ARTICLES BY Eleanor Cowan

Sharing experience: A Freedom Writer in Mistissini says, ‘Never give up!’

On June 1, 1990, a 13-year-old Secondary 2 student at Voyageur Memorial School in Mistissini received a letter from the then-Commissioner of the Cree School Board, Kenny Blacksmith. The typewritten note of congratulations commended Betty Anne Forward for her choice of a powerful public-speaking topic, Women and Violence; a speech ... read more ››

Wemindji teacher Theresa Kakabat Georgekish keeps Cree culture alive

As told to Eleanor Cowan Valuing the Cree language means pondering each syllabic and understanding that at some point in time, one of my ancestors fashioned it to express not only a noun, but also to tell what that person, place, animal or thing was doing at that moment in history. Theresa ... read more ››

Rekindle, refresh, renew

Wemindji wellness worker Mickey De Carlo discusses her journey of restoration Many First Nations men signed up for World War II because they knew what it was like to have their land taken away. When my dad was a young boy, his father went to war. Fellow soldiers admired him because ... read more ››

Keeper of the language

Dinah Asquabaneskum from Wemindji speaks about her life I was born in a winter lodge on my father’s trapline, not far from LG3, in 1958. As a child, I couldn’t go to school as much as I wanted because classes began in September, when my parents and I returned to the ... read more ››

Winning words

  “My true goal is to be a pilot,” shared Sec. 1 student Michael Mark at the 25th Annual Public Speaking contest held in Wemindji on April 4. “When you get back on the ground you can still feel the greatness of the sky.” Michael also told a crowded house that ... read more ››

Opening up

Men articulate their inner feelings at Wemindji wellness conference   “The old adage that ‘men don’t cry’ no longer applies,” said Rev. Rod BrantFrancis of Wemindji’s Anglican Church. “In fact, it takes a strong man to be able to show his feelings, to articulate his emotions and to admit that he doesn’t ... read more ››

Walkabout

Wemindji residents use their feet to fight substance abuse Sometimes you just have to vote with your feet. On November 23, 2012, Wemindji did just that with “Enough is Enough”, a community walk that provided an opportunity for residents to express their heart-felt sentiments about the abuse of alcohol and drugs. Elementary ... read more ››

Soundtrack of my life

My son, Raymond Maybee Jr., like his father before him, started up his own band called The Remedies. It’s true that music always played a healing role in my family. I’d also say that fiddle music is what links the Quebec Cree to every other Canadian province in the happiest ... read more ››