The Six Nations Survivors’ Secretariat, formed in 2021 to document, uncover and share truths about the former Mohawk Institute Residential School, is still facing severe funding shortfalls and is seeking help from Six Nations of the Grand River Elected Council to help them function.
A $1 million infusion from the Six Nations Department of Well-Being earlier this year helped keep them afloat but they’re still struggling.
"It’s been really difficult,” said Secretariat Lead Laura Arndt. “We have been living in this space of great financial anxiety for over a year. It is very frustrating for survivors. I’m often in the space of having to give them the bad news.”
The Six Nations Survi-
vors Secretariat (SNSS) asked elected council’s general finance meeting to approve the funding that the department of well-being offered earlier in the year, after finding out yet again they were denied for federal funding.
“At the time we were verging on insolvency,” said Arndt.
They had to cancel their survivor gathering in June and re-schedule it to October, which was held in Thunder Bay, which, due
to its proximity to northern First Nations, helped save travel costs for many Mohawk Institute survivors.
Arndt said the Mohawk Institute took children from over 60 First Nations across the continent.
The secretariat said it was lucky that the department of well-being offered them the $1 million otherwise, they wouldn’t have been able to do their ground search work this past summer.
The SNSS also asked for $150,000 for commemoration and memorialization as well as development of educational material for both primary and secondary school students that teaches all about the Mohawk Institute and what life was like at the Mohawk Institute.
The SNSS has also made a $75,000 documentary showcasing the work of survivors and aimed at talking about why survivors have to do this workpreserving the story of the Mohawk Institute.
“This is part of our history…so that our children can understand why the words legacy and intergenerational trauma still matter,” said Arndt. “The residential school system didn’t die. It’s been passed on to the child welfare system.”
Through the docu-
mentary, she said, future generations can see the strength of survivors.
“This is our history. We have to live with it. We have to face it but we’ll decide how. (The documentary) gives the survivors a very strong anchor of how they want their work portrayed.”
The SNSS also needs $110,000 to preserve archival data.
Arndt said they know that 6,200 children went to the Mohawk Institute but they’re sure the numbers are higher. They just don’t have the funding to investigate it further.
“We still do not have a funding agreement with Ontario."
The SNSS has also asked the federal government for $3 million but they’ve been asked to redo their work plan three times.
Minister of Indigenous Services Mandy Gull-Masty issued the following statement on October 21:
I acknowledge the Auditor General of Canada’s follow-up report on programs for First Nations and Inuit, and appreciate the opportunity to strengthen how we serve communities.
The Auditor General’s follow-up report is clear: there is real progress, and there is work we must accelerate. These are not abstract programs. Health care, education, emergency response, and clean water are essential services—the bedrock of safe, thriving communities—and they are central to our shared path toward equity and reconciliation.
While the audit highlights areas for improvement, I want to emphasize some notable work that is already underway in key areas of focus:
Expanding: the frontline workforce available to First Nations—adding paramedics, licensed practical nurses, and nurse practitioners—and offering targeted incentives to recruit and retain staff.
Improving: access to culturally appropriate dental care through community programs and the Non-Insured Health Benefits Program for First Nations and Inuit—one of Canada’s most comprehensive public dental
I recognize and thank the Auditor General for her work and for her acknowledgement of where we are making progress. I see this audit as a guidepost in strengthening service delivery and informing collaborative approaches. My department and I will present an action report in spring of 2026 to lay out the path forward.
plans.
Strengthening: emergency management with advances towards new multilateral service agreements, over 300 community emergency management coordinator positions, and a risk-based approach that directs mitigation and preparedness funding to the highest-risk communities.
Supporting: reliable drinking water by funding operations and maintenance of existing systems and building new infrastructure to meet community needs.
Leveraging: education data—improving how it is collected, used, and shared to support better decisions and outcomes.
Indigenous Services Canada is working together with First Nations and Inuit to make progress in these key areas guided by community priorities and a shared commitment to improving essential services.
It’s time to replace the old “Iron Bridge”, which spans the Grand River at what is historically the point where Joseph Brant and his Mohawk followers and affiliated nations crossed on their way to settle the Haldimand Tract lands provided by the British government following the American Revolution of 1776.
The original wooden toll bridge at that site, crossing from what became West Brant to the “flats” behind where the Brantford Civic Centre is today at a point now known as Brant’s Crossing. They charged a whopping two-cents per crossing.
In the winter, a section of the low water at the “ford” of the river was roped off and used as a public skating rink.
The first recorded bridge over the Grand was a wooden structure built in 1812, but when the first team of horses and a wagon attempted to cross it, the poorly built bridge collapsed. Before that, a scow linked West Brant to the main village of Brantford near the same location which provided ferry service.
In 1841, a privately owned, covered toll bridge was attempted at the same site but the citizenry did not like paying what they thought to be an exorbitant fee and began gathering funds towards building a “free” bridge in stead. In 1854, the toll bridge
was washed away and the free bridge also fell victim to the mighty Grand soon thereafter. Fortunately, no one was on either bridge at the time they fell.
City fathers decided to take a step back for a time and again establish a ferry for vehicles and heavy loads while building the first footbridge at the site.
The current bridge built in 1908, was damaged during an ice flow a couple of decades ago, and was changed from a T.H.&B. rail bridge to a walking bridge between Eagle Place and West Brant. The new bridge is to be part of the revitalization of the entire area into a huge entertainment district.
Construction of the new walking bridge will begin soon, upon the demolition of the old Iron Bridge.
Underlying all this industry and planning is the remaining Six Nations’ land claim questioning the legitimacy of the Nathan Gage claim to ownership of the Grand River Flats. The “flats” include not only the river and its bridges in this location, but also the land on which the Casino, Parking Garage, Earl Haig Park, Civic Centre and the plaza across Market Street where Tim Hortons is.
This remains one of the existing land claims registered with the government as still unresolved.
According to an article published on the City University of New York website, “This is the Nathan Gage land claim, a 20-acre plot of land on the southwest edge of the Brantford town plot, which the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Confederacy say was never surrendered.
In 1830, with their territory being increasingly overrun with non-Native squatters, the Haudenosaunee Six Nations Confederacy Chiefs agreed to surrender 600 acres of land
to the Upper Canadian government. In exchange, the Upper Canadian government was to remove non-Native squatters from unsurrendered Haudenosaunee territory and relocate them to this 600acre tract of land. As lands that had already been leased out for the limited purposes of hosting a Grist Mill, this 20-acre plot was never part of the surrender agreement. After verbally agreeing to the 600-acre surrender, the Upper Canadian government presented the chiefs with a document stating that 807 acres and not 600 acres, would be surrendered. There was no map attached to the document, as was required by Upper Canada's own surrender procedures. Per
DONNA DURIC donna@tworowtimes.com
Six Nations residents and elected council say they do not want the remains of convicted killer Nicholas Shipman to be buried on the reserve.
Shipman, who was involved in a triple homicide that rocked the Six Nations community in 2018, died as an inmate at Millhaven Institution Regional Treatment Centre on Oct. 2, according to the Correctional Service of Canada.
He was 43 years old. He had had been serving a sentence of 18 years, since March 10, 2022.
The inmate’s next of kin have been notified. CSC has not released the cause of death.
“As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances,” CSC said in a new release. “CSC policy requires that the
police and the coroner be notified.”
An anonymous post on a Six Nations community group on Facebook asked the community to think of the victims as news of Shipman’s death spread and not to target the family of the killer.
Shipman was serving a sentence for manslaughter in the deaths of Melissa Miller, Alan Porter, and Michael Jamieson.
“Thoughts and prayers are with the Miller, Jamieson and Porter families and everyone who has and continues to be impacted by this senseless tragedy.”
Shipman was originally charged with second-degree murder but ended up convicted of manslaughter and was sentenced to 18 years for the crimes.
Shipman was one of two people charged with second-degree murder in the Oct. 29, 2018 triple homicide of Melissa Miller, 37, (who was seven months pregnant at the time of her death), Alan Porter, 33, and
Michael Jamieson, 32.
The three victims were found in a truck near the Oneida Nation of the Thames in November 2018.
Shipman was jailed on Nov. 3, 2018 after being caught on other charges and he ended up pleading guilty to three counts of manslaughter, resulting in the 18-year sentence.
His girlfriend at the time, Jamie Beaver, was also originally charged with second-degree murder in Miller’s death, but pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. She had been sentenced to time served (48 months) and a three-year peace bond. She’s been free since Nov. 5, 2021.
Miller and Porter suffered fatal stab wounds. Jamieson was shot in the chest. The murders were said to have taken place at a trailer owned by Kirsten Bomberry, who was cleared of charges of being an accessory after the fact.
By Benjamin Doolittle, U.E.
In 1784, the Crown granted the Grand River lands “for the use of the Mohawk Nation and their posterity forever.”
That covenant, confirmed by Canada in 1791, remains the constitutional foundation of this country.
The problem is—Canada forgot it.
When Governor Frederick Haldimand issued his Proclamation on October 25, 1784, he kept a wartime promise.
The Mohawk Nation, loyal allies of the Crown during the American Revolution, had lost their New York homelands.
To restore them “to the same state as before hostilities,” the Crown substituted lands along the Grand River “for the use of the Mohawk Nation and their posterity forever.”
When Canada confirmed that Proclamation on December 24, 1791, it accepted more than a gift of land—it accepted a constitutional obligation. In that moment, the Mohawk Nation and the Crown became the twin pillars of Canada’s legitimacy.
Remove either pillar, and the structure of the state loses its lawful footing.
A Misnamed Treaty
Modern institutions often describe the Haldimand Proclamation as a “treaty” with the Six Nations. It was not.
The Proclamation explicitly names the Mohawk Nation, inviting only that “such others of the Six Nations as may wish to settle among them” could join. In Wilkes v. Jackson-Dodem—an 18th-century case involving the same instrument— the court confirmed that this phrase did not create a collective body politic. The rights were hereditary and individual, not collective.
Hereditary Rights, Not a Band or a Clan
The heirs named in the Haldimand covenant are not a political band, not even a single community. They are the posterity of the Mohawk Loyalists— families who stood with the Crown. Two and a half centuries later, those descendants are diverse and global. Some live on the Grand River; others might live unknowingly in London, Beijing, or Nairobi. Their rights are hereditary, not ethnic. Because the covenant is a royal legal instrument, its beneficiaries are defined by lineal proof, not by clan systems or Indian Act registration. The Haldimand
document was drafted under European legal logic—akin to a lettre patente—and created a distinct class of Loyalist Mohawk posterity whose entitlement is juridical, not administrative.
That means the Six Nations Band Council, or any list created under the Indian Act, cannot lawfully claim “exclusive use and enjoyment” under the Proclamation. It lacks completeness; it cannot represent every heir. To treat it as the rights-holder is to disenfranchise the many descendants—wherever they now live—who carry that lawful inheritance. Dorchester’s Correction Recognizing the flaw in the Proclamation, Lord Dorchester in 1789 established a formal system to verify Loyalist descent: those who could prove lineage were entitled to append “U.E.” (Unity of Empire) to their names. This was the Crown’s administrative solution to the “fatal flaw” of unnamed beneficiaries. The United Empire Loyalist Association of Canada (UELAC) continues that role today. It remains the Crown’s only lawful process for verifying hereditary descent and confirming who the “posterity” are. No band list,
registry, or collective claim can override that original verification.
1924: The Year of Erasure
In 1924, Ottawa amended the Indian Act, abolished hereditary councils, and installed an Indian Act Band Council at Six Nations.
RCMP officers raided the council house, seized wampum belts, genealogical records, and meeting minutes—the physical proof of descent—and declared the traditional government “dissolved.” That act replaced lineage with registration, and heritage with administration. Roughly 300 Mohawk Loyalists petitioned the Governor General that same year, invoking their rights as Haldimand posterity. The Crown acknowledged their standing, but Ottawa buried the implications. Since then, the covenant has been treated as a relic rather than the constitutional cornerstone that it is.
The National Shadow Canada’s political psyche carries a shadow: its denial of the covenant that made it legitimate. Every land acknowledgement, every reconciliation pledge, is haunted by the omission of the words “Mohawk Nation and their posterity.”
Universities repeat the misstatement that the Haldimand Proclamation was a treaty to “Six Nations,” perpetuating historical inaccuracy and legal confusion. Municipalities tax property that legally belongs to Mohawk posterity. Even Canadian citizens, by swearing allegiance to the Crown, are bound to uphold a constitutional order that includes this covenant— but most have never been told.
The Law Remembers Under Section 52(1) of the Constitution Act (1982), any law inconsistent with the Constitution is void.
The Manitoba Language Reference confirmed that unconstitutional frameworks may function only under temporary necessity, not legitimacy. By that logic, any title, permit, or public work on the Haldimand Tract issued without Mohawk consent is constitutionally defective.
Recent cases on fee-simple defects and unjust enrichment reaffirm this principle: no downstream purchaser can “cure” a defective root of title. When the defect is constitutional, the only cure is consent— or restitution.
Restoration, Not Rebellion
Restoration is not removal—it’s legality. It means reinstating Dorchester’s verification process, recognizing the exclusive use and enjoyment of verified Mohawk posterity, and converting occupation into leasehold, compensation, or consent-based tenure.
Universities, corporations, and municipalities can remain, but lawfully— under the covenant they stand upon.
To restore the Haldimand Covenant is not to undo Canada. It is to restore the balance that made Canada possible. Constitutional duty Inside the community, the word “Loyalist” still carries stigma. Outside it, the covenant is forgotten. Yet Queen Anne’s communion set, Queen Elizabeth II’s 2010 silver bells, and the enduring “U.E.” designation all testify to a 300year alliance still in effect.
To deny that covenant is to deny the honour of the Crown itself. To restore it is to fulfill Canada’s first and most sacred constitutional duty.
Loyal then. Loyal now. Loyal forever. The honour of the Crown still rests on the river it promised to the Mohawk Nation and their posterity forever.
All Six Nations of the Grand River departments will be closed on
TREATY DAY Monday, October 27, 2025. Regular office hours will resume Tuesday, October 28 @ 8:30am.
Pkg! includes: $200 Grocer y Gift Card
Election of one (1) Non Community Resident (Off -Reserve) Board of Trustee Member.
National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak responded to media reports that sacred First Nations items currently in the Vatican Museum will be repatriated by December 2025.
“The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is in discussions to repatriate a number of First Nations items from the Vatican Museum,” said Nepinak. “There are many logistical issues that need to be addressed, as well as
important matters around First Nations protocols to ensure the return and transfer of sacred items is done in the proper way.
“For First Nations, these items are not artifacts. They are living, sacred pieces of our
cultures and ceremonies and must be treated as the invaluable objects that they are. We appreciate the collaborative efforts of all the parties involved as this work is very important to First Nations. To minimize the possibility of misinformation around this logistically complicated matter, we will only announce further details once confirmed.”
The AFN is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern.
usual, the chiefs asked that the surrender document be read and explained to them before they signed it; but the Indian Agent refused to read or explain the document. Instead, the Indian Agent pressured the chiefs to sign the document right away, insisting that it was urgent and the Governor expected it be done and that there was no time for further consideration of the document.
Having made clear their verbal agreement to surrender 600 acres to Upper Canada, twenty-nine Chiefs signed the document on April 19, 1830, believing that the written document reflected their verbal agreement. Besides misrepresenting the acreage specified in the document, the Upper Canadian government neither compensated the Haudenosaunee Six Nations for this land, nor upheld its end of the bargain by removing the squatters from Haudenosaunee Six Nations territory - the whole point of the surrender in the first place. About a decade
later in February 1840, the Crown issued free letters patent to Nathan Gage. The Haudenosaunee Six Nations have never received compensation for this land.
Though the Haudenosaunee Six Nations have ample grounds for challenging the surrender of this 20 acres, the Canadian government denies wrong doing on the part of the Upper Canadian government. However, the Canadian government is in agreement with the Haudenosaunee that compensation was never made to the Haudenosaunee for these lands. Despite this admission, Canada has not yet made a serious move to settle the Nathan Gage land claim.”
The land in question includes part of the Nathan Gage Land Claim, which stems back to the early 1800’s. In a report released by Six Nations Lands & Resources, entitled Land Rights: A Global Solution for the Six Nations of the Grand River, “The purported land alienations of the Town
Plot of Brantford (April 19, 1830) and part of the Township of Brantford (April 2, 1835) to resolve the problem of squatters on Six Nations lands are deemed by Six Nations as void as their purpose was never fulfilled.”
Furthermore, “failure to have the alienations deemed as invalid will result in a lot-by-lot analysis having to be done to determine if full and fair compensation was paid for each transaction and held in trust for the continued use and benefit of the Six Nations Indians.”
Canada has acknowledged the land claim. “On February 25, 2009, Canada agreed with Six Nations that the 20 acres of the Nathan Gage Lands within the Town Plot of Brantford, were intended for leasing purposes and have never been paid for.” The Nathan Gage lands include parts of Icomm Drive, the Brantford Casino, the Branford Civic Centre and areas on the south side of Colborne Street.
winter hours, the
6th Line West of Chiefswood Road on the South Side.
the SNFA office at 519-445-0022 if you would like flint corn picked, bagged and ready for pickup.
Please write your name, group and number of participants in the booklet provided for our records.
SAULT: Phillip Michael November 2, 1942 - October 17, 2025
It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Phillip Sault, also affectionately known as “Dr. Phil”, who went home to be with the Lord on October 17, 2025, at the age of 82.
Born in Welland, Ontario, and a long-time resident of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Phil was a man remembered for his unwavering faith, hard work, and steadfast love for his family.
Beloved husband of Linda Sault, devoted father to Scott King, Tammy Sault (Christine Court), and Lisa Kirk (Dewy Kirk). Proud grandfather to Austin Sault (Shaina Skye), Jordan Martin (Cate), and Colby King. Cherished great-grandfather to Tavian Sault, George, Neela, and Victoria Martin as well as a special uncle to Evan, Cameron, and Jesse.
Phil was a hardworking man who spent many years as a truck driver for Laidlaw and VanAmerongen, always rising early without complaint to provide for his family. Along with driving truck, he served as Pastor at Chiefswood Christian Fellowship, where he guided others with humility, faith, and love, and in the Grace of God’s love.
A man of mighty valour, Phil’s life was defined by his dedication to God, family, and community. He found joy in attending his grandchildren’s sporting events, traveling with his wife to conferences and gatherings, and hosting his beloved music jams. Music is what brought him true happiness, his passion for song and fellowship brought people together in the best way possible.
The family would like to express their heartfelt thanks to everyone who has shown love and support during this difficult time, especially the nurses and PSWs who provided care and compassion along the way. The Palliative Care team, including Dr. Eric Sault, CarePartners, and Bayshore provided incredible support for Phil and his family to enable him to stay in the comfort of his home. A special thank-you to the Community Paramedics from Six Nations. Their reassuring support was pivotal in supporting Phil as he began this journey.
The family will honour his life with visitation at Hyde & Mott Chapel of R.H.B. Anderson Funeral Homes Ltd., 60 Main St. S., Hagersville on Monday from 2-4 and 6-8 pm. where Funeral Service will be held on Tuesday October 21, 2025 at 1pm. Cremation to follow.
A Celebration of Life Music Jam will be held on Saturday, November 15th at 1:00 p.m. at Chiefswood Christian Fellowship. All musicians and friends are warmly invited to attend and celebrate Phil’s life through the music he loved so much.
www.rhbanderson.com Thank you
The I.L. Thomas Home & School Committee would like to thank the Six Nations of the Grand River Economic Development Trust for their generous support through the Grassroots Funding Program. Their contribution made it possible to resurface our school track for our students and community to enjoy. Nya:węh
Friday October 24th 4 – 7 PM
EAT- IN / TAKE OUT
3103 Third Line $20.00
*Includes dessert
CLUES ACROSS
1. Remark
5. Upper body part
8. Expression of dismissiveness
12. Alternate name 14. Popular beverage 15. Swiss river 16. Step-shaped recess 18. Rocker Stewart 19. Bright shade of color 20. Popular “street” 21. Wrath
22. Heat units
23. Nocturnal omnivorous mammals
26. Fall back into
30. Remove from the record
31. Sound a splash made
32. Popular Dodge pickup model
33. Jamaican river
34. Notable event in Texas history
39. Cool!
42. Subset of Judaism
44. Newly entered cadet
46. Duct in urinary system
47. Exterminator
49. Snatch quickly
50. Have already done
51. Less healthy
56. Therefore
57. What couples say on the altar
58. Mysteriously
59. Look angry or sullen
60. Bird’s beak
61. Taco ingredient
62. Square measures
63. Google certification (abbr.)
64. Singer Hansard
CLUES DOWN
1. Pubs
2. Wings 3. Popular BBQ dish
4. Small sponge cake
5. Open-roofed entrance halls
6. Organize anew
7. Type of wine 8. Forums
9. North Atlantic islands (alt. sp.)
10. Pond dwellers
11. Large integers 13. Signaled 17. Brief
24. Type of student
25. Tibetan monasteries
26. Revolutions per minute
27. NY Giants great Manning
28. Local area network
29. Residue from burning
35. Illuminated
36. Vasopressin
37. Notable space station
38. Wood sorrel
40. Adhering to laws
41. Chose
42. Hovel
43. Stood up
44. European city
45. Works ceaselessly
47. Mistake
48. Sun-dried brick
49. Sicilian city
52. A steep rugged rock or cliff
53. Murder
54. Other
55. “Deadpool” actor Reynolds
ARIES – Mar 21/Apr 20
Timing is everything, Aries. Even though you are anxious to start something big, this might not be the right moment for it. You’ll benefit from stepping back to reassess.
TAURUS – Apr 21/May 21
You are craving comfort, but growth is just outside of your range, Taurus. This week, a financial focus pays off. Don’t ignore your gut when it comes to a financial matter.
GEMINI – May 22/Jun 21
You may be charming and magnetic right now, Gemini, but are you paying attention to what other people are saying? It’s time to listen more than you’re speaking.
CANCER – Jun 22/Jul 22
Emotions are running strong right now, Cancer. It is alright to be passionate. Your intuition will be heightened, but do your best to take a measured approach in the days ahead.
LEO – Jul 23/Aug 23
Leo, it’s important to remember that, while the spotlight loves you, not every stage is meant for a solo. Share the attention midweek and others will love you even more for it.
VIRGO – Aug 24/Sept 22
Virgo, perfection can wait right now, even if you are craving ultimate order. Embrace progress even if it doesn’t come in a polished form. Say yes to a new opportunity.
LIBRA – Sept 23/Oct 23
Libra, you are balancing a dozen things. This seems like a pattern for you, but avoid overextending yourself. Speak up and advocate for your needs.
SCORPIO – Oct 24/Nov 22
You are focused and quiet working behind the scenes this week, Scorpio. Some people need to be flashy with fanfare, but that’s not you right now. Relish in the quiet success.
SAGITTARIUS – Nov 23/Dec 21
You might be fired up with fresh ideas, Sagittarius. Just be sure your vision is rooted in reality. Write it down and stay open to feedback. It’s best to avoid spontaneity right now.
CAPRICORN – Dec 22/Jan 20
Capricorn, you’re bound to tire out if you don’t pace yourself. Delegate things when you can, especially by the end of the week. A surprise compliment at work brings joy.
AQUARIUS – Jan 21/Feb 18
Aquarius, let your curiosity lead you somewhere new. Someone different from your usual crowd could offer unique insight that you hadn’t considered previously.
PISCES – Feb 19/Mar 20
Pisces, creative energy is high right now, especially around Wednesday. You’re close to a creative breakthrough, but you might need a practical play to get there.
