Category: 2015 12 22

Outrage over wasted caribou

“Oh my gosh, it was a complete disgrace,” said Nadia Saganash, describing her initial reaction to photos of caribou carcasses left to rot along the highway near Chisasibi. “It’s hard to look at, especially for Elders and community members; these are edible and consumable parts.” Saganash is the Wildlife Management Administrator ... read more ››

Indigenous compilation album up for Grammy

The next Grammy Awards gala will see an album featuring a number of Cree and Indigenous artists from Canada competing in the Best Historical Album category. Mistissini’s own Willy Mitchell is featured on Native North America, Vol. 1, an album of songs by Indigenous rockers from the 1960s, ’70s, and ’80s. ... read more ››

A Quiet Revolution: Cree Shoppers go elsewhere

As December dawned and Christmas approached, posts on social media showing pictures of the streets of Val-d’Or began to multiply: the streets, reported post after post, were empty. The boycott was working. The economic impact clearly influenced Val-d’Or municipal council to reach an agreement with nearby Cree, Anishnabe and Algonquin communities ... read more ››

How to build the perfect backyard ice rink

For many of us in the Northern Hemisphere, play during the cold months meant a makeshift patch of ice wherever one could find it. A pond or a lake and a shovel would suffice. If you lived close to a town’s outdoor rink, even better – if it was maintained. Best ... read more ››

Boycott dropped: Cree Nation, Algonquins strike deal with Val d'Or

As the Truth and Reconciliation Commission delivered its final report in Ottawa Dec. 15, the Cree Nation Government and chiefs of three local Anishnabe and Algonquin communities were joining forces with the city of Val-d’Or in their own “historic” effort to fight abuse and promote healthy coexistence. The alliance resulted from ... read more ››

An eloquent and dangerous voice – remembering John Trudell

No one can claim that John Trudell led a charmed life. His was an interesting life and he lived it well. How many people have had a song written about them while in the prime of their lives. Who of us has been described as “extremely eloquent, and therefore very ... read more ››

Justin times for Christmas

In old movies, whenever you hear background sounds and talking, the audio is almost always faked to enhance the effect of the visual art of the film. One such sound was the crowded room background, people talking to each other, just out of range and just indiscernible enough to convince ... read more ››

Don't be fooled by hate

Recently, I have heard a lot of comments on the fact that we are welcoming many refugees from Syria. This topic is very popular in coffee shops and any other place where people meet throughout Canada. Sadly, I hear a lot of mean comments and even hatred from people and ... read more ››

Bring them Home

When then-Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologized to the First Nations Peoples in 2008 for the residential school system, I cast doubt on the sincerity of his words. I still feel that way given the many harmful pieces of legislation his government imposed on us without any consultation. Now we know that, ... read more ››

It isn’t only the natives anymore

You really have to wonder sometimes. My most recent source of confusion arises from the recent Marshall decision by the Supreme Court of Canada. Here’s this poor guy, Donald Marshall, Jr., getting his life back together after spending years upon years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, getting ... read more ››

Unrest over Marshall ruling in Maritimes

The Supreme Court’s so-called Marshall decision has unleashed a hurricane of unrest in the Maritimes that is being closely watched by First Nations. The decision reaffirmed the right of the Mi’kmaq and Maliseet people to fish lobsters year-round – rights first recognized in an 18th-century treaty. Mi’kmaq people started putting out traps ... read more ››

Accident claims life

A terrible accident outside Waswanipi took the life of a 15-year-old girl early the morning of Friday, September 24. Seven friends from the community were hanging out at the bridge on Highway 113 at around 2:30 a.m. when a truck came out of nowhere. One of the girls was hit. “She ... read more ››

Threat of mass suicide

A First Nation of 8,000 people in Colombia is considering “mass suicide” after the Colombian government okayed oil exploration in the nation’s ancestral land. Occidental Petroleum Corp., a U.S. petroleum giant, got a license to do exploratory drilling for oil next to Indian lands just outside a 543,000-acre reserve inhabited by ... read more ››

In the beginning…

In the beginning there was Chief Billy Diamond, Chief John Kitchen, Chief Walter Hughboy, Chief Kenneth Gilpin. They tumbled down like a string of dominoes. Who’s next? Chiefess Violet Pachano? Chief George Wapachee? Chief Kenny Loon? Noted and much beloved warmonger and mass murderer Henry Kissinger came up with The Domino Theory ... read more ››

Voters pick Mark over Hughboy 2-to-1

Walter Hughboy’s 21-year reign as chief of Wemindji is over. He was in office longer than any other sitting Cree chief when he was defeated in the Sept. 12 community election by a two-to-one vote. The Wemindji election means all four Quebec Cree communities that had elections in the past month have ... read more ››

Permit? What permit?

First Nations across the province are largely ignoring Quebec’s bingo law, or they have found ways to get around it. In Kahnawake, the CKRK radio station has a defiant attitude toward the Quebec government’s bingo permits. “They can’t come into the territory to impose any licenses on us,” said Heather Bauersfeld, the ... read more ››