ARTICLES BY Amy German

“We’ve never seen a REAL SCHOOL. If the Government has its way, we NEVER will.”

Though the community of Attawapiskat in northern Ontario has been fighting for a new school for eight years, it was not until a few weeks ago when Charlie Angus, NDP MP for Timmins-James Bay, posted a video on the videosharing network, YouTube.com, that Attawapiskat suddenly became a national issue. The story ... read more ››

Montreal journalist Rupert Bottenberg introduces comic-book art to high school students

To promote literacy and help kids develop strategies against bullying, Montreal journalist and comic-book artist Rupert Bottenberg travelled to Kangiqsualujjuaq, Nunavik in northern Quebec this past February to teach high school students the fine art of creating comic strips. Bottenberg came to the north as part of a program called “Don’t ... read more ››

Islands in the stream: The Cree and Inuit share their claim to two offshore islands in northern Quebec

Islands that were left out of the James Bay Agreement are finally in the process of being claimed by the Crees through the federal government as the Crees follow suit with the Inuit who have just been formally granted rights of two offshore islands. Brian Craik, director of Federal Relations for ... read more ››

What about the women?: Beverly Jacobs denounces Feds’ failure to support Aboriginal women

The Canadian government is short-changing its Aboriginal peoples, and in particular Aboriginal women, according to Native Women’s Association of Canada president Beverly Jacobs, so much so that it’s time to hit the streets with placards again. The new federal budget came as no surprise to Jacobs as, in her opinion, “with ... read more ››

Pregnant teens: It’s hard but with hard work you can make a life

For as much as the schools, the health board, the media and parents can stress the importance of safe and healthy sexual practices and delaying sexual activity until such time that an individual is mature enough to make decisions, teens will be teens. In trying to get an understanding for ... read more ››

Quebec drops the ball on sex ed: Crees develop own curriculum

When it comes to dispensing information on sexuality and sexual health to the youth of the Cree Nation, much like the rest of the province, there have been some major issues in regards to sex education within the school systems. Previously sex education was taught as a part of moral and ... read more ››

The birds and bees of birth control: Cree teens have a high rate of pregnancy – but not for lack of options

As of 2005, almost one of every five babies in the Cree communities was born to teenage mothers aged 15 to 19. The numbers speak volumes about the lack of birth control being used in the communities despite its widespread availability. According to Martine Drolet, RN and Program Officer for Sexual ... read more ››

Going green at the auto show

The Montreal International Auto Show turned the big 4-0 this year and as one of Canada’s largest vehicle shows with almost 300,000 visitors annually, the show pulled out every stop possible to deliver yet another stellar year. Running January 18-27, Montreal’s auto show has typically been a launch pad and North ... read more ››

Montreal’s Igloofest ices beat elite

When it comes to parties, Montreal has become a regular stop on the international dance circuit. But no North American event is as unique as Igloofest, the outdoor wintertime dance party in Old Montreal. Now in its second year, Igloofest brought bundled-up Montrealers out by the thousands to dance to the ... read more ››

Jobs! jobs! Jobs!: There are many opportunities for high-paying, skilled employment

There has been incessant talk in the media recently of how to implement Canada’s aboriginal population into the economy as the baby boomer generation has started to retire, leaving massive gaps in the country’s workforce that Canada does not have the human resources to fill. Several government officials have also discussed ... read more ››

Plugging the employment gaps: What course of study will fill jobs and lead to lasting careers?

Between “think tanks” and economic conferences, the buzz in the communities these days is about getting more community members into the workplace to address the community’s employment needs. There is a tremendous amount of work available for skilled workers that will frequently be contracted out to those from outside the ... read more ››

Native Studies: What’s right for you?

If you have ever dreamed of investing time and effort in your own culture by taking university level courses in Aboriginal studies, there are a wide variety of programs both in Quebec and across Canada. The only problem comes in determining which one is right for you. In Quebec there is ... read more ››

Drop out, lose out: The whole community is hurt when a student quits school

An extensive study suggests the Canadian economy is losing billions because of the high drop-out rate among young aboriginals. According to “The Potential Contribution of Aboriginal Canadians to Labour Force, Employment, Productivity and Output Growth in Canada, 2001-2017,” almost half of Canada’s Native teens do not finish high school, resulting ... read more ››

Residential School cash attracts scammers

As the cash payouts from the Residential Schools Compensation fund have poured money into aboriginal communities across Canada, con artists and scam operators around the world have closely followed as they now have a new demographic to target, aboriginals. There have already been several news stories of communities in Western and ... read more ››

Aids fight only just beginning in Eeyou Istchee

December 1 was World AIDS Day and though it’s been 26 years since the human immunodeficiency virus was first recognized, new transmissions still happen every day. “The less we judge, the more we can help prevent people who inject drugs from catching or transmitting HIV” is this year’s Quebec Ministry of ... read more ››

The Invisible Nation

Filmmaker Richard Desjardins chronicles the near extinction of the Algonquin people and the squalid living conditions of their few remaining descendants/nIn November, Abitibi-Témiscamingue’s best-known cultural export – Richard Desjardins – released his latest theatrical oeuvre, a jaw-dropping documentary about the genocide of the Algonquin tribes called The Invisible Nation or ... read more ››

The Invisible Nation: Filmmaker Richard Desjardins chronicles the near extinction of the Algonquin people and the squalid living conditions of their few remaining descendants.

In November, Abitibi-Témiscamingue’s best-known cultural export – Richard Desjardins – released his latest theatrical oeuvre, a jaw-dropping documentary about the genocide of the Algonquin tribes called The Invisible Nation or Le peuple invisible, and for as much as audiences have been shocked, the government is still turning a blind eye. The ... read more ››

Lust for life: Suicide prevention conference focuses on hope

Since 2001, Dialogue for Life, the First Nations and Inuit Suicide Prevention Association of Quebec and Labrador has been congregating annually to work on strategies for suicide prevention, support frontline community workers and to facilitate group healing. This year’s event, held at the Hotel Delta Montreal December 4-6, was themed “Honouring ... read more ››

Spread the cheer to those who need it most

One of the best parts of the holidays is when everyday people play Santa, not only by lavishing gifts upon those they know and love, but by opening up their hearts, cupboards, closets and pocket books to those in need. If your financial cup runneth over this season or if you ... read more ››

The holiday blues are no gift at Christmas

As the holidays roll around, the hearts of many swell with anticipation of cherished time with family members, gift sharing and endless celebrations. For some, however, the Christmas season is the most depressing time of year. “The holidays are the darkest time of the year and it’s very hard for those ... read more ››

The cheapest deal: Difficult to obtain, slow to arrive and under-calculated: for many, residential school survivor payments are too little, too late.

The good news is that survivors of the residential school system are finally being compensated after many years of fighting with the federal government for just recourse for the century of abuse they suffered in the church-run schools. The bad news is that, much like recent government programs from passports to ... read more ››

Urban recycling: We have a long way to go

With a provincial government mandate to divert 60 per cent of its waste from landfills, Greater Montreal is looking to adopt more intensive recycling programs. Other Canadian cities, such as Halifax and Toronto, already have such systems in place. Nova Scotia was the trailblazer in greener living programs, banning organic waste ... read more ››

Dave Peace: Living Off the Grid

While the idea of living off the grid full time might appeal to many, it’s still a very new concept and, in practice, not very widespread. But Dave Peace, a Norvik air bush plane pilot, had no choice. “Where I live is really the seaplane base. We operate an air service ... read more ››

The diabetes war: News from the frontlines

It’s been a whole year since the first Cree Regional Diabetes conference – held last November in Mistissini – and while much has changed since that time the diabetes epidemic has remained the same. In other words, it continues to grow. But there is some debate about the nature of that ... read more ››

The rebate game – Incentives to do good and save energy

When it comes to energy giants, no matter where you are in North America and no matter whom your energy provider is, chances are they are trying to sell you on living “greener.” Across Canada, various provincial energy distributors have individual plans to help their clients live more efficiently, with options ... read more ››

Living off the grid – The upfront costs are high but freedom is its own reward

Sustainable development and renewable energy may be the buzzwords these days, but as the technology is new and often expensive, many wonder how feasible it is to integrate them into our everyday lives. According to DJ MacIntyre, the president of Le Boisé Alternatives, a company that distributes and installs solar, wind ... read more ››