Category: 2011 09 23

Time to name names

As I write this evening, September 14, Radio-Canada and La Presse are reporting that a secret report by Quebec’s so-called Anti-Collusion Unit has confirmed a system of rampant corruption, political kickbacks and cost inflation in public road construction in the province. Like most folks here, I’m quite ready to believe this. ... read more ››

David’s Journey

Our Cree Nation is young and vibrant. Like all Nations, we too need “Cree Champions”. Cree Champions who believe in worthy causes. Cree Champions who are courageous, who are history makers and believers of helping others who are in need when there is nowhere else to turn too. Cree Champions are ... read more ››

Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council pays tribute to Lucien Wabanonik

After the announcement of his retirement from Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council (AANTC), the council paid tribute to the outgoing Grand Chief during its assembly on August 30-31. According to the AANTC, Lucien Wabanonik devoted a great deal of energy and effort to the causes and the interests of the Algonquin ... read more ››

Greenpeace up in arms about Plan Nord conservation areas

Greenpeace blogger Nicholas Mainville called out Quebec Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks Pierre Arcand recently over a promise to protect 600,000 km² of land in the north through the Plan Nord project. While the province’s Plan Nord project for natural resource development in the north has previously outlined that ... read more ››

Cree Nation Youth Council Business Symposium on the horizon

The Cree Youth Business Symposium is going to be held October 25-27 at the Hotel Forestel in Val-d’Or for the first time. According to Jeremy Diamond, the Communications Officer for the Cree Nation Youth Council (CNYC), the idea behind it is to build up the business leaders of today and the ... read more ››

Finding shelter from the storm

I sat down at the cottage recently and looked outside a picture window that faced the lake. It was a cool afternoon and I watched the light fade under layers of dreary clouds that hung lazily overhead. I sat comfortable in my warm chair as I sipped on a cup ... read more ››

Beyond infinity

Soaring through the sky, the morning mist below me blankets the earth. The cold breeze lashes my face as a stream of warm air pours down on me from above. My heart pounds with a rush of joy and adrenaline. These are the feelings and sights you get when you ... read more ››

“Half the Number of Players – Twice the Athlete”

The James Bay Eagles capped a successful 2011 football season with a Junior championship at the recent 6 Nations Challenge, held in Prince Edward Island in late August. But this isn’t your typical brand of football. The 6 Nations Challenge, launched in 2010, is an annual competition that brings together some ... read more ››

CCDC Presidential Profile, William MacLeod

William MacLeod is a James Bay Cree, born on the land and raised in Mistissini. He lives in his community and is married with four children and is a proud grandfather. He started his contributions to his community by serving the Cree Nation of Mistissini as councillor for four years ... read more ››

35 Years of Cree Construction

The Cree Construction and Development Company (CCDC), the first totally Cree-owned enterprise, is celebrating its 35th year in business. It grew out of a need for housing in the Eastern James Bay Cree communities. But it has grown since those early days to become more than what the Crees envisioned. ... read more ››

Everything’s changing

It is easy to get lost in the big picture of climate change. We are always being bombarded by news telling us about the effects of climate change halfway around the world and sometimes we forget about the changes happening in our own backyards. As such, the Cree are not ... read more ››

“This is our moment”

Even before Quebec’s Plan Nord for northern development was fully unveiled this spring, Crees had already been looking at how to best take advantage of the unbelievable employment opportunities that will come with the development of so many major projects. The biggest sector for the Crees will no doubt be mining, ... read more ››

Grads at last

Geraldine Shecapio and Jessica Jolly got their own special graduation bash in Mistissini on September 2 when teachers and staff pulled out all the stops for the two teenagers. While the community may have only been celebrating two graduates, according to their principal they were the first two grads to ... read more ››

Medical mysteries

The plane readied for takeoff and I turned to the passenger next to me, a doctor who had been around the North for two decades. As the plane droned at cruise altitude, he turned to me to talk about the good old days, when the North was still a frontier, ... read more ››

Facts you should know

The Cree world is never one you can stand back and fully understand. It is like the many rivers our ancestors used for highways. A wise man once said a river is a place where every step you take is new. I guess that’s the rushing water and all that. It’s ... read more ››