Category: 2007-03-02

Coddling corruption taints us all

Eeyou Istchee has been dealing with its fair share of questionable conduct and suspicious activity. The question is, where is the accountability and consequence? Here are a few cases that have made the news. Keep in mind that these are the cases known to the public. • Four Waswanipi women are charged ... read more ››

When good girls go bad…

It used to be that being bad was a boy’s domain. The snot-nosed kid with the slingshot, the ruffian with a rebel cause, the guy who would fight for his girl with switchblades twirling and grease dripping off his ’do fit the image of the good old bad boy. This image ... read more ››

Beleaguered Kashechewan weighs future

After three evacuations in less than two years, an E.coli contamination in their drinking water and rampant mould in the community’s homes, the Cree community of Kashechewan on Ontario’s James Bay coast is in a downhill spiral. A 20-year-old man took his own life January 7 and a disproportionate number of ... read more ››

UQAT First Nations Pavilion Wins Approval

Crees will soon be able to attend university in an environment that is more culturally adapted to their needs. The Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue in Val d’Or announced last week that the much-anticipated First Nations Pavilion has been given the green light. The federal and provincial governments each contributed $3.8 ... read more ››

Bizarre death in Chisasibi

A Chisasibi man appears to have fallen to his death… from his bed. “He was found in a very awkward position,” Police Director Sam House said of Wilfred Cox, 45. His daughter discovered the body February 17 at 4 am and she phoned police. “I think he fell forward and his head ... read more ››

Aboriginals report increased racism

Urban Aboriginals are reporting an increase in racist-driven incidents in school, in business dealings and by employers and police, according to a newly released poll sponsored by Indian Affairs. The survey said that four out of 10 Indian, Inuit and Metis were discriminated against in town and cities across the country. Governments ... read more ››

Labrador Inuit membership questioned

Dozens of former members of the Labrador Inuit Association are joining forces to fight for compensation from the Nunatsiavut self-government. Over 100 people aired their grievances at a February 20 meeting in the Masonic Lodge in Happy Valley-Goose Bay. Many were angry about their disenfranchisement in the 1990s. The group calls ... read more ››

The Thrill of the hunt – Outfitters expo is overwhelming

If there was one thing made clear at the National Outfitters Hunting and Fishing exhibition held this past Thursday through Saturday (February 15-18) at the Palais de Congrès in Montreal, it’s that Quebec’s outfitting industry is not just thriving but is kicking and screaming. Hundreds of exhibitors from across the ... read more ››

LG3 – When a normal hunting trip becomes a version of Cree Survivor

It was the worst of times; it was the best of times. No matter how a hunt turns out those words are true and is a part of the experience. Hunting is a traditional practice of the Crees and is a part not only of the life but the culture. ... read more ››

Dress for the cold and slow down

There is almost always a perception that as a Native person from the James Bay coast, I have seen my share of freezing weather, so therefore I am immune from the cold. People think that because I have been exposed to severe winter weather from the time I was born ... read more ››

Ending Violence Against Women

Why does women’s equality still matter? That is the question that will be pondered over a special breakfast hosted by Jack Layton and Irene Mathyssen of the National Democratic Party that will feature journalist, Heather Mallick, Ellen Gabriel, head of the Quebec Native Women’s Association an Sarah Ghabrial of the ... read more ››