The geese are flying! And Cree hunters are oiling up their guns, buying supplies, checking out camping equipment and doing what they need to do to take off into the bush with a few unfortunates saying goodbye to the women and having to do their own plucking. Once again Cree communities will become ghost towns for about two or so weeks. So the big news is… who got the first?

In Mistissini, Don MacLeod had gotten the first so many times it was almost becoming a tradition. This year though MacLeod underestimated the arrival of the geese in the territory. MacLeod’s family left for an Easter vacation to visit relatives in Montreal.

Whilst he was gone the honour of the first goose fell to another…

MacLeod. Young Clifford, a nephew of the aforementioned shotgunner. Don, however, did attempt to retain his previous title. “I got lots with my camera,” said MacLeod, saying he had “shot” them before Clifford. “I’m just being a little more concerned with conservation this year,” explained Don.

Clifford MacLeod got Mistissini’s first goose on Sunday, April 12, at 8:00 a.m., according to witness Luke MacLeod. If people wouldn’t say I was jealous, I might try to say this was some sort of MacLeod conspiracy.

In Chisasibi, on Monday April 13, Walter Rupert was rewarded for his vigilance with that community’s first goose. Susie Mowatt, “my spouse,” nicely plucked it, Rupert related to The Nation. The couple has eaten that goose using the boiling method. Rupert told The Nation, “I shot him, I felt good, I felt excited and

this may be a good hunt.” He refused to comment further on any matters relating to this or previous goose hunts. I decided that asking him to comment on Cree politics wouldn’t be wise at this time.

Waskaganish got theirs pretty early on Sunday, April 5. It was Charlie Diamond, who broke the Sabbath with a return to ancient Cree traditions by shooting it when he first saw it.

I phoned Waswanipi’s “most honest guy around here” Paul Dixon. Dixon said it was Sam “Sam the Man” Blacksmith somewhere around April 2, 3 or 4. Dixon also related that another Waswanipi resident tried the Don MacLeod approach. Jerry Ratte apparently took a shot at a goose “three miles away” just so he could claim the dubious honour of being the first Waswanipi-ite to shoot at the “first” goose.

Wemindji saw Danny Tomatuk killing

this year’s first goose… again on April 13. But who knows, 39 geese were “claimed” as being killed on that one day alone, “lomatuk could not be reached for comment.

In Eastmain there is still a bit of confusion as to who killed the first goose. The contenders are George Cheezo and Greg Mark Stewart, both having made their kills on April 13 within 15 minutes of each other. I foresee a need to have all Cree hunters synchronizing their watches at the beginning of April. Perhaps a service made possible by the local radio stations?

In the case of Cheezo his wife Florence plucked the goose and they cooked both the geese that Cheezo killed with the traditional spinning goose method in a teepee. Cheezo says he wishes everyone good luck and hopes that you kill what you need before the government opens up the fall goose hunt next year to sports hunters. Bastards, eh?

In Nemaska we contacted Youth Grand Chief Bertie Wapachee of the Cree Nation Youth Council. Wapachee said he thought it was Lawrence “the Fox” Neeposh. “He’s the only guy I know who killed a goose last week or weekend (April 5-11),” said Wapachee. The Fox apparently nailed four that day; no reports on cooking methods, plucking or goose hunt predictions.

Ouje-Bougoumou’s early bird hunter was Claude St-Pierre according to one rumour. Just when he shot it was unknown by the local rumour-mongers in O.J. The other rumour says it’s Bobby Capissisit and no dates are available as of yet. Unfortunately even the chiefs were unable find the truth before we went to print. Thanks to Daisy for all her help.

In Whapmagoostui, no goose has been downed as of April 16, 1998. Still a little cold there, I guess.

A word of caution: be very careful on the ice. It’s going bad in a lot of areas, according to reports.Please exercise the upmost caution, as we want to see you all around next year.

Nell Diamond also contributed to this report.