Opinion: Press Freedom and Accountability in Peguis
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By James Wastasecoot
Let’s be clear about the path we’re on in terms of an evolving governance model in Peguis. Broadly speaking and upon reference to our policies, specifically the Financial Administration Law, we can say that we’re on the path to democracy. A recent exchange with councillor Sinclair offered a stark reminder of the fragile state of democratic norms in Peguis. Following my editorial on Peguis Child and Family Services in January, she responded:
"Next time you add my name in the paper, ask me first."
At first glance, the request may seem benign, even reasonable. But at its core, it reveals a fundamental misunderstanding of democracy and the role of a free press. Imagine if such a rule were applied across Peguis. If our newspaper were required to seek permission before reporting critically on councillors or other public figures, we would cease to be a free press.
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Cryptocurrencies post is not Sutherland
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By Trevor Greyeyes
I saw Mike Sutherland’s post on Facebook about mining for a cryptocurrency, but I spoke to Sutherland who says his Facebook sight was hacked and that’s not his post.
Don’t invest in any cryptocurrencies offered online.
Needless to say, it’s up to you to do your own due diligence.
Google AI indicates that: 
According to several reports, an estimated 300,000 Facebook accounts are hacked every single day.
Peguis CFS: A Wall of Silence Raises Questions About Transparency
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Editorial
Months after the Peguis Child and Family Services (CFS) Annual General Meeting on September 19, 2024, promises of accountability made to the publisher of Terra Indigena have given way to silence. The agency, tasked with the well-being of some of the most vulnerable members of the Peguis First Nation, has effectively shut the door on public inquiry.
Despite commitments from its director to engage with the community newspaper, Peguis CFS has remained inaccessible. Requests for basic governance documents, including the board policy manual and governance framework, have gone unanswered. The chairperson, Louise McCorrister, has declined to take questions, and Kirk Mann, the agency’s director of communications, has been unresponsive.
Political leadership has offered little reassurance. Councillor Linda Sinclair, who holds the Peguis CFS portfolio, has dismissed concerns about the agency’s transparency, suggesting that critical reporting is “splitting the community.” But accountability is not division. A community cannot be split by the truth—only by efforts to suppress it.
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Who watches our watchers?
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First Nation lobby organizations in free fall like SCO
By Trevor Greyeyes January 30, 2025
I was thinking about the election of Kyra Wilson as the new Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs grand chief.
My question is who watches out for the little guy and gal in all of this?
To get nominated for AMC grand chief, you need seven chiefs to sign your nominating papers. At no time, does input from grassroots First Nations happen.
The nominating and election process has to change.
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs pick leader to move in a different direction
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By Trevor Greyeyes
Winnipeg – Jan 29, 2025 For Kyra Wilson, it was a moment of reckoning as she was declared the winner of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs by-election at the Canad Inns Polo Park on the first ballot.
The room was a blend of generations and everyday First Nation peoples rubbing elbows with elders and former First Nation leaders eager to witness history on January 29, 2025.
The writing was on the wall on the first ballot as vote after vote was called out with “Kyra Wilson.”
She had passed 20 votes easily while her competitors languished in the single digits.
The former Chief of Long Plain First Nation had endured a turbulent political journey to get here.
Her leadership had once been called into question due to the controversy surrounding the 2023 Long Plain election, disrupted by a relentless snowstorm. That election had ultimately been annulled, leading to a by-election and the end of her tenure as Chief. It was a setback that had stung deeply, but Kyra had emerged from it stronger and more resolute.
Her three opponents were the once formidable. Glenn Hudson, once a respected leader of Peguis First Nation, carried the weight of his own controversies—his failed appeal to overturn the 2023 Peguis Chief election had cast a shadow over his candidacy.
Leroy Constant, a former York Factory First Nation Chief, and Bava Dhillon, a current Sapotaweyak Cree Nation band councillor, brought their unique experiences and perspectives to the race. Each candidate was vying for the role left vacant after the untimely passing of Grand Chief Cathy Merrick, the first woman to hold the position and a trailblazer whose legacy loomed large.
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