ARTICLES BY Akiva Levitas

Jamming with Buddy

Making your dreams come true is everyone’s goal. For some, it takes a lifetime to reach their aspirations, but for one lucky 17-year-old it came early. For Joseph Seth Jolly, Jr., that moment arrived September 21when he played in front of a crowd of 10,000 people with his hero, blues ... read more ››

Working together

  For three days August 21-23, the Secretariat to the Cree Nation Abitibi-Témiscamingue Economic Alliance (SAENCAT), in association with the city of Amos, hosted a delegation of business people from the surrounding area to showcase Cree business and opportunities. The delegation’s composition was a highly diverse group of 16 businesspeople ranging from ... read more ››

Broadening your horizons

  Are you between the ages of 18-35? If so, the Canada World Youth organization (CWY) has an exciting and life-changing experience available for you. In the words of Jeremy Neeposh, a 26-year-old from Mistissini, the trip with CWY was “a great way to see the world”. In June, he returned from ... read more ››

Providing shelter

Coming right on the heels of the 41st Annual General Meeting of the National Association of Friendship Centres, the city of Montreal has pledged a 2,000-square-foot facility for a new Native Friendship Centre of Montreal (NFCM). This year has been quite the emotional rollercoaster ride for the NFCM after their funding ... read more ››

Art Rascals

An “inveterate rascal,” Azban is a laughing spirit who lives in a world of unbridled growth and irrepressible abundance. Abernaki-Wendat artist Christine Sioui-Wawanoloath draws her inspiration from the lively spirit world of Azban. And that’s why the 22nd edition of the Montreal First Peoples’ Festival titled her exhibition “Masks, Drawings, ... read more ››

Standing up for nature

  Rivers have always had a place in human society from providing a source of water to being a source of spiritual renewal as well as being the lifeblood of the surrounding ecosystem. Even though rivers are quite powerful forces, when no one around fights for their protection, their untamed beauty ... read more ››

Saving young lives

  Apathy and boredom may seem harmless at first, which allows them to take root in communities causing devastation among those most affected – the youth. In Moose Factory, in order to combat the pervasiveness of suicide among the youth, Deputy Chief Charlie Cheechoo began Project George three years ago to help ... read more ››

A burning issue

  On May 20, the Waswanipi Fire Department was alerted to a fire started by local youths that left around 10 hectares of destruction before water bombers were able to put the blaze out. When emergency services arrived at the fire, the intense winds fanned the flames to heights of around 20 ... read more ››

Supercharged blues

  “Getting more horsepower out of the blues genre” is how Mohawk singer-guitarist Derek Miller described his fourth and newest album, “Derek Miller with Double Trouble”, before his recent Montreal show at Pub de la Place on June 3. Miller was in town to headline a concert showcasing the depth of Aboriginal ... read more ››

Weddings galore

  The summer wedding season is about to get into full swing with many couples taking advantage of the beautiful weather. Getting ready for a wedding can get pretty stressful with all the planning involved and coordinating needed. So how is a newly engaged couple going to handle such a daunting ... read more ››

Goose hunt update

  The goose hunt has picked up since the last update with many if not all nine Cree communities getting their first goose. Marcel Blacksmith from Mistissini and Simian Mianscum from Waswanipi were the first to shoot some geese. Over in Waskaganish, Wendel Whiskeychann bagged the first goose over by Kilometre 10 ... read more ››

Issues of sovereignty and cultural identity

  The Indigenous Peoples and Governance (IPG) working group organized a four-day conference titled “How to Break Out of Colonialism?” at the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal April 17-20. IPG is an academic research project that has gathered 40 Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers studying constitutional law, economy, anthropology, philosophy and political science. The ... read more ››

Closer to home

  The Amos Hunting and Fishing Show returned this year for a successful second edition April 12-15. It was held at the Hotel des Eskers in Amos with 16 companies showcasing their hunting and fishing goods. Launched last year, the event was organized by Gaetan Dupuis of B.C. Sports located in the ... read more ››

Seeking solutions

On Wednesday, April 11, Liberal Concordia hosted a panel of experts to discuss Aboriginal issues, such as education and closing of Projets Autochtones du Québec’s (PAQ) homeless shelter. On the panel were Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett for St. Paul’s, Kahnawake Grand Chief Michael Delisle, Donat Savoie, the former Executive Director of ... read more ››

Fewer cuts

This year’s federal budget released March 29 is primarily focused on cutting spending and increasing growth in Canada. Although many programs have received a reduction in their budgets, Aboriginal Affairs and First Nations Development only had a 2.7% cut. A large portion of the funding to key areas of First Nation ... read more ››

Bonding together

Sharing stories and participating in communal events has been and will always be the best way to transmit a culture from one generation to the next. However, it’s not that common that this cultural transmission happens outside families and the community. But every now and then there comes a chance to ... read more ››

A new leader

On March 8, the people of Chisasibi elected Davey Bobbish as their new Chief. The race between six candidates began when former Chief Abraham Rupert announced that he was stepping down due to health reasons at the start of 2012. In most cases, the Deputy Chief would step in to finish ... read more ››

Paving the way for future success

On February 27, the Cree Nation of Mistissini finalized a work agreement with the Quebec government ensuring the First Nation has a part in the extension of Highway 167 that will stretch 250 km north of Chibougamau, through the Otish Mountains. The planned extension of Highway 167 is an integral part ... read more ››

The state of our health

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That old saying best sums up the work done by the Cree Health Board (CHB). The 2010-2011 year was a busy one with the CHB’s progress and challenges laid out in their annual report. In the report’s introduction, Chairman James Bobbish ... read more ››

The Dog Project celebrates canine freedom

  A dog might be a man’s best friend, but each community has their own way of looking at that relationship. The first thing I noticed when I visited Waswanipi was the number of dogs that enjoyed complete freedom to roam the community. Being from the city this came as a ... read more ››

Darlene Cheechoo elected to chair the CRA Board of Compensation

  It’s easy to forget how much one person can take upon them to grow their communities. Darlene Cheechoo is the reminder that one can achieve success through a career built on working for the Cree Nation. On December 20, the 21 members of the Cree Regional Authority’s (CRA) Board of Compensation ... read more ››

Blackstone returns for sophomore season

  Premiering Wednesday, January 11, the second season of the award-winning television series Blackstone will be continuing where it left off with last season’s cliff-hanger finale on APTN.   The series, which follows the fictitious Blackstone First Nation, is ground breaking because it is told from the First Nations point of view. The ... read more ››

Christmas round-up

So Christmas is right around the corner and everyone is getting ready for the influx of family members as well as festive dinners. Snow has fallen already and things are gearing up for a good holiday season.   In some places Christmas celebrations have already happened. But there is plenty more planned ... read more ››

Bringing justice home

  On November 29, the community of Oujé-Bougoumou opened the doors to its brand-new justice facility that will be serving the community and surrounding region. The building will give the public access to the justice system and allow them to actively participate. This accessibility will also provide jobs as well as ... read more ››

A bridge to the past

  On November 15, Oujé-Bougoumou inaugurated the beautiful new building of the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute (CCI). The longhouse and wigwam inspired building will be housing a museum showcasing many artefacts from Cree history as well as a research and documentation centre, classrooms and a demonstration room where Cree traditions and ... read more ››

Protecting the trees

  On November 16, McGill University’s Aboriginal Sustainability Project and the Canadian Boreal Initiative hosted a conference celebrating the successes and the challenges facing the Aboriginal communities in conserving the boreal forest as well as personal stories regarding their experience on the land. Speaking at the conference, titled “The Boreal Forest: our ... read more ››