Volume 18, Issue 1

35 years of grumbling

It has been 35 years since the Crees signed the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. Why it only seems like yesterday to many. This Agreement was hailed as the first modern treaty. Indeed it is the model many Aboriginal groups around the world use as a base for their ... read more ››

5 for Five

It’s that time of the year again. Halloween decorations have long been put away. The snow has replaced the rains and the lights have come on and the ornaments dusted off. I asked five people about their favourites for the holiday season. Edna Neeposh has maybe one of the busiest ... read more ››

Celebrating the entrepreneurs

A special event was held at Hotel Forestel in Val-d’Or, on November 6, promoted by the regional Community Futures Development Corporation: Eeyou Economic Group. It was a gala event focussing on the theme “The Power of Tomorrow” and based on our Cree culture and values. As the Eeyou Economic Group’s ... read more ››

Dust and dignity

The dust was the thing that got me in the end. Wafts of fine red powder that drifted gently on the breeze after the slightest disturbance instantly churned into billowing, choking clouds whenever a vehicle spun by in the opposite direction on the unpaved track. I was in the back box ... read more ››

Final countdown

As each side of the debate over whether the Cree should allow an uranium exploration project on Cree territory gears up to present its position at the November 23-25 consultations on the Matoush Project, concerned parties are lining up to have their say on the matter. This will be the second ... read more ››

From Hero To Zero

Toronto’s 10th annual ImagiNative Film & Media Arts Festival in 2009, had as its opening film, Reel Injun. Film festivals usually put up their guest filmmakers at fine hotels, get them rides to all the happenings, ply them with drinks all night long and make them feel like what Johnny ... read more ››

Innu leaders threaten Hydro-Québec with global campaign

The Innu leadership is cautioning Hydro-Québec that they will engage in a global publicity campaign similar to the one the Cree staged in the 1990s should the crown corporation fail to address their concerns over a large-scale project on Innu territory. On November 1, Innu leaders from northeastern Quebec made it ... read more ››

Makin bacon

One of the many things I enjoy in life, just like other people around the globe, is making a decent buck or two. In the world of today, making money is either getting harder to do or easier, depends on who you talk to. Like everyone can tell, there are ... read more ››

Of mice and men

It’s four in the morning, the room is dark and quiet as I lie still in my bed. I am in a cabin in the wilderness and in complete silence except that I can hear scurrying and scratching in the walls. The sounds move from the ceiling to my right, ... read more ››

One step forward, two steps back

Since the end of June, homeless individuals with substance-abuse issues have been without a place to lay their heads at night after the temporary facility that the city of Val-d’Or provided for them closed its doors. There is now hope that these already marginalized and mainly Aboriginal individuals may get ... read more ››

Strateco discovers more uranium near Chibougamau

Strateco has announced that it has found more uranium deposits near Chibougamau in the form of a high-grade lens 1.5 km south of the three known high-grade lenses at the Matoush Project. According to the company, on November 2 exploration of Hole MT-10-011 was completed and the presence of the new ... read more ››

The James Bay Agreement:

It was 35 years ago that a young Chief would help shape the destiny of the Cree Nation. Robert Kanatewat, Chief of Fort George, was one of the signatories to the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. On the eve of the 35th anniversary, I sat down with him ... read more ››

Thompson Highway plays rereleased in Cree

Acclaimed Cree playwright Thompson Highway has just released two of his most famous plays in his mother tongue of Cree. The two plays, The Rez Sisters and Dry Lips Oughta Move to Kapuskasing, became available in Cree as of November 8 though they have been available in English and French since ... read more ››

Working the Network

The Montreal Urban Aboriginal Community Strategy Network has just been officially launched to ensure that the 18,000 Aboriginals in the Greater Montreal Area get their needs met and are properly consulted when it comes to addressing their needs. While anyone moving to an urban setting like Montreal experiences some difficulty adjusting ... read more ››