Category: Rez Notes

Firestorm

  Recently, on a great day on the coast of Hudson’s Bay, everyone in town was out picnicking, enjoying the final days of spring. As I ran about town picking up forgotten items like insect repellant and marshmallows and other essential items, I bumped into several friends of mine who had ... read more ››

Uranium or bust

  After listening to the talk shows and long discussions on the issue of uranium mining in Eeyou Istchee, I wondered if anyone really did any background check on the uses of uranium. What I discovered is rather interesting. Named after the planet Uranus, which was discovered barely eight years earlier ... read more ››

Commodes throughout the ages

  There are a few things that mankind cannot avoid and must deal with – yes, it’s about what to do with all that human waste we pump out from our innards on a daily basis. Back in the day, going about your personal business and hygiene wasn’t really that personal, ... read more ››

2012? What happens next?

  Well, the people who made a lot of predictions that the end nigh, might have to hang on just a little longer. It seems that the now-famous Mayan Long Count calendar will end on the next winter’s equinox – which is either the shortest or longest day of the year, ... read more ››

Hard drive

  The other day, I had a computer shut down on me, leaving me up in the air with a gazillion things to get done. Actually signing on to my email accounts instead of letting my organizer –one piece of software I cannot do without – do all the signing on ... read more ››

There’s life out there

By the time you read this, you will notice that there aren’t very many occupied seats on the plane you are sitting on. That is simply due to one reason – yes, GOOSEBREAK!! You will also notice that there will hardly be anyone at the airport terminal, why? The same ... read more ››

Rivers on the rocks

I recently bumped into some old friends who lamented about the changes in their normal winter and spring hunting schedules. This winter – if I may call it that – we experienced fierce winter temperatures, from super subzero to semi-tropical climes. Arrggg…what to wear? Should I look chic or heavy ... read more ››

Planet North

As you look back into our history, let’s say, several hundred years, you’ll see a change of interest of the North in general. The North was always important to the world in those years, when crossing the Atlantic Ocean meant reaching India from the other side. The world was a ... read more ››

Spring delicacies

The goose fat drips on the hot rocks surrounding the lazy fire. The goose, impressively fat, gets flipped over deftly by googum. This makes my eyes focus on the little chip of wood twirling around on the string that holds my favourite meal in just the right range from the ... read more ››

What’s our rating?

I once heard a lawyer mention off-hand that if there was a heap of Indians, the Cree would be on top of that heap. Now, why would anyone say something like that? The comment made me wonder if he was serious and I looked at him, very seriously, and asked ... read more ››

Patience for patients

One of the most dreaded things we don’t look forward to in life is a visit to the doctor. The probing and poking, prodding and questioning by a doctor or nurse can be frightening or calming to the nerves. This, of course, depends on what type of personality you have. ... read more ››

The IT wars

  A cell phone rings in the busy meeting room. People constantly arguing or agreeing with each other stop and search frantically to find the insistent phone. Finally, someone answers and disappears from the room. Another phone vibrates on the large polished-wood conference table, resonating and quietly demanding to be answered. After ... read more ››

Keeping busy in the cold

How did we ever get here? According to traditional business models, we did everything wrong. Our first issues were sent to the communities we wanted to serve with a few prayers and a lot of hope that they would actually arrive. One community member questioned whether we would be able ... read more ››

A cure for all seasons

  One nice thing about winter is that it signals the beginning of the flu and cold season, which, if left alone to develop, can turn your schedule upside down. Hacking out one’s lungs in the middle of an intense snowstorm with flash cold temperatures in the minus 40s should do ... read more ››

Losing resolutions

I’ve been slaving over hot cooked turkey and slobbering over luscious cakes lately and somehow I still managed to lose a few ounces of the fat I have painstakingly gained over the last two decades. I think I lost it during the heavy sweating that happens when you bend over ... read more ››

Is that you Santa?

  I recently listened to a good old country Christmas song, “Santa looked a lot like daddy, or daddy looked at lot like him…”, and it made me smile. Sometimes, songs just make up the truth as it is, and within that little ditty of a tune, it managed to expose ... read more ››

Speech… speech

  I recently had the honour of being recognized as the Economic Developer Officer of the Year at the annual gala held by the Eeyou Economic Group, which is directed by my peers from the other Cree communities. As I thought about what I would say and which speech mode I ... read more ››

Shopping for commodities

  As we enter a new future of dancing with and within the commodities markets, selling diamonds and gold left and right, a rare mineral here and there, what comes to mind is that we’ve come a long way from just reinvesting debentures and bonds and occasionally cashing in on mega-projects, ... read more ››

Life less and strife less

  Once, many years ago, it was quite easy to get a driver’s permit. Back in the day, the local constable advised me to go and get a money order for $40 and send it out. I complied and wondered when the driving school would start, who the instructor would be ... read more ››

Mayor, Host, Hizzonner

  I happened to be down in our favourite place to hangout on weekends, yes, Val-d’Or. And it just so happens that over a span of three weeks and three round trips, I had stayed in several hotels in the area and on each trip, I met Hizzonner, Mayor Fernand Trahan. ... read more ››

Hallooooweee’een snippets 4

One of the craziest times of the year is breathing down our necks like some rabid vampire who hasn’t had a drop of blood in days. The skies overhead drip with snow-tinged blasts of air as children and adults brave the elements to go trick or treating from one spooky ... read more ››

K.I.S.S

One of my main beefs about certain things in life is related to how complicated things can get and how simple it could be to resolve – if it were up to me. As in a life-or-death situation when you need to take some medication, does the latest TV commercial ... 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 ››

Winged protein and greased energy

My red-faced daughter rushed into the house to tell me that geese were flying over – the cold early fall winds are already here. Wow, can it be September already? Times goes by fast when you don’t have time for life, just work. I am often told that I think ... read more ››

Making peace movies…

I mentioned in the last issue, a movie in the making was in the works just north of 55. That was two weeks ago and the saga continues… After a few weeks of planning and auditions, the mix matched crew of intrepid film makers decided to go to a remote location, ... read more ››

Summer, cont’d

One of the nice things about summer is the times set aside to celebrate. Given the long days and energy everyone seems to have in early summer to plan, design, discuss, pay for and carry out in grand style – like galas, weddings, holiday parties and graduations. This all takes ... read more ››