Category: 2009 11 20

Mistissini Youth Wins International Award

Each year the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) pays tribute to an extraordinary group of animal advocates for their outstanding efforts to protect animals and their habitats. IFAW’s Animal Action Week program involves more than two million young people in 15 countries, focusing on three main objectives: education, awareness ... read more ››

The Hunt for a New President

According to Air Creebec communications officer Jonathan Saganash, since the recent passing of their late president, Albert Diamond, the company has been flooded with calls concerning who will be the new Air Creebec president. “Right now we do not even know ourselves as to who the next president of Air Creebec ... read more ››

Alfred Jolly: from the logging road to the trapline

Alfred Jolly has hunted and trapped in his territory at Lake Evans most his life; his family bagged five moose there last fall. Now, however, the former vice-president of Mishtuk Corporation is worried that younger Cree are losing out on opportunities to learn the traditional skills he gained in his ... read more ››

The Original Cree Way

I was born and raised in a small, remote First Nation community and I can tell you it was all about survival of the fittest. In general there are many reasons why life can be hard on a person when they are from an isolated northern community. Conditions in many ... read more ››

A trip south

Tyler Moar is our special client at the Nemaska Social Services. Since February, we have started development and growth programs for him as an autistic special needs client. During the summer, community homecare worker Marlene Jolly planned a special trip for Tyler to fly to Montreal so he could visit ... read more ››

Goal Achieved

After forming officially in 1996, the First Nations Bank of Canada (FNBC) has finally reached its ownership goal as of Nov. 1, 2009, by completing its share conversion with Toronto Dominion. Having reached an 80% share interest, the Aboriginal shareholders have taken control of the bank. “It is one of these ... read more ››

Nursing the Community

The Cree students who are part of the English-language Nursing Program that is offered in Chibougamau started their internships in Montreal. The students were greeted by members of the Jewish General and St. Mary’s hospitals with a special event headlined by Deputy Grand Chief Ashley Isheroff. The event took place Nov. ... read more ››

Plan Nord divides… and conquers?

The Quebec government’s “Plan Nord,” Premier Jean Charest’s vaguely defined election promise of multi-billion-dollar resource developments across the Ungava region, encountered some harsh criticism from some Native leaders during the government’s first consultation meeting with northern groups November 6. “Without us, the Plan Nord is a Plan Mort [a dead plan],” ... read more ››

The Praise Keeps Rolling In

When Gabriel Rabbitskin won four gold medals and one silver medal in swimming at the North American Indigenous Games in BC during the summer of 2008, the entire Cree Nation rejoiced. Because of his commitment to his sport, athletic development, his positive community image, concern for holistic development and achievement of ... read more ››

To Good To Be True

Though the environmental impact assessment for Strateco’s latest uranium exploration project will only be released in late November, Strateco’s CEO and President Guy Hébert was only too eager to tell the Nation that the project will have “no environmental impact.” The approximately 8000-page assessment was supposed to be released by Nov. ... read more ››

Cree Women Unite!

Though the idea of forming an organization to further women in terms of equality has been rattling around the Cree Nation for decades, the movement has now gained the means to move forward as a real entity. The Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association (CWEIA) finally became incorporated last January, acquired ... read more ››

“It’s Either Me or the Camera!”

What started out as filming footage for a seemingly innocuous Niskamoon video project has turned into quite the debacle. On October 28, Pearl Weistche and her camerawoman headed out to a meeting hosted by the Société d’énergie de la Baie James (SEBJ) at Smoky Hill. The meeting was between some SEBJ ... read more ››

50 million reasons to leave…

The national Internet headlines blared out that one person, apparently hysterically screaming, crying and laughing at a counter in a small store on a northern Manitoba reserve caused a store employee to rush from the back of the store to the front to confront what she thought was a real ... read more ››

That time of year is upon us

I remember this story from my youth. I thought it a sad story. Like any young person I felt that people should never pass by someone in need. Of course, this was re-enforced by the Cree way of life. I remember the village Mistissini was back in the ’60s and ... read more ››

People of the river of the mist

The northernmost stretch of the Yellowhead Highway, between Smithers and Terrace, BC, passes through the territory of the Gitsxan nation. I spent an important part of my childhood there growing up in one of the Hazeltons, three small towns (New Hazelton, Old Hazelton and South Hazelton) that straddle the confluence ... read more ››

Nunavik elections see many photo finishes

Democracy is alive and well in Nunavik, where several hotly contested mayoral races helped push voter turnout in the round of municipal elections in 13 of Nunavik’s 14 communities on Nov. 4. Many multi-candidate races resulted in several new community leaders being elected with far less than 50% of the ... read more ››

Back to the bunkers

Public. It’s a simple word, only two syllables, but sometimes people have a hard time understanding what it means. Consider the term “public corporation.” Used in this way, it means that a company is owned by the citizens of a particular jurisdiction. Say, Hydro-Québec, for example. The owners of that corporation ... read more ››