Category: 2015 11 13

Val-d’Or allegations throw Quebec into a crisis

Twenty five years ago this month, a 17-year-old Cree man named Neil Stonechild was picked up by Saskatoon police, driven out to the edge of the city, and left there. Temperatures were below minus 25ºC, and Stonechild’s frozen body, wearing a light jacket and one shoe, was later found in ... read more ››

Quebec Chiefs sit down with Premier Couillard

The media frenzy surrounding Premier Philippe Couillard’s meeting and press conference with several chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL) in Montreal November 4 spoke volumes about the urgency – and opportunity – to repair relations between First Nations and the provincial police in the ... read more ››

Editorial: Two rules of law

What a time this has been. What started out as a story on a missing Cree woman, Sindy Ruperthouse became much more as allegations of misconduct, sexual and otherwise, came to light when First Nations women in Val-d’Or courageously shared their stories with Radio-Canada’s Enquête program. A quiet internal investigation ... read more ››

Fly the Healthy Skies – Cree Health Board's medical shuttle takes off

The population of Eeyou Istchee is roughly 17,500 – and according to Cree Health Board Director Bella Petawabano, between 7,000 and 8,000 Crees travel every year for healthcare reasons to destinations outside the Cree Nation. For that reason, on October 26, the CHB partnered with Air Creebec to launch a ... read more ››

Commemorating a hero – Monument honouring Shannen Koostachin unveiled in New Liskeard

It’s been a long three years in the making, but Jules Koostachin and her creative team have finally realized their goal of constructing a permanent monument to honour the life and legacy of Shannen Koostachin. Shannen’s parents, Jenny Nakogee and Andrew Koostachin, were on hand to unveil a beautiful bronze ... read more ››

Career Fair in Mistissini Highlights Future Opportunities in Eeyou Istchee

Cree Human Resource Development’s annual career fair continues to grow every year. The event’s 8th edition saw new exhibitors, increased attendance, its first-ever live online stream and an evening gala featuring some of the James Bay’s finest artists. Taking place at the Neoweskau Sports Complex in Mistissini October 21-22, the event ... read more ››

Regional diabetes conference gets at the root causes of a Cree epidemic

by Amy German – When the first Cree Regional Diabetes Conference was held in 2006, the plan was to make it an annual event, said organizer Janis Neeposh. Unfortunately it would take until 2015 and for the community of Oujé-Bougoumou to pick up the reins to make this happen, resulting in ... read more ››

Redesigning Cree Education at the Cree School Board Symposium

The Cree School Board regional education symposium kicked off two days after the federal election on Oct 21-22. And the symposium’s special guest – former Prime Minister Paul Martin – lamented the lack of attention for Aboriginal issues during the long campaign, noting that not one question in five campaign ... read more ››

Montreal Vigil for Val d'Or Women Celebrates their Courage

Hundreds gathered at Montreal’s Place des Arts October 29 to show their support for the women of Val-d’Or and call for an end to violence against Indigenous women. Participants, both Native and non-Native, held large signs with the youthful faces of missing Aboriginal women. A Mohawk prayer was followed by a performance ... read more ››

What the federal election means for First Nations

by Xavier Kataquapit Now that he is in power, the big question is what a majority Liberal government headed by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will really mean for First Nations across the country. The good news is that out of 18 Indigenous candidates the Liberals put forth, eight won seats. The ... read more ››

Garbage Plan a Declaration of “War”

First Nations people in northern Ontario are being joined by non-Natives to oppose a plan to send 20 million tonnes of garbage to the north over the next 20 years. Toronto city council voted to approve the controversial $1-billion contract on Oct. 11. “Toronto has now officially declared war on northerners,” said ... read more ››

Burnt Church

Lobster season is officially over for the Mi’kmaq of Esgenoôpetitj (Burnt Church) First Nation, but their struggle with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans continues. “We closed the lobster fishery on October 7 and went straight into salmon fishing,” hereditary chief Lloyd Augustine explained in a telephone interview, “And already we’ve ... read more ››

You’ve Heard of ‘Where’s Waldo”? Well it’s Time to Play: Where’s Nauldo?

Since his appointment a year ago, the Minister of Indian Affairs, Robert Nault, has been conspicuously absent from places one would expect to see a man of his position: Saskatoon (where police dump Natives outside town in winter), Caldwell First Nation, Burnt Church, the Ipperwash Vigil on September 6th, the ... read more ››

Article Sparks Strong Reactions

The reactions ranged from sadness, to anger, to confusion. Some were left scratching their heads. Many tried to figure out what was going through Billy Diamond’s mind as he trashed the Cree leadership in L’Actualité. “Hogwash, man,” is how one Cree responded. “What a guy! I think he’s jealous of Matthew.” (The ... read more ››

Kahnawake calls In Cree beaver busters

Kahnawake’s problem with flooding due to beaver dams is not a new one but seems to be worsening every year. Destroying the dams and lodges of beavers with explosives, the previous choice of elimination, proved to be irritatingly ineffective. The major problem we are faced with is power outages, occurring when ... read more ››

A nurse’s story

My journey began in the fall of 1989 when I entered the nursing program at John Abbott College in Ste. Anne De Bellevue. I was young and unprepared to commit 100 per cent. So I made a choice to discontinue my studies. A couple of years passed and I returned ... read more ››