2009
Jan. 2: Two union associations compete to unionize workers at Cree childcare centres
Jan. 16: Plan Nord scrutinized – Quebec premier Jean Charest causes alarm by referring to his proposed northern development plan as an “occupation”
– Justice gains ground at Barriere Lake. Protesters on Parliament Hill dispute Ottawa’s refusal to recognize the Algonquin community’s interim leader Benjamin Nottaway, imprisoned for civil disobedience
Jan. 30: The global economic crisis hits the Crees as the Cree Nation Trust loses $140-million in value during the stock market crash
– After nine years, the plight of children attending an uninsulated “temporary” school in Attawapiskat is exposed at the UN
Feb. 13: Mr. Yes Man – newly appointed Senator Patrick Brazeau defends the federal budget and declares that there are “errors” in Aboriginal thinking
March 27: The Nation speaks to home-renovation TV star Mike Holmes, keynote speaker at the Cree Construction Conference
– Trekking the Cree coastline – Crees, young and old, make an epic walk along Eeyou Istchee’s Hudson and James Bay waterfronts
April 10: Attawapiskat declares a state of emergency after its old elementary school is torn down, releasing massive amounts of toxic benzene into the atmosphere
– The Cree Environmental Internship Program is introduced to facilitate career opportunities in this crucial field
April 24: Indigenous Russians travel to Eeyou Istchee to learn how to survive corporate natural-resource extraction projects
May 8: Birth of a new Cree energy company – the Grand Council Board of Compensation unanimously passes a resolution to create Eeyou Power
May 22: Body count rising – the Native Women’s Association of Canada wins public attention for the tragic stories of missing and murdered Aboriginal women
– The kids aren’t alright –a new fitness program is introduced in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation to help address youth health problems
June 5: Balancing the scales of justice – a Chisasibi Cree is named chief judge for California First Nations community
June 19: Ashley Iserhoff kicks off his campaign for a second term as Deputy Grand Chief
– An inspiring force: Chief Billy Diamond makes friends and influences people at an event to encourage the leaders of tomorrow
July 3: The Cree community of Oujé-Bougoumou is finally granted full community member status under the Cree-Naskapi Act
July 17: Climate change criminals – Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions are helping to kill the future of the poorest people on the planet
July 31: Digging for justice: ground is broken for new justice centres in Mistissini and Waswanipi
Aug. 28: Getting to know you – Stanley George defeats two opponents to become the new Chief of Whapmagoostui
– The Young Artist Warrior exhibit at Montreal’s Native Friendship Centre teaches a revealing lesson in empowerment and pride
Sept. 11: Traditional garments on the catwalk – Mohawk fashion designer Tammy Beauvais celebrates 10 years of success by teaching her trade to Native youth
Sept. 25: A nation mourns Albert Diamond – the Air Creebec president dies suddenly at age 58
Oct. 9: Cree filmmaker Neil Diamond explores Hollywood’s long and dubious history of portraying the North American Native in his smash documentary hit, Reel Injun
Nov. 20: Goal achieved – the First Nations Bank of Canada reaches its ownership objective
Dec. 4: Dam doors lowered on the Rupert River – Crees gather to witness the controversial diversion by Hydro-Quebec of a historical transportation route and food source
Dec. 18: Cream of the Crop – four Quebec Natives win National Aboriginal Achievement Awards
2010
Jan. 1: In his state of the Cree Nation address, Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come challenges Eeyou Istchee to seize the opportunity “to become the major force in the economic, political and social life of northern Quebec.”
Jan. 15: (Borderlines) Nasty, brutish and short – the death of Daniel Wolfe, the founder and leader of the notorious Indian Posse street gang, provides a stark warning
Jan. 29: Selling the Plan Nord to the Crees – Natural Resources Minister Nathalie Normandeau visits Mistissini to promote the vision of northern resource development
Feb. 12: The federal government launches a legal manoeuvre to shut down a human rights tribunal examining the underfunding of First Nations child-welfare programs
Feb. 26: Cree power play – five Cree communities become partners in the new Eeyou Power corporation
March 12: Olympic fever – over 90 Crees attend the Vancouver Winter Olympics to perform, share, learn and celebrate
March 26: Ellen Gabriel analyzes the throne speech – “It’s like saying we are concerned about your health, but we don’t care about the air you breathe or the water you drink.”
– Many across Eeyou Istchee mourn popular Waskanish Chief Robert James Weistche after he suddenly passes away
April 9: Making a masterpiece – CerAmony’s Matthew Iserhoff discusses the first album from the innovative Cree music group
April 23: Cree connectivity – the announcement of a new broadband fibre-optic network opens the way for Eeyou Istchee to win high-speed access to the online world
May 7: Canada’s shame – the federal government of Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper stubbornly refuses to sign the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, making Canada a lonely pariah state on a crucial human rights issue
May 21: The Crees, Quebec government and environmental specialists strike a united front in an effort to rehabilitate Oujé-Bougoumou water bodies contaminated by decades of toxic pollution from unregulated mining operations
June 18: High-profile youth leader Shannen Noella Jane Koostachin saddens a generation after her sudden death
August 13: A place to call home – Washaw Sibi selects land base to build a new Cree community
–Barriere Lake unites in opposition on a barricade over the federal government’s imposition of Indian Act elections
August 27: Hear them roar – Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association unites women from all Cree communities at the upcoming general assembly in Val-d’Or
Sept. 10: Back in the saddle – Abraham Rupert discusses his re-election as Chief of Chisasibi
–Roger Orr celebrates the adoption of a resolution at the Annual General Assembly to protect traditional Cree spiritual practices employed to help treat substance abuse
Oct. 8: Federal government withholds crucial funding from a $10-million budget earmarked for Canada’s missing and murdered Aboriginal women
Oct. 22: Losing a legend – the first Grand Chief of the Cree Nation, Billy Diamond, dies at age 61; Bill Namagoose reflects on the life and times of his dear friend
Nov. 5: Mohawk musician, composer, conductor, producer, social activist and energy executive John Kim Bell is honoured with a lifetime achievement award at the Aboriginal People’s Choice Awards
– Sounding the alarm – the Cree Health Board launches a public health campaign as it releases alarming statistics about type 2 diabetes, including a 25-year projection of the epidemic spread of the disease in the Cree community in 25 years, and to address the problem
Nov. 19: (editorial) 35 years after the signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
Dec. 3: Keeping the spirit world alive – Harry Snowboy launches a book about his life as a shaman
– Bowing to pressure – Canada finally signs the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples but some question the government’s commitment to respect its recommendations
Dec. 17: Eeyou Istchee honours Smally Petawabano, a former Mistissini chief and a signatory of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, after he passes away
– Journalist kicks open the Cree closet – “I didn’t choose to be gay,” declares CBC North broadcaster Roderick Rabbitskin. “It’s just who I am.”
Dec. 31: Standing up to section 74 – Algonquins of Barriere Lake hit Parliament Hill to protest a “puppet council”
2011
Jan. 14: Not just a “screaming Indian on a horse” – Actor Nathaniel Arcand talks about his new TV series Blackstone, and the life of a Native actor in the Western world
– Dollars and ideology – Osoyoos First Nations Chief Clarence Louie wins an Aboriginal Business Hall of Fame Award by promoting free market solutions in Native communities
Jan. 28: The Truth and Reconciliation Commission provides an opportunity to residential school survivors in the north to speak up and be heard
Feb. 11: Mistissini’s justice facility opens for business, marking an important milestone on the road to Cree sovereignty
Feb. 25: The way we were – Together We Stand Firm, a documentary about the contentious negotiations for the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, is released and opens a window on the past, focusing on the key players at a critical moment of Cree history
March 11: Golden opportunity – The Crees and Goldcorp strike an agreement for mining development
March 25: One step closer – the Washaw Sibi community makes progress toward the founding of a 10th Cree community
April 8: National spotlight – Cree rockers CerAmony score a Juno Award for Best Aboriginal Recording
–The Cree Health Board targets the chief cause of the Cree diabetes epidemic: obesity
April 22: Elite achievement – Neil Diamond’s documentary film Reel Injun wins a prestigious Peabody Award
– Standing proud – Guillaume Sylvestre’s documentary Sauvage offers an astute portrayal of Aboriginals in Quebec
May 6: Fighting for the land – Mistissini organizes political battle for a moratorium on uranium mining
May 20: Romeo Saganash becomes the first James Bay Cree to win a seat in Parliament during the “orange crush” breakthrough for the federal New Democratic Party of Jack Layton
July 1: Plugged in – the Telecom Conference showcases Eeyou Istchee’s digital future
July 15: Creative gem – Tim Whiskeychan employs multimedia to bring his artistic vision to life
July 31: Big screen history – Montreal’s groundbreaking Native film festival sizzles during the summer heat
August 12: Redemption and rediscovery during the midsummer heat at Heavy MTL
– Road warriors – The Nation chronicles the cross-Canada Walkers 4 Justice
August 26: Inspiration at the AGA – handicapped Cree does what he can to help disease research
Sept. 12: Improving the game – Mistissini hockey camp increases the chances of success for young Cree players
Sept. 26: Everything’s changing – report on climate change in Eeyou Istchee highlights the rapidly changing northern environment
Oct. 8: Saganash for PM? Cree MP launches his campaign for the federal NDP leadership after the death from cancer of popular leader Jack Layton
Nov. 4: Marrying sports and studies – 1,200 Cree students are excel on the ice and in the classroom via Quebec’s Sport-études program
Nov. 18: Making an impact – former NHL player and coach John Chabot returns to the north to rekindle his hockey passion
Dec. 2: A bridge to the past – Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute opens in Oujé-Bougoumou
Dec. 30: Is the current Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan up to the job? (Reactions from people attending the Special Chiefs Assembly of the Assembly of First Nations)
2012
Jan. 13: Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come says Eeyou Istchee is undergoing a historic evolution in his annual State of the Cree Nation interview.
Jan. 27: (analysis) What the UN can and can’t do to help Canada’s First Nations – “If Indigenous people do not have the political will or desire to make change, it simply will not happen.”
Feb. 10: Meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper leaves First Nations leaders disappointed. “It was little more than a photo op designed to deflect outrage [over] Attawapiskat.”
– Fact-finding mission – Wemindji chief and the Nation visit Guatemala to get a better understanding of Goldcorp mining operations
Feb. 24: Democracy denied – Barriere Lake residents continue their battle against federal interference; dozens arrested for blocking the main highway connecting Val-d’Or to the south
March 9: Fear in the hallways – New programs tackle bullying in Cree schools. “The bully never remembers. But the victim never forgets.”
March 23: A new leader – Davey Bobbish elected as Chief of Chisasibi
April 6: Housing for humanity – Though new prefabs arrive in crisis-stricken Attawapiskat, many residents remain homeless
April 20: Dance like a butterfly – rising Liberal star Justin Trudeau pummels Native Senator Patrick Brazeau into submission during a high-profile charity boxing match
May 4: No access – an effort to report on a Plan Nord event in Montreal is stymied after an aggressive police face-off with journalists
– Looming demise – the story behind the anticipated closing of Montreal’s Native Friendship Centre
May 18: A well-loved leader – MoCreebec mourns the passing of Chief Randy Kapashesit
June 1: Let them eat caribou –federal government makes clear its lack of concern over First Nations food-security issues
June 15: Radioactive rejection – Mistissini reaches consensus on the need to stop uranium-mining project in its territory
– Not like the others: the charismatic Joshua Iserhoff is elected as Eeyou Istchee’s new Youth Grand Chief
June 29: Nursing success: Nurse-training program in Chibougamau boasts 100% graduation rate
July 13: Attawapiskat residents are optimistic that a ground-breaking ceremony for a new school symbolizes a better future after a grim record of federal government neglect
July 27: Echoes of a Proud Nation’s many colours – Kahnawake’s 12th annual powwow serves up a feast for the eyes and belly
August 10: Historic advance – Quebec and Cree sign landmark Governance Agreement at a National Assembly ceremony
August 24: (editorial) The secular mask of racism, on Parti Québécois leader Pauline Marois’s introduction on the Charter of Secularism to her electoral platform
Sept. 7: Saving the shelter – The Native Friendship Centre of Montreal finds a solution for survival in a new home
– Fighting foetal alcohol syndrome: new strategies to treat the tragedy
Sept. 21: Let’s start digging – Stornoway moves closer to opening diamond mine
Oct. 5: Youth emancipation – charity and youth movement Free the Children wins support and spirits in Eeyou Istchee
Oct. 19: Canadian government spends $3-million to fight efforts to address federal underfunding of Native child welfare services at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.
Nov. 2: Means was mean but meant well – Remembering the late AIM leader Russell Means
Nov. 16: Mining windfall for Waswanipi – An exploration agreement opens the door for a Vancouver mining company to prospect for gold in Eeyou Istchee
Nov. 30: From foreclosure to sustainability – Waswanipi’s Kevin Blacksmith recognized as entrepreneur of the year
Dec. 28: Northern shipping routes – climate change opens polar passage to international marine traffic
2013
Jan. 11: Idle No More – The Nation interviews Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Spence during her historic hunger strike
Jan. 25: Struggle for unity – a First Nations Summit with Prime Minister Harper sparks a painful debate between Native leaders and an energized grassroots movement
Feb. 8: Snow Trek – Cree youth brave the winter elements on an epic winter walk from Whapmagoostui to Ottawa for Aboriginal rights
Feb. 22: Strateco Resources launches legal challenge to a Quebec government requirement that it obtain “social acceptability” from the Cree before it begins to develop a uranium mine in the Otish Mountains region of Mistissini’s recognized territory
March 8: Silent no more – annual Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women attracts thousands of protesters across Canada
March 22: Revamping sex-education programs in an effort to combat an alarming rate of Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
April 5: Waiters and walkers – The Nation’s first-hand report on the inspiring arrival of the Nishiyuu Walkers at their final destination in Ottawa
May 3: Endangered species – Cree launch a determined effort to preserve declining caribou herds
May 17: Sharing a painful past – Chisasibi’s Ancita Bugden makes a moving statement to the Truth and Reconciliation Committee
May 31: (editorial) The late Elijah Harper, a legacy to honour – The Manitoba Cree, who died at 64, made history with his courageous opposition to the 1987 the Meech Lake Accord that snubbed Canada’s First Nations as a founding people
June 14: Minting Aboriginal art – new $5 silver coin features an image of an Inuit mother and child
June 28: A high-profile police raid in Waswanipi focuses community attention on drugs and crime
July 12: Breaking the silence – The Waswanipi Elders’ Council picks a fight over Elder abuse
July 26: We didn’t stop the fire – Quebec government makes no effort to fight huge forest fires near Eastmain as thousands of hectares of northern forest fall to the flames
August 9: Giving life to the ancestors – Wemindji teacher Theresa Kakabat Georgekish keeps Cree culture alive
August 23: Mohawk artist John Lazare gains international exposure as he prepares to exhibit his work in Paris
Sept. 6: Epidemic of hate – extreme and vicious anti-Native sentiment in the wake of massive and often malicious media coverage of the Idle No More movement’s fight for justice gains viral momentum in online forums across Canada, as unbridled racism wins social acceptance in mainstream Canada
Sept. 20: Historic land agreement finally ushers Oujé-Bougoumou into the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
