WARNING: This story contains distressing details. A year has passed since Cowessess First Nation Chief Cadmus Delorme announced to Canada that what are believed to be 751 unmarked graves had been found at the site of the former Marieval Indian Residential School, about 140 kilometres east of Regina. Media outlets from across the globe covered the story, featuring the First Nation in documentaries about the […]
Samwel Uko’s family continues search for justice from the system that failed their son
By Omayra Issa, Alexander Quon Taken. That’s how the parents of Samwel Uko describe the loss of their 20-year-old son. Joice Guya Issa Bankando and Taban Uko have not spoken publicly about their son’s death since his body was found in Regina’s Wascana Lake two years ago — a death they believe is the result […]
Regina mother, poverty experts say Saskatchewan’s social safety net is falling behind
Miranda Hanus can barely afford the Regina basement apartment she lives in. The pandemic has only made matters worse. “The last year and a half has been really rough and uncertain. It’s been very hard to make plans for the future,” Hanus said. She said the Saskatchewan Income Support (SIS) cheque she gets every month […]
Black on the Prairies: Editor’s letter
The retreating sun lit up in the unique kaleidoscope of pinks and oranges you only see on the Prairies. It took a final bow, disappearing over the seemingly endless Prairie horizon of Duck Lake, Sask. July’s warmth enveloped the place. As I watched, I thought of how Black people have seen the same sun waltz […]
How climate change is causing grief, anxiety and depression
Diana Violet Bird reaches for a rosehip as she patiently teaches her nine-year-old daughter how to forage for edible wild plants in the forest. “When the flowers fall off, you get what’s called a rosehip,” she told her. “Rosehip is so good for you — it is medicine.” Bird, who is from Montreal Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, grew up […]
How Indigenous communities are working to boost COVID-19 vaccine rates
Alana Kennedy knows the toll COVID-19 takes. The virus spread through her family a few months ago. Kennedy, her mom, her dad and her niece all got sick. “We were all isolating together at my parents’ place and I was scared. We were all scared,” she said. Her mother is still in the hospital in […]