ARTICLES BY Mark Della Posta

Clinically troubled

The good news is that the toxic mould that appeared in Mistissini’s health clinic this summer got cleared up pretty quickly. The bad news is that the clinic that got cleaned up is the old one. Mistissini’s new medical clinic, which might have been operational by now, is being taken apart ... read more ››

Tightening the bond

Native friendship centres around Quebec are looking to turn their friendly relationship with the Grand Council of the Crees (GCC) into a more formal one. Under section 28, article 14, of the James Bay Agreement, Native friendship centres have traditionally relied on funding and assistance from the provincial and federal governments. ... read more ››

Thou shall not judge

One autumn evening I was patrolling the streets of Whapmagoostui and I was hurting and crying in my heart. I have been a special constable for a little over a year now and I lost many friends. They turned against me. But this was not the reason why I was ... read more ››

Buying some time

The Atikamekw Nation announced on August 31 that they have come to an agreement in principle with the Quebec government, giving the two sides almost a full calendar year to negotiate a deal that would allow for the Atikamekw to be officially recognized as a distinct nation. On June 26, the ... read more ››

Let’s start digging Stornoway moves closer to opening its diamond mine

  The Stornoway Diamond Corporation has moved yet another step closer to opening the Renard Diamond Mine, the first of its kind in Quebec. Matt Manson, the President and CEO of Stornoway, announced on August 30 that the company had successfully completed the public hearings held by COMEX, the review committee established ... read more ››

Platform talk

Change or the status quo? That’s the choice facing the First Nations communities living in the Ungava district. While the Quebec Liberal Party (PLQ) trumpets the promise and potential of the Plan Nord, the Parti Québécois (PQ) and the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) are presenting the idea that they can bring ... read more ››

Accident or malice?

With a temporary truce only a few hours away, an act of either poor judgment or intentional violence almost turned deadly in the Nitaskinan region of the Mauricie Valley. As recounted in the last issue of the Nation, three Atikamekw communities in the Nataskinan region, angry over consistent resource exploitation on ... read more ››

Logging operations spark tensions

The company and the SQ are saying that they have a copy of a signed document from our main harvester allowing the cutting to happen,” said Norman Matchewan. “But our harvesters are here with us at the campsite, saying they never gave consent or signed any document.” The people of Barriere ... read more ››

Fighting for a fair share

Atikamekw First Nations in Quebec are increasingly angry over rampant resource exploitation of their traditional lands by outside companies that always appear to have the provincial government in their corner. The Atikamekw Nation launched a campaign June 26 to gain full recognition as a distinct nation with rights to the ancestral ... read more ››

Business as usual

  On May 30, Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced the creation of an advisory panel on hunting and angling, that would inform and give advice to Environment Canada on how to help conservation efforts in the country. Curiously, Aboriginal groups were excluded from that panel. “They absolutely should have included Aboriginal groups ... read more ››

Solidifying the Cree culture

  Its impact is unquestionable. It sends a clear, and powerful message, that the Cree culture and people are characterized by a lastingness that has defined their past, and will continue to define their future. The Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute (ACCI), standing boldly at the centre of Oujé-Bougoumou, will serve to ... read more ››

Free at last

  Norman Matchewan, a spokesperson and activist for the First Nation of Mitchikanibiko’inik of Barriere Lake, was acquitted of mischief and obstruction of justice charges on June 5, more than two years after attempting to protect his people’s land from illegal logging. According to Matchewan, he had learned that there was illegal ... read more ››

Illegal practices

  Although the Plan Nord has the potential to bring millions of dollars of investment into northern Quebec, and specifically Native communities, it seems as though some have come to see it as a way of making a quick buck. In a statement released by the Chibougamau Chamber of Commerce on May ... read more ››

A fallen leader

  The MoCreebec community is in mourning as it grapples with the death of Chief Randy Kapashesit, who died suddenly on April 25. “It was quite a shock to say the least,” said MoCreebec chairman Allan Jolly. “It took a couple of days to allow all of it to sink in. We’re ... read more ››

Escaping the colonialist system

“The game is stacked against them,” said Gordon Christie, when referring to First Nations Peoples wanting the right to make decisions over their traditional territories. Christie, a professor of law from the University of British Columbia, was one of five academics presenting their papers on April 20 at the “How to ... read more ››

What jobs are out there

A multitude of career opportunities were on display as Cree School Board (CSB) organizers in Waswanipi and Chisasibi invited the public to an open house and career fair. In Waswanipi, the Sabtuan Regional Vocational Training Centre (SRVTC) held an open house on March 13 which had nearly 300 people walk through ... read more ››