(Courtesy Mohawk Council of Kahnawake) December 10 wasn’t the first time Quebec’s minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs, Ian Lafrenière, came to Kahnawake, but it was his first tour of the community. He had a particularly qualified guide in Mohawk Council of Kahnawake grand chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer. At least one of the stops might
Tag: reconciliation
Bringing Indigenous women leaders together
(Courtesy Assembly of First Nations) Mohawk Council of Kahnawake grand chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer attended a historic meeting of Indigenous women leaders on Tuesday, held at governor-general Mary Simon’s home in Rideau Hall. Sky-Deer and Simon met with the Assembly of First Nations national chief RoseAnne Archibald and grand chief of the Grand
Remembering the children
On September 30, community members came together as they have done for the past six years to commemorate survivors of residential schools for Orange Shirt Day. This year, however, was different. With the discovery of thousands of unmarked graves at former residential school sites across the country and Canada finally recognizing
Indigenous leaders inspire Montreal crowd
Every word spoken by Katsi’tsakwas Ellen Gabriel carried through the heavy air as hundreds of people attentively listened, desperately trying to absorb their meaning. “Why did it take finding evidence of the children for you all to rise up together with us?” pleaded the Kanehsata’kehró:non, as she addressed the sea of
Grassroots movements fight a broken system
For the last 75 days, land defenders from the Kanien’kehá:ka Nation at Kahnawake have been occupying an area at the end of the Old Chateauguay Road (OCR) in the hopes of stopping a proposed housing development project and reclaiming their land. Just under a year earlier, out in Caledonia, Ontario, members
Pushing to recognize Indigenous languages
Cancel Canada Day
COURTESY RUSTY NOLAN On July 1, as people around the country gather at barbecues and terrasses, adorning themselves with red and white and waving the Canadian Flag, many have asked what are they really representing? In light of recent events in which unmarked graves of young children are being uncovered all over
“They didn’t win, we are still here”
FILE PHOTO After Bill C-5 passed earlier this month, the federal government is now officially recognizing September 30 as the National day for Truth and Reconciliation (Orange Shirt Day). This sacred day was introduced by the strength and determination of Phyllis Jack-Webstad. The brave woman retold the story of her first day in
Indigenous languages acknowledged
COURTESY GOVERNMENT OF CANADA On Monday, June 14, the federal government appointed the first-ever commissioner to protect endangered Indigenous languages. Four representatives, the commissioner, Ronald E. Ignace, and three directors - Georginia Liberty, Joan Greyeyes and Robert Watt - make up the first-ever Office of the Commissioner of Indigenous Languages (OCIL). Commissioner Ignace,
Day school students get runaround
TEHOSTERIHENS DEER THE EASTERN DOOR As a national outcry persists following the recent uncovering of childrens’ graves at a residential school in Kamloops, BC, former students of federally-operated institutions are forced to come to terms with this tragedy while continuing their own battle for justice. Since January 13, 2020, Indigenous people forced