years, said he supported the review.Protests against the name

predate Snyder buying the team in 1999, and, until now, he had shown no

willingness to consider a change.Strong words from spon-

sors _ including a com-pany run by a minority stakeholder of the team _ changed the equation.FedEx earlier this month

became the first sponsor to announce it had asked the organization to change the

name, particularly import-ant because CEO Frederick Smith owns part of the

team. FedEx paid $205 mil-lion for the long-term nam-ing rights to the team’s stadium in Landover, Mary-land.The lease at FedEx Field

expires in 2027, and drop-ping the name keeps open various possibilities in

Maryland, Virginia and Washington for the team’s new stadium and head-quarters. District of Colum-bia Mayor Muriel Bowser has said the name was an “obstacle’’to Snyder build-ing on the old RFK Stadium site, which is believed to be his preference.The team recently start-

ed cutting ties with rac-ist founder George Pres-ton Marshall, removing his name from the Ring of Fame and renaming the lower bowl at FedEx Field for the team’s first Black player, late Hall of Famer Bobby Mitchell.

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 14 I I SPORTS / TEHONTKAHRI’TSHERÓN:NIS I

Washington’s NFL team drops ‘Redskins’ name after 87 years

Virtual NAIG 2020By Josh GilesWriterAlthough the 2020 North

American Indigenous Games (NAIG) aren’t being held in Halifax this year, the organizers are keeping the spirit alive by connecting

people in a virtual setting. July 11th was the begin-

ning of the NAIG at Home initiative, to help connect communities together through sport and culture.“It’s an opportunity for us

to get online and connect.

We can unite our people and uplift each other,” said Fiona Kirkpatrick-Parsons. Kirkpatrick-Parsons is an organizer with the games and has a huge passion to invest in the future of Indigenous sports. “We

wanted to create a sense of togetherness because that’s what the games are about. Our staff and volun-teers thought this would be a good way to bring every-one together,” she told Tur-tle Island News sports.The events kick off with

a Mawio’mi or a Powwow to help bring athletes, fans and everyone else togeth-er for the games. There are events such as a soccer jug-gling, lacrosse quick sticks, a slam dunk contest and more. But there are also non-sport themed activi-

ties such as bingo, panels and a community market. “We didn’t create a dupli-cate of NAIG, but some-thing different. Anyone who wanted to be a part of it can be involved,” said Kirkpatrick-Parsons.These games are meant

to have fun with and unite people all across North America. “We want Indig-enous people and non-In-digenous people every-where to enjoy and share with everyone else. We’re at an age of reconciliation, but we’re also at an age

of conflict.” The expected response is supposed to be big as well according to Kirkpatrick-Parsons, “I have everything to expect that it will explode with people all across Turtle Island.”The events are being run

primarily through NAIG’s Facebook page, as well as their Instagram and other social media outlets. It looks like not even

COVID-19 will be able to stop the sense of commu-nity the games have built up over the years.

The games took on the motto ‘together at heart’ for this year’s events as no one is able to meet and compete in person. (Submitted Photo)

The staff and volunteers have worked very hard in order to create a fun atmosphere for everyone to be involved. (Submitted Photo)

To all, for the good wish-es, gifts, cards and food re-ceived on my 85th birthday on July 9.To all who took part in the

parade.To son Ben, daughter Lori,

grandchildren Geho, and Dusty, and great grand-children for planning this greatly appreciated event.To family and friends for

bringing food, cake, good wishes, and attending din-ner on July 12.To Awehiyo for the awe-

some fireworks display.I am overwhelming grati-

fied and I thank you all.Ivan Thomas

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By Jake Kivanc in TorontoOTTAWA-The federal

government is committing new funding toward harm reduction for First Nations in northern Ontario, in a move that one local leader says provides a “sense of relief’’ amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Indigenous Services Can-

ada says it will budget $2.5 million toward the Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s mental health and addic-tion program, which aims to provide communities in northern Ontario with high-quality health-care and harm reduction ser-vices, such as crisis coun-selling and addiction sup-port.Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler

told The Canadian Press that the federal funding is welcome news, as the number of emergency calls relating to domestic issues, suicide and overdoses

across NAN communities has skyrocketed in recent weeks.

“Right from the start ... we were way behind the 8-ball,’’Fiddler said, point-ing to long-standing issues within Indigenous com-munities such as boil-wa-ter advisories and lack of health services as factors that compounded the threat of the novel corona-virus. “We knew those things

were going to make the whole situation a lot tougher on the vulnera-ble.’’ Fiddler noted that chil-

dren and seniors have been the hardest hit during the crisis, with self-isolation and quarantine measures preventing the help that would have normally been accessible from reaching those who need it. A report released Mon-

day by the B.C. First Na-tions Health Authority showed a 93 per cent spike in overdose deaths within the province’s First Nation communities between Jan-uary and May compared to

the same time last year. The NAN news comes as

the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police called for the government to decrim-

inalize the possession of small quantities of all drugs at the national level, citing the ongoing opioid crisis and the success of harm

reduction methods such as safe injection sites.Between January 2016

and 2019, almost 16,000 Canadians died due to opi-

oid overdoses, with Indige-nous people dying at three times the rate of any other demographic.

Funding for northern Ontario First Nations harm reduction

I TURTLE ISLAND NEWS I IOHIARIÓ:WA / JULY 15, 2020 I PAGE 16 I I NATIONAL I

Canada’s largest Indigenous police force has never shot anyone dead

By Colin PerkelTHE CANADIAN PRESSTORONTO- In its 26

years of existence, officers with Canada’s largest In-digenous police force have never shot and killed any-one and no officer has died in the line of duty, despite a grinding lack of resources and an absence of normal accountability mecha-nisms. It’s a record of which

the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service is proud, especial-ly in light of the recent uproar in North America over police killings and brutality involving Indige-nous, Black, and mentally distressed people. It’s a record achieved in com-munities frequently in so-cial distress, places where hunting rifles and shot-guns are ubiquitous. The key difference from

urban, non-Indigenous po-licing, insiders and observ-ers say, is the relationship building between officers and the people they serve. “In the past, you might

have been the only officer in there,’’Roland Morri-son, chief of NAPS says from Thunder Bay, Ont. “You would have no radio, you’ve got no backup, so you really effectively have to use your communica-tion and talk to people. You have to develop rela-tionships with the com-munities in order to have positive policing.’’ Inaugurated in 1994,

NAPS is responsible for policing more than 38,000 people in 34 communi-ties, many beyond remote, across a vast, largely un-tamed swath of northern Ontario. Currently the

service has 203 officers, about 60 per cent of them Indigenous, Morrison says.Its mandate is culturally

responsive policing. Erick Laming, a criminol-

ogy PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, says people from First Nation

communities _ many with an ingrained suspicion of police given the brutal realities of generations of enforced residential school attendance have a higher level of trust when officers are Indigenous. In contrast, he said, new

RCMP recruits with no such background might find themselves in Nun-avut or Yukon confronted with significant language and cultural barriers. “If you’re from the com-

munity, you have those lived experiences.You can relate to people.

You just know how to deal with the issues,’’ says Laming, who is from the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation north of Kingston, Ont. “If you don’t have that

history, you can have all the cultural-sensitivi-ty training in the world, you’ll never fully be able to fully integrate into that situation.’’ Another example, he

said, is the service in Kahnawake, Que., which calls itself the Kahnawake Peacekeepers rather than a police force. While all officers in On-

tario undergo the same ba-sic training, the province’s nine Indigenous police services are fundamen-tally different from their non-Indigenous counter-parts.

For one thing, they are not deemed an essential service, although feder-al Public Safety Minister Bill Blair said last month that policing First Nations communities should be. Nor are those in Ontario subject to the provincial Police Services Act, which

mandates standards, in-cluding for an extensive oversight framework. Now, the process for

filing complaints against members of an Indigenous police force is ad hoc, al-though NAPS does have a professional standards branch and will on occa-sion call in Ontario Provin-cial Police. Officers have been disciplined, charged or even fired for excessive use of force. Another difference is

that Indigenous forces are completely reliant on the vagaries of government program funding, with Ot-tawa footing 52 per cent of the bill and provinces 48 per cent. The current op-erations budget for NAPS, for example, is around

$37.7 million, more than its peers, with expenses approaching $40 million. The upshot, particularly

in years gone by, has been a dire shortage of officers and even of basic facilities and equipment that ur-banites can scarcely imag-ine. In more than a dozen cases, Indigenous self-ad-ministered police services in Canada have simply folded. Now retired, Terry Arm-

strong, who spent 22 years with Ontario Provincial Police as well as five years as chief of NAPS, says people would be shocked

to find out just how poorly funded First Nations polic-ing has been. Armstrong recounts how

a few years ago, in the Hudson Bay communi-ty of Fort Severn, Ont., a NAPS officer found himself dealing with a homicide. Besides having to secure three crime scenes and the body, the lone officer had to arrest the suspect and deal with a separate gun call. Bad weather prevent-ed any forensic or other help flying in until the fol-lowing day.One thing he always

stressed to newcomers as chief, Armstrong says, is the importance of treating people respectfully. “Some day, they’re going

to be your backup. When stuff goes south, you’re going to need people to support you,’’ he says. “If you’re going to be a dick ... when you need help, they aren’t going to be there for you.’’ One frigid afternoon in

February 2013, the only on-duty NAPS officer in Kasabonika Lake First Na-tion in Ontario’s far north detained Lena Anderson, an intoxicated young mother upset over the ap-prehension of her daugh-ter. The new detachment portable was unheated. The old holding cell was unusable because prison-ers could escape through holes in the floor. The arresting officer left

Anderson, 23, in the caged back seat of his Ford 150 police truck for warmth while he went to get help from his off-duty col-league. Alone for 16 min-utes, Anderson strangled

herself.The tragedy, combined

with a threatened strike over working conditions by NAPS officers, caused an uproar. The situation, says Grand Chief Al-vin Fiddler, prompted his Nishnawbe Aski Nation to take a stand. Govern-ments, he said, had to do better or face the far more daunting prospect of doing the policing themselves. As a result, Fiddler says,

a new funding agreement was reached in 2018 that allowed the hiring of 79 new officers over five years and critical infrastructure upgrades to detachments and poor or non-existent communication systems. Most importantly, he said, the deal set in motion pending Ontario legisla-tion that would finally allow First Nations police services to opt in to the Police Services Act, put-ting in place solid stan-dards and accountability mechanisms. “That’s something our

communities and citizens deserve.’’Fiddler says. “If they have

an issue with NAPS, there should be a forum for them to pursue their grievance.’’ However, giving inves-

tigative authority to the province’s Special Investi-gations Unit or Office of the Independent Police Re-view Director must come with cultural safety built in, he says.Stephen Leach, current

review director, says his office is not yet involved in the opt-in process. “My expectation is that

once the Community Safety and Policing Act is

proclaimed and the opt-in process is further along, then I would be involved in explaining how the

public complaints process works, and listening to how it might have to be adapted to meet the needs of First Nations communi-ties,’’ Leach says. Stephen Warner, a

spokesman for Ontario Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, confirmed the gov-ernment was working on regulations to the new act. Part of the work, he said, was to set clear and con-sistent standards for po-licing delivery “informed by, and responsive to, the views of the communities that police are both a part of and serve.’’ Toronto-based lawyer Ju-

lian Falconer calls the new legislation a game changer. Despite having devoted

much of his career to hold-ing police accountable, he says he has no qualms in representing NAPS. Despite, or perhaps be-

cause of, their chronic lack of resources, Falcon-er says Indigenous police behave much differently from their urban counter-parts. He cites the dearth of police killings and racist behaviours that have sown deep mistrust of policing among Indigenous, Black and marginalized groups.“Mainstream policing has

a lot to learn from Indig-enous policing,’’ Falcon-er said. “The relationship between community and policing is so dramatically different.’’ This report by The Cana-

dian Press was first pub-lished on July 12

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