HCCC asserting sovereignty on land previously up for tax sale
DONNA DURIC donna@tworowtimes.com
The HCCC is asserting sovereignty on land bought by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chief’s Council on Townline Road in Norfolk County that was put up for sale due to non-payment of taxes. It actually qualified for a tax sale in 2019, but
a large sign placed on the land by the HCCC declares it was never surrendered and taxes were never paid on it.
The HCCC bought the parcel at 1594 Concession 2 in Townsend in 2015 for $310,000 through its numbered corporation, 2438543 Ontario Inc.
Located on Indian Line (also referred to as Townline Road, intersecting with Mohawk Road), the 39-acre property has an assessed
value of $334,000.
It is zoned agricultural and hazard land.
The county was asking for a minimum tender of $44,201 as recently as November 2023 and, according to a Simcoe Reformer article, the property had accumulated tax arrears of around $33,000.
The HCCC, through its administrative arm, the Haudenosaunee Development Institute, had already placed notices
in local newspapers in 2021 warning that, “prospective purchasers are hereby notified that the HCCC will not allow any non-Haudenosaunee use, occupation or possession of the subject property and will take all necessary steps to protect Haudenosaunee use, occupation and possession.”
The tax sale has since been cancelled.
The sign is not new but similar signs are popping up on land acquired by the HCCC. The property listing, now inactive, on taxalehub.ca is rife with legal warnings regarding “buyer beware” to whomever buys the property.
The Two Row Times contacted the HDI’s spokesperson, Aaron Detlor, for further comment on the property and other similar properties acquired by the HCCC, but did not hear back by press time.
Former finance director now elected council’s acting CEO
Jennifer Court, the former Six Nations of the Grand River director of finance, is now the organization’s acting CEO, taking over from former CEO Nathan Wright. SNGR announced the temporary transition in leadership in a press release last week.
“In support of operational stability and continuity, we are pleased to announce that Jennifer Court will take on the role of acting CEO. Mrs. Court is a valuable asset and has shown that through her role as SNGR’s Chief Financial Officer. Her
background in finance and comprehensive understanding of the community’s priorities will equip her to step into this role and support the organization’s ongoing initiatives. Mrs. Court will serve temporarily as acting CEO while SNGR completes its active search for a permanent CEO.”
Elected Council said its interim senior management team has agreed to accept more responsibilities during this transition.
Wright resigned from his position as CEO with elected Chief Sherri-lyn Hill thanking him for his work as the interim CEO for the past year.
“We want to thank
Nathan for his hard work and unwavering commitment to SNGR,” she said. “We also want to welcome Jennifer into this new role. We have the utmost confidence in her.”
Court is now the second person to take on the role of interim CEO in just over a year, after former CEO Darrin Jamieson did not come back after a leave of absence.
Court has worked for the band for 3.5 years in a finance capacity, and has experience in budgeting and forecasting, strategic planning, staff development, performance management, and financial statement planning and analysis.
Unseen Histories, Digitized Futures: Enriching Indigenous Archives with Deyohahá:ge: Indigenous Knowledge Centre
The GLAM Incubator is working with Deyohahá:ge: Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic to preserve Indigenous histories.
The histories we know are the histories available to us. An archive holds the evidence of history, and an archive is only as accessible as it is searchable. As Indigenous histories have been systematically erased, many First Nations’ analog records remain uncatalogued and inaccessible. These physical artifacts, including important films and photographs, are particularly at-risk for degradation and loss.
The GLAM Incubator is proud to support Deyohahá:ge: Indigenous Knowledge Centre at Six Nations Polytechnic on the Six Nations of the Grand River Digitization
Photo Project. It has provided funding, equipment, workshops, research and professional expertise, administrative assistance, and event facilitation to enable Deyohahá:ge: to collect, catalog, preserve, and educate precarious media of Indigenous life in Ontario.
This project creates a platform for photographs of Indigenous life. This platform identifies and tags background information such as provenance, the date, location, subjects, and themes of each photograph.
University of Toronto Professor Cara Krmpotich is the faculty liaison for this collaboration. “On the surface, it can seem easy to create or run a community archive,” says Krmpotich. “But it’s never the case that “if you build something, people will come.” Community archives need to be built with intention - multi-
ple intentions. Intentional access, intentional order and arrangement, intentional values, and an intention for long-term care and stewardship. In each of these intentions, there’s opportunity to express cultural beliefs and priorities. Community archives are never a matter of reproducing someone else’s “best practice” - they require thought and care to build something that contributes in positive, constructive and sustainable ways to their community.”
Utilizing equipment provided by the GLAM Incubator, Deyohahá:ge: will digitize community photographs and generate metadata. This creates a centralized archive of Indigenous visual history to make Indigenous history more accessible. Project lead, Stanley Henry of Six Nations Polytechnic notes, “It’s a good way to educate
WINTER
people in our community about the importance of preserving film. It matters to us because if we’re not careful we jeopardize losing our past. This is our bridge to our past.”
Once these photographs have been made accessible, Deyohahá:ge: will organize a series of engagement activities and workshops. Community members will learn about contemporary technology for best archival practices and the preservation of Indigenous artifacts, inclusive of undeveloped film, physical objects, oral histories, and sound recordings. In addition, Deyohahá:ge: plans to present their archival findings and educational programmes to the greater community at conferences, such as the Association of Tribal archives, Libraries and Museums (ATALM).
The Six Nations of the Grand River Digitization Photo Project empha-
sizes the significance of Indigenous sovereignty over cultural artifacts and recordings. Indigenous Peoples across several territories and regions are documenting their histories by acquiring archived materials to answer two vital questions, ‘What happened?’ and ‘How are things today a result of historical events?’ Museums, organizations, and institutions have embarked on reconciliation efforts in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commissions’ Calls to Action, 67 to 70. These Calls to Action request that archives and museums revise their policies, craft new policies that align with the United Nations Declaration on Indigenous Peoples, and to collaborate with Indigenous Peoples across Canada.
Six Nations Polytechnic is a leader in Indigenizing archiving practices and
aligns itself with Indigenous resurgence practices of ‘returning to ourselves’.
The GLAM Incubator recognizes the importance of supporting institutions that respond to these Calls to Action and is committed to providing support to projects that redress extractive practices and the harm to Indigenous People. Professor Krmpotich adds, “Six Nations Polytechnic and Deyohahá:ge have been doing important community-based cultural work and research for a long time. They’ve been a place where Haudenosaunee research, thinking and teaching can thrive. The partnership with the GLAM Incubator presents an opportunity to think deeply and plan for a community archive that will continue to support Six Nations’ interests and desires for locally led knowledge production, reclamation and activation.”
Referral application forms are available at: Family Gatherings, Ontario Works Six Nations Food Bank, Six Nations Council Central Administration
Completed forms are due by November 29th @ 3:45pm . Eligibility requires being an on-reserve Six Nations Band membe r with proof of address. One referral per household, low-income, un employed, acquiring social assistance or Ontario disability. Self-referrals are not permitted; however, applications can be submitted b y a family member or friend. Eligible participants will be notified of pick up:
December 6th -Toy Card
December 18th - Turkey & Food Card
Peaches spread across North America through Indigenous networks
By Francisco Tutella
Spanish explorers may have brought the first peach pits to North America, but Indigenous communities helped the ubiquitous summer fruit really take root, according to a study led by a researcher at Penn State.
The study, published in Nature Communications, shows that Indigenous political and social networks and land use practices played key roles in the peach’s adoption and dispersal across the continent, according to the researchers.
“Peaches need a lot of care by people to be productive. They need to be planted in appropriate places with a lot of sunlight and the right soil drainage, and they need to be pruned,” said Jacob Holland-Lulewicz, first author and assistant professor of anthropology at Penn State. “For a long time, the narrative was that the Spanish introduced peaches and then peaches spread very quickly. The reality is way more complicated. How quickly peaches spread is very much a product of Indigenous networks and land management.”
The researchers analyzed historical documents that mentioned peaches, such as the travel writings of French missionary explorer Jacques Marquette and English merchant Jonathan Dickinson. They also employed radiocarbon dating — a method that measures the decay of radioactive carbon-14 atoms in organic material — to determine the approximate ages of peach pits and other organic samples, like carbonized tree wood, from 28 archaeological sites and two regional locales where archaeologists previously recovered preserved peach pits. The sites were in the Caro-
linas, Georgia, Florida, Alabama, Tennessee and Arkansas.
“For a long time, the narrative was that the Spanish introduced peaches and then peaches spread very quickly. How quickly peaches spread is very much a product of Indigenous networks and land management,” said Jacob Holland-Lulewicz, assistant professor of anthropology, at Penn State.
The team found that peaches were likely widespread across Indig-
Europeans generally, arriving and then you see instantaneous changes to Indigenous histories and the spread of materials, but those initial interactions didn’t cause major changes,” he said. “It’s not until Spanish and Indigenous networks become entangled 100 years later that we have the necessary conditions for the spread of peaches.”
The team also identified the earliest peaches in North America at a Muskogean farmstead in the Oconee Valley.
peaches had spread to the interior southeast possibly decades before the founding of St. Augustine in 1565, according to the researchers.
“Understanding the path that the introduction of species, such as peach trees, took through colonization and the role that Indigenous people and their long-term relationship with the environment played in shaping these histories demonstrates the importance of these events, people and processes to what
Indigenous peoples not only adopted the peach but selectively bred new varieties outnumbering the varieties found in Europe even at this early time, Holland-Lulewicz said.
“Understanding the path that the introduction of species, such as peach trees, took through colonization and the role that Indigenous people and their long-term relationship with the environment played in shaping these histories demonstrates the importance of
enous settlements in the interior southeast as early as 1620, roughly 100 years after the earliest Spanish expeditions in Florida and Georgia’s Oconee Valley. According to Holland-Lulewicz, the timing suggests that early Spanish settlements becoming important trade nodes within existing Indigenous networks created the necessary conditions for the spread of peaches.
“Many narratives talk about the Spanish, or
In the 1990s, the late Penn State archaeologist James Hatch recovered peach pits from the bottom of post holes that once housed support structures for the farmstead’s house. The researchers radiocarbon dated charcoal, nuts and corn kernels from these post holes and found that occupation at the site began between 1520 and 1550 and ended between 1530 and 1570. This timing suggests that
becomes a broader American history,” said co-author Victor Thompson, Distinguished Research Professor of archaeology at the University of Georgia (UGA) and executive director of the Georgia Museum of Natural History. “Further, the fact that all of this work took place on museum specimens underscores the importance of maintaining these collections for future study.”
these events, people and processes to what becomes a broader American history,” said Victor Thompson, research professor of archaeology, University of Georgia.
When Europeans started to move through and into the interior of the continent in the mid- to late 1600s, they noted that there were way more varieties of peaches being grown by Indigenous peoples than
there were in Europe,” he said, explaining that the fruit had become an important aspect of Indigenous culture. “At this time, Europeans are noting really dense peach orchards around Indigenous towns, but some of these towns and people had never previously interacted with or even heard of Europeans. In fact, there are records of Indigenous peoples describing peaches as an Indigenous fruit.”
The fruit had become so integral to Indigenous history and culture that when the ancestors of the modern-day Muscogee (Creek) Nation were forcibly removed from Georgia and Alabama during the 1800s, they took peaches with them.
“There are Muscogee (Creek) peoples today who grow peaches as heritage crops,” Holland-Lulewicz said. “The act of growing and caring for those peaches is an important cultural practice. These were the first peaches introduced in the 1500s and 1600s that were then carried halfway across the continent and continue to be grown today.”
In addition to Holland-Lulewicz and Thompson, other collaborators include Amanda Roberts Thompson and Mark Williams at the UGA Laboratory of Archaeology, and Dario J. Chavez, University of Georgia; RaeLynn Butler, the Secretary of Culture and Humanities for the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, and Turner Hunt, Muscogee (Creek) Nation citizen; Jay Franklin, Logan Simpson Design; and John Worth, University of West Florida.
The UGA Laboratory of Archaeology and the Institute of Energy and the Environment at Penn State supported this work.
ALLEGANY TERRI-
TORY,
Filomena Tassi, minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario), visited the First Nations Technical Institute (FNTI), an Indigenous-owned and governed educational insti-
tution, to tour the facility and meet with students.
While there, Tassi announced an investment of $4.5 million for FNTI to expand its aerospace training programs and acquire new specialized equipment to enhance the aerospace ecosystem for Indigenous communities and create new opportunities for Indigenous youth across Canada.
Helicopter pilots play a
critical role in providing services to Indigenous communities in remote regions where traditional infrastructure is limited.
The aerospace industry works closely with local academia and businesses to develop and commercialize new products and technologies and build a strong ecosystem.
Aerospace training initiatives tailored to Indigenous populations
not only aim to cultivate essential skills, but also foster opportunities for meaningful employment and sustainable economic growth within Indigenous communities.
The funding from the federal government will support the expansion of FNTI’s aviation programming options by establishing a new helicopter training program.
“This funding announcement brings an envelope of support that will provide a new aviation helicopter training program to Indigenous students from remote, fly-in and urban regions across Canada, graduating more pilots, growing economic development, stimulating entrepreneurship, cultivating mentorship and responding to the needs of communities,” said Suzanne Brant, president, First Nations Technical Institute. “FNTI is grateful to Minister Tassi and FedDev Ontario for
the ongoing support and the opportunities this has brought to Indigenous post-secondary education in Ontario.”
This program will offer students the opportunity to train with advanced equipment and experts, and to obtain their helicopter pilot licence with a specialized focus on servicing the unique needs of remote Indigenous communities.
FNTI’s student-focused approach to teaching combined with their tailored programming will position FNTI students to make an immediate impact after graduation.
The Government of Canada said it recognizes the importance of working alongside Indigenous communities, creating opportunities for Indigenous students, and supporting them as they grow. These investments help strengthen the aerospace and aviation sector, drive innovation and
build a strong, inclusive economy.
“The First Nations Technical Institute is creating new opportunities for Indigenous youth while helping to fill critical gaps in the aerospace and aviation ecosystem by supporting the development of a helicopter training program, focused on servicing the unique needs of remote Indigenous communities. Today’s support is an investment not only in the future of our aerospace and aviation industry, but is also helping to empower Indigenous youth to build meaningful and impactful future careers in this growing sector,” said Tassi.
Established in 1985, the First Nations Technical Institute is located on the Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory and offers training programs designed particularly for First Nations, Métis and Inuit students.
SALAMANCA, N.Y. – On Friday, during a visit to the Gila River Indian Community, United States President Joseph Biden issued a formal apology to Native Nations within the United States for the federal government’s role in sponsoring, supporting, and operating residential boarding schools which Native students were forced to attend for more than 150 years. Seneca Nation President Rickey Armstrong, Sr. issued the following statement:
“This is a day that many people thought would never come. More than a century after the United States began its policy of forced assimilation aimed at Native people, a President of the United States has officially acknowledged and apologized for the atrocities this country forced upon countless Native communities, families, and children – atrocities whose deep, damaging effects our communities live with to this day.
President Biden’s apology on behalf of the United States is welcome and stirs a mix of emotions. The President’s words bring a measure of relief and validation that contribute in some way to
the healing that survivors of the residential boarding school era and Native communities across the country continue to seek.
For more than 150 years, thousands of Native children were forced to attend the residential schools. For nearly all of them, the schools were a doorway to hatred, mental and physical abuse, and violence. Instead of having their minds opened and nurtured, they were systematically stripped of their clothes, their traditional language and culture, and often even their names. For far too many, the schools are where their lives ended.
The government called this movement assimilation. We know it better as attempted eradication. Piece by piece, the schools supported by the federal government and others tried to rip and strip away every connection those children had to their culture. The schools wanted to change the children so that no piece of their identity as Native people would remain.
This dark, deadly, and shameful treatment of our people, and the intergenerational trauma it caused, must be widely acknowledged, shared, discussed, and taught. The victims and survivors of
the residential boarding schools were taught that they did not matter. They do matter, and the federal government must accept what it did to those children and to our communities.
While we are grateful to finally hear the United States acknowledge its actions, everyone can agree that this apology could have and should have come sooner. The despicable treatment
of Native children at the schools was carried out over several decades and multiple administrations. Several more administrations have come and gone without taking ownership of what happened, even as other governments around the world have finally reckoned with their treatment of Native and Indigenous people in their own countries.
Now, at long last, the United States has fi-
nally broken its silence.
President Biden’s words are appreciated. Now we need action that speaks far louder than words. Our communities are still broken because of what we were forced to endure. The disintegration of Native languages and customs, along with the strain caused to family structures, have spanned generations. Our pain is still very real. Many people still carry the hurt and darkness with them every day. Our communities still bear the weight of the trauma. Our path toward healing continues. The federal government needs to support our communities with action and policy that address the long-lasting impacts of an era that should have never happened, pain and abuse that should have never been suffered, and young lives that never should have ended.”
Statement From the Ontario Indigenous Women’s Advisory Council on Declaring Intimate Partner Violence an Epidemic
In response to municipalities declaring an epidemic of intimate partner violence, the introduction of Bill 173, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act in Ontario
The Indigenous Women’s Advisory Council (IWAC) stands in solidarity with the families and loved ones of Carol Culleton, Anastasia Kuzyk and Nathalie Warmerdam and those working to end violence against women.[1]
Over the last several decades, Indigenous women, leadership, organizations and communities have been raising the alarm about the high levels of gender-based violence perpetrated against Indigenous women and girls, including intimate partner and family violence. Indigenous women, together with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis leadership and international human rights bodies, have continued to call for immediate action from all levels of government to improve Indigenous women’s safety. Violence against Indigenous women in Canada is a systemic issue, rooted in colonial policies and institutions that have devalued and disrupted the identity, rights, and inherent leadership roles of Indigenous women, and created social and economic conditions that perpetuate discrimination and violence. Indigenous women’s experiences of violence are shaped and compounded by their multiple social identities – their Indigeneity, gender, and sexuality, for example. Violence against Indigenous women is also generational – it impacts generations now and for generations to come because of the roles that Indigenous women play in their families and communities.
As municipalities and the government of Ontario take action to address the epidemic of intimate partner violence in this province, consideration must be given to the disproportionate rates of intimate partner violence experienced by Indigenous women and the multiple barriers they face when seeking help. To effectively address the violence experienced by Indigenous women, the solutions must come from Indigenous women, our organizations, and our communities. Municipalities and other jurisdictions must work with,
and support, Indigenous women, their organizations, and communities to end the unacceptable levels of violence against Indigenous women.
Moving Forward: Our Recommendations
1. Ontario legislates its Pathways to Safety Strategy to ensure Indigenous women’s safety remains a priority for future governments, in the same way that Ontario has legislated a response to human trafficking (Anti-Human Trafficking Strategy Act, 2021), racism (Anti-Racism Act, 2017), and poverty reduction (Poverty Reduction Act, 2009).
2. Any provincial and municipal declarations and responses to intimate partner violence explicitly recognize the disproportionate rates of violence against Indigenous women and girls, their unique and intersectional experiences as Indigenous and as women, and the root causes of this violence.
3. Indigenous women’s safety be prioritized at all levels of government in all policies, plans, and strategies that impact, or have the potential to impact, the lives of Indigenous women.
4. Indigenous women be involved in the development of all legislative, policy, program and service responses to the issues that impact them, including gender-based violence. This will assist with the inclusion of Indigenous women’s world views, the unique intersectionality of their experiences, and their specific safety needs. All actions to address violence against Indigenous women and support Indigenous women who are survivors of violence should be directed, designed, implemented and led by Indigenous women.
5. Increased and sustainable investments from all levels of government into new and existing community-based culturally grounded programs and services that improve Indigenous women’s safety and promote family and community healing, including funding for violence prevention, education, and awareness; culturally relevant shelter services, transitional housing and affordable housing; community-based child welfare prevention; Indigenous-specific mental health, addictions and wellness
programs; and programs that support Indigenous women’s leadership. This includes capital funding for critical infrastructure for programming and safe spaces for Indigenous women.
6. Additional and separate investments for Indigenous men and boys to support healing and restoration of balance in communities.
7. Implement a community development approach to ending violence against Indigenous women. This approach recognizes the distinctiveness of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis women, and the different experiences and challenges faced by Indigenous women living in urban, rural, remote, and Northern communities. It enables solutions that are varied and unique to each community. Solutions are based on and respond to the needs identified by Indigenous women in the
gender-related homicides of women and girls in Canada, despite comprising only 5% of the female population.
[4] In Ontario, Indigenous women are three times more likely to be murdered than non-Indigenous women.[5],[6] The proportion of femicide victims who are Indigenous in Ontario has steadily increased since the 2019 National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, from 5.4% in 2019-20 to 8.1% in 2022-23.[7]
We also know that the compounding effects of intersecting forms of discrimination and inequality place some Indigenous women at even greater risk of experiencing gender-based violence, including intimate partner violence. For example, 86% of Indigenous women who identify as 2SLGBTQ+ report experiencing intimate partner
community and are led by or co-developed with Indigenous women and their community. A community development approach supports Indigenous women’s leadership and builds community capacity to end violence and create safety for Indigenous women.
Our Truth
Indigenous women, like all women, have a fundamental right to live in safety, free from violence and discrimination, and to enjoy good health and wellbeing.
Yet, Indigenous women in Ontario and Canada continue to face among the highest rates of violent victimization of all population groups in Canada, and intimate partner violence is one of the most pervasive forms of violence against Indigenous women.[2] Six in ten Indigenous women report experiencing intimate partner violence in their lifetime, compared to four in ten non-Indigenous women.
[3] Indigenous women and girls also make up 21% of all
women from seeking help. Indigenous women’s experiences of violence and the barriers they face are also distinct and diverse – for example, urban Indigenous women may experience violence differently than First Nations women residing in their home communities.
The experiences of Métis and Inuit women will also differ from First Nations women. Disparities exist in the support services available to Indigenous women depending on where they live. For example, Indigenous women living in Northern and remote communities face unique challenges and do not have access to the many of the services available to Indigenous women living in First Nations and urban centres in Southern Ontario. Indigenous women who live in rural communities may also find it more difficult to access services and supports when compared to Indigenous women living in larger and urban centres.
en constitutes a “deliberate race, identity and gender-based genocide.”[11]
violence,[8] and 74% of Indigenous women with a disability report experiencing violent victimization in their lifetime.[9]
Indigenous women’s experiences of violence, including intimate partner violence, and the context in which it occurs differs greatly from that of non-Indigenous women. Indigenous women’s experiences must be understood through the intersectional racism, sexism, and discrimination they face both as women and as Indigenous peoples. The violence experienced by Indigenous women and girls is an intersectional issue rooted in the legacy of colonialism and targeted assimilation policies in Canada, as well as systemic racism, discrimination, sexism, and the dismissal of Indigenous women’s safety. Structural and systemic barriers, such as racism and discrimination, not only increase the risk of experiencing intimate partner violence among Indigenous women, but they also prevent many Indigenous
We recognize that all Indigenous women and girls are strong and resilient, despite the violence that they have been subjected to and the multiple barriers they experience when seeking help. Solutions imposed upon us without our input or leadership will fail to understand our realities or meet our needs.
The Renfrew County Inquest and subsequent declarations of intimate partner violence as an epidemic has sparked local efforts to address gender-based violence. We support these efforts to end violence against women in Ontario and stand in solidarity with the Violence Against Women (VAW) sector organizations that have been working tirelessly to effect systems change.
We are saddened, however, by the differential response to the murders of Indigenous women. Our communities have been calling on governments to recognize violence against Indigenous women as a national crisis for decades. In 2014, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples reported that the rates of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada are “epidemic”.
[10] The National Inquiry determined that violence against Indigenous wom-
Close to 1,200 Indigenous women were reported missing or murdered in Canada between 1980 and 2012 [12] – that is more than 37 a month, without any level of government calling for an inquest or declaring an epidemic. This differential response is rooted in systemic racism and the normalization of violence against Indigenous women. Societal and government inaction – across all levels – allows for the violence to continue, and this inaction can be seen as a form of systemic and structural violence against Indigenous women and girls. A critical part of reconciliation with Indigenous women is recognizing and reflecting on this differential response and the underlying causes. Ending violence against Indigenous women requires community-based healing to disrupt the cycle of violence and systemic solutions that address the root causes of violence and assist Indigenous women in reclaiming our identities and leadership roles within our communities and Nations. Violence is cyclical and inter-generational, and often those who harm were themselves impacted by violence earlier in the cycle. Indigenous men and boys are part of the solution, and prevention efforts must include healing for families and the community as a whole. All the issues that Indigenous women strive to overcome are interconnected and must be responded to in relation to one another. Improving Indigenous women’s safety also means addressing the lack of safe, adequate and affordable housing both on- and off-reserve; the over-apprehension of Indigenous children into the child welfare system; high rates of poverty and income insecurity experienced by Indigenous women; lack of culturally responsive mental health and addictions services and treatment programs; underfunding of Indigenous women’s shelters; inequitable access to healthcare and other critical services; and the discriminatory treatment of Indigenous women and their families by policing and the justice system as well as multiple other systems.
Traditional Birchbark Canoe Handcrafted at Trent University
Launched on the Otonabee River
Traditional naming ceremony for ‘Enheh’ and launch follows monthlong build in Trent’s Bata Library
Wednesday, November 20, 2024, Peterborough Marking the culmination of a project that has increased visibility of and engagement in Indigenous culture among the campus community, Enheh, a handmade traditional birchbark canoe, was officially launched on the Otonabee River by Métis canoe builder Alex Labelle . “The birchbark
canoe is more than a vessel – it is a vital piece of technology that has sustained Indigenous peoples for generations,” said Dr. Dawn Memee Lavell-Harvard, director of First Peoples House of Learning at Trent. “It enables trade, travel, hunting, and the gathering of food and medicine. By bringing together people from across the University and the community, this project has demonstrated what reconciliation looks like in action: doing handson work, thinking about knowledge holders in a different way, and showing that these knowledges are just as important now as they ever were.” Students, staff, faculty, and community members gathered to witness the launch and culmination of Labelle's
Black Friday 2024 Starts Now!
monthlong building project. The launch event also featured a naming ceremony where the canoe was given the name Enheh. This name is an affirmative response that complements the expression of gratitude in Miigwech, and honours the connections made during the building and the profound appreciation for the gifts and lessons provided by the people involved, nature, and the Creator. Labelle’s work constructing the canoe from scratch in the atrium of Trent’s Bata Library transformed the space into a hub of cultural exchange and collaboration. Students, faculty, and visitors had the opportunity to engage directly with the project by trimming roots, splitting cedar, and forming ribs, gaining insight into the artistry and skill behind traditional canoe-building.
“Part of reconciliation is creating space for Indigenous knowledge in places,
like libraries, which have long marginalized it,” said Trent’s University librarian Emily Tufts. “Over the past month, Alex has shared his knowledge in a way that is physical, embodied, and deeply meaningful. This project brought the work of reconciliation out of the theoretical and into the practical and material, giving students and staff a chance to connect with Indigenous traditional knowledge firsthand.” Following the naming, Labelle launched Enheh from the west bank of the Otonabee River, and paddled the canoe to the east bank of campus, where it was then carried to the Gathering Space in Trent’s First Peoples House of Learning for a celebratory feast. Enheh remains permanently on display. “It’s great to know that FPHL and Trent students will put this canoe to use. Often people will put them up as museum pieces, but we're trying to bring canoes like this out
of museums and back to into life,” said Labelle. “My time at Trent has been great—great people and lots of interest in the project. I hope this has shown people that you can go into the bush and find all the materials you need to build a canoe.”
About Alex Labelle Alex Labelle is a skilled craftsman who learned the art of birchbark canoe building from his grandfather, an author, artist and longtime canoe builder, Marcel Labelle. With his grandfather now retired, Alex has taken over the family tradition, preserving the knowledge and skills passed down through generations. Committed to sharing and teaching these skills, Alex works to connect people with Indigenous cultural practices.
About Trent University One of Canada's top universities, Trent University was founded on the ideal
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Birchbark Canoe
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of interactive learning that's personal, purposeful and transformative. Consistently recognized nationally for leadership in teaching, research and student satisfaction, Trent attracts excellent students from across the country and around the world. Here, undergraduate and graduate students connect and collaborate with faculty, staff and their peers through diverse communities that span residential colleges, classrooms, disciplines, handson research, co-curricular and community-based activities. Across all disciplines, Trent brings critical, integrative thinking to life every day. Today, Trent's unique approach to personal development through supportive, col-
laborative community engagement is in more demand than ever. Students lead the way by co-creating experiences rooted in dialogue, diverse perspectives and collaboration. In a learning environment that builds life-long passion for inclusion, leadership and social change, Trent's students, alumni, faculty and staff are engaged global citizens who are catalysts in developing sustainable solutions to complex issues. Trent's Peterborough campus boasts award-winning architecture in a breathtaking natural setting on the banks of the Otonabee River, just 90 minutes from downtown Toronto, while Trent University Durham Greater Toronto Area, delivers a distinct mix of programming in the east GTA.
Alex Labelle's canoe sit on the banks of the Otonabee River at Trent University
SIX NATIONS - Elmer General’s life was not long, only 27-years, but he lived every moment of it, as friends would say about the well-liked and outgoing young man, the son of longtime Councillor, David General.
Only five years earlier, in 1930, he was lauded as a hero in the rescue of a friend, Grant Mount Pleasant, from drowning.
A third Six Nations young man, seventeen-year-old Leslie Wright lost his life trying to save the others.
The incident occurred in Lewiston, in 1930.
In the years following his commendation, General had become somewhat of a local hero that everybody wanted to be seen around and have a drink with, and he would never say no.
He said he wanted to buy farm implements and stock for his family farm with the award money, which was placed in an account under his name, but it could only be used for that said purpose, which was OK with General.
All seemed well in his world until the night of October 18th, 1936, at around midnight, when
too much revelling led to his tragic death.
General was killed by a car shortly after midnight, near 69 Corners, Six Nations. He had been run over by the car after passing out on the road following a drinking party with friends in Brantford.
Driving the car was Mr. Jack Gee, 44, of Hamilton who testified that, after cresting a small hill, he did not see Mr. General on the road until it was too late to miss him. “At first I thought I had hit a dog or something,” he said.
After the collision with, what turned out to be Mr. General, Gee stopped the car and seeing him lying in the road, drove into the village to get Dr. W. Davis. He returned to the scene and drove the broken body of General to Lady Willingdon Hospital himself.
General died at Lady Willingdon two days later of internal hemorrhage in front of the spinal column, a spinal fracture, a crushed pelvis, and a punctured bladder, amongst other injuries.
The entire weight of the Ford Coup, plus its eight passengers, rolled over the man’s torso.
Those in the car were identified as Arthur Hyatt, of Hamilton, Mrs. Mabel Barton of Hamilton,
Wilfred Brant, also living in Hamilton. Reserve residents Sherwood and Alda Atkins were also squeezed in while, standing on the running boards were Oscar Johnson and Grant General, both reserve residents.
ford at 69 Corners. As they walked, General lagged behind and the others carried on, not knowing what had happened. General was about a quarter mile from his home when he was struck.
Jack Gee, who plead-
“There were four in the front seat, two in the rumble seat and two on the running boards,” said Crown Attorney F. E. D. Walace. Gee was fined $20, a little over $420 in today’s currency, plus court costs.
Leonard Martin was charged with being in possession of liquor while on the reserve. Martin was identified by the RCMP as part of the trio that got off the bus that night with General. The others were Isaac Smoke and Frank Davies. Smoke and Davies testified that they had been drinking with General in Brantford and had left him asleep on the roadside.
Martin admitted “passing out” after drinking out of a jug of wine. Therefore, he was said to be responsible for the intoxication.
OPP officer Carl Farrow and RCMP Constable Patrick Monahan investigated the incident. In hospital before he died, General told police he did not know what had happened.
The police investigation report found that Mr. General and three other men got off the bus from Brant-
ed guilty to a charge of reckless driving, said that General was “lying on the road, just over the brow of a hill, and did not see him until it was too late.”
The reckless driving charge was the result of eight people being crammed in the car the night of the incident.
Smoke claimed he was also near collapse while Davies maintained he did not touch any of the wine since he got his fill in Brantford. Smoke was fined $10 plus $25 in costs, or three months in jail.
Medal for
Bravery
Five years earlier, General was swimming at night in a water-filled quarry along with Leslie Wright and William Mount Pleasant, from the Lewiston reserve. When Wright and Mount Pleasant found themselves in serious trouble because of the depth, General went to their assistance. After General had already pulled Wright to shore and went back to get Mount Pleasant, Wright went back in to help but never made it out again. Because of his efforts, General and Mount Pleasant survived. General was instrumental in saving Mount Pleasant and he tried to go after Wright but he was too fatigued and went under.
STYRES: Audry Paulette
Elmer was cited with a medal for heroism and a cash award of $500, a little over $10,000 in today’s currency. The 3” wide bronze medal beautiful two-sided case and cash award came from the Carnegie Hero Fund, established in 1904. After studying this case, it underscores the fact that we are more than a bad decision or a wrong turn. From all accounts, Elmer General was a good man with a problem many good men have, and one night in 1936, it took this good man’s life. Information for this article comes from the archives of the Brantford Expositor and Hamilton Spectator, with thanks.
IN LOVING MEMORY OF ROGER LEE SMITH
(June 6, 1985 - November 29, 2009)
Our hearts still ache
The pain is still real
Even after all these years
For nothing … not even time
Will erase what our hearts still feel
That you are still missed
Still loved and very dear
Love forever and always Caron, Rocki, Jamie, Jim, Madisyn
Card of Thanks
The family of the late Thelma Davis would like to extend their sincere gratitude and thanks for all your support given on the passing of our beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother. Special thanks to the pallbearers Ted, Trevor, Jason, Timmy, Adam and Brett who helped carry Mom to her final resting place at the Chapel of the Delaware. We also thank those who stopped by, Curt, Jen, Elda, Marilyn, Nancy for the exceptional meal. To Phil and Linda thank you for the most appropriate words of comfort during the service. Thank you Bill and staff at the Hyde and Mott Funeral Home for the meticulous care of mom and organization of the days that followed her passing. Words are just not enough to thank the staff of John Noble Home, Davis Court for the many hands and hearts that surrounded our mother during her stay with them. To Mom’s extended family, relatives and friends of the family, we wish to thank you for being there for us during this most difficult time. Thank you for the words of encouragement, conversations, friendship, cards and donations, all of which were greatly appreciate. With the loving support of all of you, you made Mom’s passing a bit easier.
ATTN:
GREEN: John Percy Wayne
August 22, 1956 - November 19, 2024
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, papa and partner. John Percy Wayne Green. Throughout his heath journey he fought with incredible strength and determination, while always keeping his amazing sense of humor. John is survived by his daughter Denise McQueen, his sons, John (Brandy) Green, and Marvin Green. Also survived by his grandchildren, Julia, Rikki Lee (David), Faith (Sara), James, Layne (Hawi), Noah (Paityn), Teyetyohkwakhas, and Ryker. Special Papa to his great grandchildren, Miah, Vayla, Maverick, Russell and Morgan. He will be forever missed by the love of his life Diana and his bonus family. John was an amazing uncle and will be greatly missed by his nieces and nephews as well as his many friends.
John has been welcomed home by his daughter Tina McQueen, his mother Margaret Hill, along with all of his siblings, Joan Hill, Marvin Green, Marion Green, Barb Jaques, twins Don & Donna Green, Doug Hill, Russell “Bun” Hill, Muriel Green, Tom Green, Dave Green, and Tom Hill.
John had a lifelong love of baseball and darts. He was always at an arena, watching his sons play hockey or his grandchildren play lacrosse. He also loved to sing to his fiance and friends at karaoke every chance he got, and he also enjoyed spending time in Port Dover. Visitation will be held at Styres Funeral Home, 1798 4th Line, Ohsweken on Friday November 22nd from 2:00 - 4:00 pm and evening visitation from 6:00 - 8:00pm. Funeral service will be held at Styres Funeral Home on Saturday November 23rd at 1:00pm. Family and friends will be gathering at Yogis Barn after the service, 2318 Chiefswood Rd, Ohsweken. All are welcome! If you knew John, you knew of his love of Superman and if you have a Superman shirt, please wear it to honour him for his final journey. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Six Nations Food Bank. www.rhbanderson.com
In loving memory
Robin General November 23, 2017
In life we loved you deeply
In death we love you still
The moment that you passed
Our hearts were torn in two
Remembering you is easy
We do it every day, but
Missing you is a heartache
That never goes away
We hold you tightly, deep
Within our hearts
Where there you shall remain
Until the joyous day arrives
When we will be together again
Loved and dearly missed by Rick, Rocky, Courtney Shane and Harrison
Quotas wanted 905-768-0440, Chris
Wythe Clark Leo (“90”)
In constant and loving memory of our dear brother who was so suddenly taken from us November 26, 2015.
They say there is a reason
They say that time will heal
But neither time nor reason
Will change the way we feel
For no one knows the heartache
That lies behind our smiles
No one knows how many times
We have broken down and cried
We want to tell you something
So there won’t be any doubt
You’re too wonderful to think of
But so hard to be without
A bouquet of beautiful memories
Sprayed with a million tears
If love could have saved you
You never would have died
Lovingly remembered and never forgotten “90” by your sisters and brothers
Sue & Joe, Jackie, Elvis, Bonnie, Dice n Greg
Missing you so much.
Till We Meet again dear brother
CLUES ACROSS
1. Long piece of squared timber
5. Emaciation
10. “Bewitched” boss Larry
14. Combining form meaning “different”
15. Current unit equal to 10 amperes
16. Older
17. Large, stocky lizard
18. Ringworm
19. Actor Pitt
20. Indian hand clash cymbals
22. Data at rest
23. Jeweled headdress
24. Indicators of when stories were written
27. Check
30. Cigarette (slang)
31. Arctic explorers (abbr.)
32. Yearly tonnage (abbr.)
35. Delivered a speech
37. A place to bathe
38. Postmen deliver it
39. Surface in geometry
40. More (Spanish)
41. __ and Venzetti
42. Exclamation at the end of a prayer
43. Hawaiian dish
44. Aggressively proud men
45. Fellow
46. Mark Wahlberg comedy
47. Mock
48. When you expect to get somewhere
49. Songs
52. Pair of small hand drums
55. Play
56. Sword
60. Evergreens and shrubs genus
61. Filmed
63. Italian Seaport
64. Ancient kingdom near Dead
Sea
65. Pores in a leaf
66. U. of Miami mascot is one
67. Snakelike fishes
68. Pretended to be
69. Body part
CLUES DOWN
1. Piece of felted material
2. Ancient Greek City
3. Aquatic plant
4. Potentially harmful fungus (Brit. sp.)
5. Body art (slang)
6. One who follows the rules
7. Ordinary
8. Honorably retired from assigned duties and retaining one’s title
9. Relaxing space
10. Japanese socks
11. Indian city
12. Rip
13. Icelandic book
21. Satisfies
23. Where golfers begin
25. Small amount
26. Snag
27. Determine the sum of
28. A distinctive smell
29. Exposed to view
32. Stain or blemish
33. Small loop in embroidery
34. River herring genus
36. Large beer
37. Deep, red-brown sea bream
38. Partner to cheese
40. At a deliberate pace
41. Gurus
43. Of each
44. Angry
46. Popular beverage
47. Flower cluster
49. Blocks
50. Those who benefitted from efforts of relatives (slang)
51. Polio vaccine developer
52. A (usually) large and scholarly book
53. Popular soap ingredient
54. NBAer Bradley
57. Popular movie about a pig
58. Musician Clapton
59. Not a sure thing
61. Recipe measurement (abbr.)
62. Father
Aries, be careful what you ask for, as things have a funny way of coming true for you this week. Censor your thoughts for now, and perhaps hold your cards closer to the vest.
TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21
Taurus, you may have a lot of anxious thoughts right now. Friends provide a welcome diversion later in the week, and you also may want to put in more hours at work to stay distracted.
GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21
Gemini, plans aren’t panning out as you’d hoped, so consider other opportunities. Stop and consider all the possibilities as soon as possible and then make a decision.
CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22
Thoughts of love and relationships are on your mind, Cancer. However, you will have trouble expressing just how you feel to others. Think through your words before saying them.
LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23
Leo, you are a whirlwind of activity, and this causes a bit of disruption to a normally organized week. Others may remark on how you seem to be all over the place, but you know your limits.
VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22
It’s hard to imagine fitting anything else into your packed schedule, Virgo. Somehow you manage to do it. But the effects could prove stressful. Try lightening your load this week.
LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23
It’s time to plan and prepare, Libra. Take out a pen and paper and start making lists or use a digital planner. It’s the only way to remain organized with so much going on.
SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22
Matters at home are a priority this week, Scorpio. Focus your attention on tackling things around the house and you’ll have more time to devote to fun down the road.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21
It might be time to pinch some pennies, Sagittarius. This week you could come up a bit short, and it doesn’t bode well for the rest of the month. Consider new revenue streams.
CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20
Capricorn, things turn out to be calm this week, and it is surprising how much you can accomplish. This slow pace is just the reprieve you’ve needed.
AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18
Aquarius, there’s not much you can do about a particular problem, so it may be better to stop thinking about a solution. Put your attention toward something you can control.
PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20
Pisces, a few minor tweaks to your schedule and you could be able to tackle a number of tasks this week. Enjoy the productivity.
