APTN Investigates

The 10-year anniversary of Standing Rock continues on Retrospectives, as @DennisWardNews joins host Brittany Guyot to discuss AFTER STANDING ROCK—the second of his two episodes reporting from the front lines of a historic moment in Indigenous resistance. youtu.be/AFfWbZMMtyw?si…

On Retrospectives, @DennisWardNews joins host Brittany Guyot to discuss CLASH AT STANDING ROCK—the first of his two APTN Investigates episodes reporting from the front lines in North Dakota. youtu.be/X7UOnHYH750

It’s been 10 years since Standing Rock, a historic gathering of land and water protectors resisting the Dakota Access pipeline that captured international attention. youtu.be/BivvWlziJN4?si…

APTN Investigates: Taxing Sovereignty - Watch here: youtu.be/OYciPywwJ7c?si…

Kevin Deer has no problem with people making a living, but he doesn't like that the tobacco industry has brought an economic imbalance to his community. He invokes the A Dish with One Spoon Wampum, which says that resources must be shared equally.

APTN Investigates: Crisis at Cross Lake - Watch here: youtu.be/nIETbX_GSNE?si…

Pimicikamak Cree Nation Chief David Monias on the toll his community’s state of emergency is taking on band members. Along with the power outage in December, the community was also forced to evacuate this past summer from the Manitoba wildfires.

APTN Investigates: Crisis at Cross Lake - Watch here: youtu.be/nIETbX_GSNE?..…

The opening lines and title to William Osborne’s protest song that went viral on the Pimicikamak Cree Nation in northern Manitoba. Osborne wrote the song in response to a controversial statement made by Manitoba Hydro about the potential cause of the power outage.

Taxing Sovereignty - Watch here: youtu.be/OYciPywwJ7c?si…

Quebec calls Rainbow Tobacco's products "contraband" and has recently been seizing their deliveries. Rainbow's owner Robbie Dickson says selling and transporting duty-free tobacco to other First Nations is a treaty right, and he is suing the province.

Taxing Sovereignty - Watch here: youtu.be/OYciPywwJ7c?si…

While good for the local economy, the Mohawk tobacco trade has led to a lot of wealth concentrated within just a few individuals. The Kahnawà:ke Mohawk Territory’s council is hoping to repurpose some of that money with a community-led Tobacco Law.

APTN Investigates: Crisis at Cross Lake - Watch here: youtu.be/nIETbX_GSNE?si…

Pimicikamak band councillor Vivian Scott speaks about the emotional toll the state of emergency and evacuation has had on the people in her community. When the crisis first hit Cross Lake, Scott helped out at the gas station, standing in the cold to direct the long lineups.

For decades Mohawk tobacco manufacturers have been making big profits while fending off charges over selling tax free cigarettes. APTN Investigates peeks into the industry as a Mohawk tobacco entrepreneur sues Quebec for seizing his products. Watch here: youtu.be/OYciPywwJ7c

Taxing Sovereignty by Jeff Dorn, Tom Fennario and Savanna Craig – Premiering March 28, 2026. Watch here: youtu.be/SXaJgeWu8Yo

Robbie Dickson, president of Rainbow Tobacco in Kahnawà:ke, is suing the Quebec government for $8.1 million over their repeated seizures of his products and vehicles. He says his lawsuit is about more than money, it's about Mohawk sovereignty.

Mohawk tobacco manufacturing creates a lot of employment. For instance, Wendy Deer has been working in the industry since 2003. She says the money is good, she gets paid time off, and best of all, her commute is short. Taxing Sovereignty – Premiering March 28, 2026

Rainbow Tobacco is a Mohawk-owned cigarette manufacturing business in Kahnawà:ke, just south of Montreal. By all accounts, they are a very successful business... but the province of Quebec considers their products to be contraband. Taxing Sovereignty – Premiering March 28, 2026