Category: Culture and Tradition

On the Land

It has been many moons since I’ve been moose hunting. I was talking to OJ Chief Curtis Bosum and at the end of our business we chitchatted. I mentioned that my wife Amy was pregnant and looking for moose or caribou so I planned to go moose hunting. He asked ... read more ››

The Lost Cree of Washaw Sibi – The Tenth Cree Community of Eeyou Istchee Finds Its Identity

Imagine slowly losing your language, your culture and your identity. Imagine being assimilated by your Native cousins. Imagine living on land you used to have title to, but where you are now considered “squatters.” This is the reality of the Washaw Sibi people. They have been fighting for land to call ... read more ››

Traditional Knowledge

Another example of what is good for the economy is the destruction of the environment and nonrenewable resources generates money in terms of jobs for workers tearing up what cannot be replaced. There is a recent move to replace the GDP with the Genuine Progress Indicator, which would not only ... read more ››

The Cree Voice – Inside and Outside the Community

On May 19, I accompanied a student from my grade 6 class to a mock Parliament at the National Assembly in Quebec City. Her name is Angeline Sam. She was democratically elected by her class peers as their representative. We went to Quebec to participate in a project aimed at ... read more ››

MEDICINE

Interview by Nellie Pepabano I always listen to the Elders when they tell stories and I don’t hear the Elders talk about medicine. I will talk about how I healed people who were sick. I was then alone at my home when there was a sickness. It was at that time when ... read more ››

Walking Out Ceremony

We performed the walking out ceremonies for our children. Today, it seems that people do this ceremony during mid-summer. That wasn’t the way it was done. It was done during spring. That was when the children were always taken out. That was what I saw. A child was not taken ... read more ››

Native Tradition and Christianity

During my time growing up on the Moose Factory First Nation reserve, I was constantly aware and reminded during most weekends of the social problems that seemed to fester and flourish in my family, as well as others on the reserve. The major factor that contributed to family and community ... read more ››

Inland waterfowl hunting and lifestyle of long ago

(Translated and edited by Brian Webb) I cannot talk about the goose very much. I can about the goose hunting from inland; however, I cannot talk about it from the coastals’ ways. I never hunted for geese here on the coast But inland that is where I can talk about the ... read more ››

Our sacred fire is beautiful

Nature, above all, has been responsible for my teachings. I believe her school is the greatest young people can attend. When I immerse myself in her and pray, she becomes like a mirror, and the image reflected back is my own true self. An image to heal, and to love. This article ... read more ››

Fort George Island: The way it was and maybe should have remained

I have always experienced a special feeling with people I have encountered living off an island. As theJamaican celebration for tourists song goes, “Come to my island, you never want to leave.” And Fort George, as it was called and still is on certain 3-D versions of the world globe, ... read more ››