ARTICLES BY Amy German

Christmas comforts: Our guide to holiday indulgences

Hark! While hear those “angels” sing during those most cherished holiday moments, we are usually engaging in other forms of celebration, most notably in the forms of eating and drinking. As the month of December is frequently an inevitable break from calorie counting, one philosophy about indulging is to make sure ... read more ››

Summer reading camps succeed

Over the course of four weeks last summer 418 children took part in literacy camps run by Frontier College and the Cree School Board. As a result, 418 kids went back to class in September with stronger literacy skills. Programs in all nine Cree communities combined reading with language and ... read more ››

First Nations suicide conference knits Nations closer together

They came from far and wide. Some flew in from James Bay, Nunavik and the Quebec-New Brunswick border. Others drove from reserves throughout the interior. More simply hopped a bus from Kahnawake. But they all gathered for a sobering and emotional reason – to talk about suicide. First Nations social workers, ... read more ››

The Nation’s annual Christmas shopping guide

While Eeyou Istchee’s grounds have long been blanketed by several layers of snow and the Halloween decorations have been swapped out for Christmas lights (or a Habs crest, depending the home), people throughout the land are gearing up for the annual pilgrimage south to shop until they drop. Whether you’re planning ... read more ››

Cloutier renews her efforts to house the homeless in Val d’Or

With the early November election of former Quebec Aboriginal Affairs Minister Pierre Corbeil as the new mayor of Val d’Or has come a renewed hope for three separate housing projects for Aboriginals that were rejected by former Mayor Fernand Trahan. Edith Cloutier, the executive director of Val d’Or’s Native Friendship Centre, ... read more ››

Through our leaders’ eyes: Cree chiefs, past and present, speak about the Nation

According to its founders – Will Nicholls, Ernie Webb and Catherine Bainbridge – the Nation was started as a means of keeping the Cree people informed of the politics that were shaping their daily lives and keeping the Cree leadership on its toes. In celebration of 20 years of stories about ... read more ››

Two Alanis Obomsawin documentaries bring Attawapiskat into focus

Alanis Obomsawin, one of Canada’s most prolific documentary filmmakers, was the talk of the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) with her documentary on Attawapiskat, Hi-Ho Mistahey! Chronicling how the Ontario James Bay community’s fight for a new elementary school evolved into a national movement of First Nations children for the ... read more ››

Interview: Romeo Saganash cans Tory throne speech

Governor General David Johnston delivered the Speech from the Throne October 16 to plot the political road that Canada’s Conservative government intends to pave over the last two years of its mandate. The speech featured numerous references to the history and challenges of Canada’s First Nations. The Nation asked Romeo Saganash, ... read more ››

The Orenda: Joseph Boyden speaks to the Nation about his acclaimed new novel

An intense and jaw-dropping thriller, Giller Prize winner Joseph Boyden’s latest novel, The Orenda, tells a story from three perspectives at the time of first contact in a remarkable and unforgettable tale. A significant departure from his last book, Through Black Spruce, which chronicled the stories of Northern Ontario Crees, The ... read more ››

One Cree man’s experience with weight-loss surgery

Luke MacLeod interviewing 1964 Olympic gold medal winner Billy Mills While it isn’t the most common solution, weight-loss surgery can be a valid choice for people who are morbidly obese, particularly when the health dangers outweigh the surgical risks. This was the case for Luke Macleod, who, up until just over a ... read more ››

New technology could prevent diabetes-related blindness

A technology that has just been made available to the diabetics of Eeyou Istchee could help prevent the onset of diabetic-related blindness. The tele-retinopathy process will transmit retina images taken in the north to specialists so that the patient can access top-notch medical care without leaving their home community. Patients in ... read more ››

Southern Hospitality: The Nation’s Fall/Winter Tourism Guide

As fall’s colder weather settles in and the mornings glitter with frost, the Cree begin another season of nesting and indoor warmth. For some, the urge to get away from it all grows too strong to ignore. For people like you, the Nation has a list of ideas to brighten ... read more ››

Grassroots organizations to build database on missing and murdered women

Boldly going where the federal government cowardly refuses to visit, two grassroots organizations intend to build their own database of missing and murdered Aboriginal women in Canada. The groups – Families of Sisters in Spirit and No More Silence – decided to create an information resource independent of government funding and ... read more ››

Montreal’s Comiccon 2013 is all about being your hero

In past incarnations it may have appeared as a marginal convention for comic-book nerds, but now the annual Comiccon exhibition is a mainstream cultural event, drawing major celebrities to promote the latest comic-related games, films, costumes and literature. This year, there was an inexhaustible choice of fan experiences available, from celebrity ... read more ››

CWEIA assembly focuses on ending violence & aggression

The Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association held their sixth Annual General Assembly in Mistissini September 20-22. The event made an important step by involving men in the struggle to stop violence against women. Led by Wayne Rabbitskin, a group of Cree male Nishiiyuu walkers made their way from Chisasibi to ... read more ››

Chisasibi hosts healing event for residential school survivors

The healing starts at home. Inspired by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearings last spring, a Chisasibi committee organized a home-grown program September 5-8 to help local residential school survivors confront and heal the pain of their childhood ordeal. The committee ran groups at the local auditorium and the event culminated ... read more ››

Crees tee off in Mont-Tremblant to help students

From living it up on the links to getting down to some old-school country music, about 400 Crees made the pilgrimage to Mont-Tremblant for the 4th annual Cree Nation Achievement Awards Annual Fundraiser just before the Labour Day weekend. While the awards take place every second year during the Mont-Tremblant festivities, ... read more ››

Study suggests drinking pop leads to bad behaviour for kids

While most people know that soft drinks are not a healthy beverage choice, a University of Columbia study now suggests that these beverages may induce violent, withdrawn and distracted behaviour in children as young as five. The study – written by researchers Shakira F. Suglia, Sara Solnick and David Hemenway – ... read more ››

CHRD taking human resources to the people

Cree Human Resources Development (CHRD) will soon hit the road to promote programs they offer to improve our lives. While this Cree entity has been around for some time to assist Crees with issues like financial aid for their studies, employment initiatives, and to provide skills and development training, it has ... read more ››

Courses coming to you: Eeyou Istchee’s upcoming career programs

If you’ve been thinking about a new career but can’t figure out just what might be the best choice for you or wonder if the course is something that you would enjoy, read on. To look at what will be offered between now and March 2014, the Nation spoke to Joanie ... read more ››

Anti-violence walkers march on Wemindji AGA

A group of about 30 people on a march to publicize their message of anti-violence in Eeyou Istchee arrived at the Annual General Assembly in Wemindji August 8 in an effort raise awareness of the growing problem. Organized by the Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association (CWEIA), the participants walked ... read more ››

Healthy ways to enjoy this year's blueberry crop

The heat and light may be slowly fading, but the blueberry harvest of late summer heralds one of the sweetest times of the year in James Bay. The blueberry – the delightful and delicious little fruit that has often been dubbed a “super food” because of its high disease-fighting antioxidant content, ... read more ››

Montreal’s First Peoples’ Festival looks to the future

Bringing its unique flare to Montreal’s downtown core, the First Peoples’ Festival delivered several days of action-packed cultural festivities that included a film festival, several outdoor concerts and dance performances, and artisanal-crafts displays. Running from July 30-August 5, this year’s event was held on the festival grounds within Place des Festivals ... read more ››

The first annual Cree Women golf benefit hits a hole in one

It was a golf tournament, a gala event, a Crystal Shawanda concert and a special night to honour a young Cree girl. The Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association (CWEIA) hosted its first charity golf tournament in Val-d’Or July 18 at the Belvedere Golf Club to launch a new charity cause ... read more ››

Election talk: Grand Council winners and also-rans discuss the campaign

Hotly contested run-off elections July 26 for the top two spots on the Grand Council of the Crees resulted in the re-election of Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come and a victory for former Wemindji Chief Rodney Mark in his bid to become the new Deputy Grand Chief. The Nation spoke with ... read more ››

We didn’t stop the fire… Why the fires near Eastmain were left to burn

On June 12, after what has been the driest summer reported in northern Quebec in over 40 years, a fire began to burn in the bush near the community of Eastmain. But, unlike any other area below the 51st parallel, this fire was just left to burn, out of control ... read more ››