Category: 2008-01-18

Our children’s health

For many of our readers, especially those of you who are parents, this will be a difficult issue of the Nation to read. At least, it should be. Too often we find ourselves reporting on stories that involve drug and alcohol abuse, broken families, violence and suicide – or combinations of ... read more ››

Debate rages over Nunavik land claim deal: Small financial package, impact on Cree lands discussed

The passing of Bill C-11 through the House of Commons this fall gives effect to the Nunavik Inuit Land Claims Agreement, but it has been hotly debated as either helpful or hurtful on both sides of the Inuit/Cree spectrum. In short, the agreement gives the Inuit more than $50 million for ... read more ››

Mistissini: 3 dead over New Year’s

A string of incidents has resulted in the deaths of three Mistissini residents. Police received a call around 6:30 am on New Year’s Day; a youth had taken his own life. Out of respect for the family, the Nation is not publishing his name at this time. “I felt sad,” said Mistissini ... read more ››

Nora Bernard’s grandson charged with her murder

Police in Truro, Nova Scotia, have confirmed that the grandson of renowned First Nations activist Nora Bernard has been charged with first-degree murder in her death. James Douglas Gloade, 24, was arraigned December 31. Members of the Millbrook First Nation and the town of Truro remain deeply disturbed by the incident. “It’s ... read more ››

Moosonee welcomes Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

Moosonee is set to launch Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library February 9. The project funds books for kids under five years old with the support of the Dollywood Foundation, the Invest in Kids organization and local Moosonee sponsors. Children in the community will be able to register for the program and receive ... read more ››

Mistissini faces wake-up call: Community shaken after student confesses to planning school shooting

Mistissini’s Voyageur Memorial School was closed last November 26 after a student confided to a teacher that he had planned on two different occasions the previous September to bring a gun into the school and shoot certain students who had bullied him, and then turn the gun on himself. Acting Principal ... read more ››

Foundations

In my travels I always manage to stumble into conversations that have a political undertone. In restaurants, airport terminals, offices or more social settings, it is a common interest for people to discuss the state of our Nation and share their opinions with each other. It would be fair to ... read more ››

Drop out, lose out: The whole community is hurt when a student quits school

An extensive study suggests the Canadian economy is losing billions because of the high drop-out rate among young aboriginals. According to “The Potential Contribution of Aboriginal Canadians to Labour Force, Employment, Productivity and Output Growth in Canada, 2001-2017,” almost half of Canada’s Native teens do not finish high school, resulting ... read more ››

Residential School cash attracts scammers

As the cash payouts from the Residential Schools Compensation fund have poured money into aboriginal communities across Canada, con artists and scam operators around the world have closely followed as they now have a new demographic to target, aboriginals. There have already been several news stories of communities in Western and ... read more ››

I found my toboggan

I visited a local hardware store the other day in search of something that I consider to be an important part of my culture, a traditional wooden toboggan with five or six wooden slats laid in a row, strapped together with cross braces and two short chains to tie down ... read more ››