Category: Sports

Waswanipi dominates Chapais hockey tourney

If they had entered a midget team, it might have been a clean sweep. Four Waswanipi teams in the Novice, Atom, Pee Wee and Bantam categories absolutely dominated the competition at the 10th annual Chapais Minor Hockey Invitational Tournament, held January 25-29. “The feeling was good,” said the Novice Waswanipi Little Chiefs ... read more ››

Jonathan Cheechoo talks to the Nation about the new NHL, Sweden and moose…

The Nation had a chance recently to talk with Jonathan Cheechoo, one of the NHL’s exciting young wingers. We sat down with the rising San Jose Sharks star at the Bell Centre in Montreal to get his view on many things and ask him questions about his stardom in Native ... read more ››

Cree youth meet and greet Cheechoo in Ottawa

They came, they saw, they cheered, and in the end they jumped into their vehicles for the long ride home to reflect on their encounter with a young Cree role model and the only Eenouch hockey player in the NHL. On January 12, over 100 youngsters and adults alike made the ... read more ››

Psych Group Urges End of Indian Mascots

The American Psychological Association wants to eliminate the use of American Indian mascots, contending they create stereotypes and damage self-esteem. “American Indian mascots are harmful not only because they are often negative, but because they remind American Indians of the limited ways in which others see them,” Stephanie Fryberg of the ... read more ››

‘Big Bear’ Garners MVP Award in UHL Playoffs

For those who were emotionally distraught over the loss of the NHL season this year, Chisasibi’s Brant “Big Bear” Blackned has provided some solace on the ice. Blackned won his second league title in two years with the Muskegon Fury of the United Hockey League. Best of all, Blackned was ... read more ››

Hockey Players Lace Up, Now’s Your Chance!

Cree hockey players will have a second chance at furthering their careers thanks to a new prospects camp that is set to begin in late June in Ouje-Bougoumou. Tyson Gull and Jeremy Jolly were angry enough at their missed opportunity in the sport to create the Aboriginal Prospects Opportunity Camp. “We started ... read more ››

More Cash for Native Sports

The Canadian government announced a plan to increase Aboriginal participation in sports with an investment of $ 12 million over five years. Stephen Owen, Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State (Sport), said in Vancouver May 7 that the money will finance sport policy initiatives for equity improvement as ... read more ››

Are The Cree Experiencing NHL Withdrawal?

It’s what every hockey fan dreaded. The NHL lockout appears to be lasting forever and will be as slow to resolve as the curling matches that replaced hockey on CBC. It was a money issue, a greed issue, some say. It was about salary caps by greedy owners. It was ... read more ››

24th Annual Cree Hockey Tournament

The 24th Annual Cree Nation Hockey Tournament took place at the Palais des sports arena in Val d’Or from December 17-21st. The Class “A” Hockey Champions were the Mistissini Trappers. In class “B”, the Kuujuak Umimaqs took home the prize, while the Waskaganish Ex-Wings triumphed in class “C”. Below is a list ... read more ››

Nathaniel Bosum Finished 16th Place at the THQ Super Cross GP in Toronto

Bosum told the Nation. “I was a bit nervous at that time as the night went on, I got used to riding with all these fast guys. When I went there I just basically wanted to have fun. I wasn’t expecting to qualify for the main event said Bosum” “When I ... read more ››

New Cree Minor Hockey League to Hit Ice

Raymond Shanoush is excited about the prospects for the Cree Nation’s young hockey prospects. Shanoush is the president of the newly created Cree Hockey League that is taking its first shots across Eeyou Istchee. “We’re just going to have exhibition games just to feel the ground,” Shanoush said in an interview. ... read more ››

Waswanipi Fire Department Cleans up at Competitions

The Waswanipi Fire Department won the 15th Annual Provincial Aboriginal Firefighters’ competitions three weeks prior to the National competitions; the provincial competitions were hosted in Waswanipi on August 28. At these competitions it came out to be very competitive and Waswanipi, Nemaska and Manawan held a three-way tie for first place ... read more ››

Khayden Tours Eeyou Istchee

Khayden Otter-Rupert marked the beginning of his triumphant return to Eeyou Istchee with a smile. Khayden and his grandfather Ronnie Otter began a tour of Eeyou Istchee Sept. 4 with a whirlwind stop in Whapmagoostui. Khayden took a tour of the community in the fire truck, visited the band office and ... read more ››

Karate: A Personal Experience

My interest in martial arts began when I saw the movie Return of the Dragon, starring Bruce Lee. I was captivated by his fighting style and his skill and tenacity. Nearly 30 years have passed since Bruce Lee made his final bow, but the interest in martial arts he instilled ... read more ››

Karate for Everyone

Claude Bédard, 4th Dan, Chief Instructor at the Chibougamau Shotokan karate club. For the past three years, I’ve witnessed a growing interest in karate from the Native communities near Chibougamau (Mistissini and Oujé-Bougoumou). We now have more than 25 native members aged 6 to 50 training two or three times a ... read more ››

Cree Boys Win Gold in Edmonton, Rhode Island

This year’s hockey season may be long over in the Cree Nation, but the most important part of the season for Stephan Gunner and Delmer Moses, both 13, happened just recently. Gunner, from Mistissini, and Moses, from Waskaganish, participated in the Canadian AAA Hockey Challenge in Edmonton June 27 to ... read more ››

Seven Eenouch Fail to ‘Make the Cut’ – Hockey Reality Show to Air on CBC This Fall

Last month seven guys from Eeyou Istchee traveled to Ottawa and Montreal to prove that no matter how big your goals are, they are always worth shooting for. Brothers Cliff and Eric Benac, Robbie Metabie Jr., Ernie Trapper and Benjamin Neeposh, all from the Mistissini Trappers, along with Waswanipi’s Christopher Cooper, ... read more ››

Para-skiing: As Easy As Flying a Kite

Was it a bird, a plane, superman with large wings? Nope, those things you may have seen in the sky last April around Chisasibi, Wemindji or Waskaganish were para-skiing kites, other wise known as powerkites. A group of 12 skiers including Wasksaganish’s own Aaron Blackned completed the trip that began ... read more ››

Jonathan Cheechoo out of NHL Playoffs

Moose Factory’s favorite son, Jonathan Cheechoo, has had his amazing Stanley Cup playoff run come to an end. After knocking off the St. Louis Blues and Colorado Avalanche in the first and second rounds of the playoffs, most people began to take notice of Cheechoo’s up and coming San Jose Sharks. One ... read more ››

Eenouch Shut Out at Provincial Championships

After coming off a fantastic win that earned them a berth at the Midget AA hockey provincial championships, the Cree Nation Eenouch crashed back to earth with three tough losses in the tournament held in Repentigny. Interim Manager Sidney Ottereyes at first didn’t want to talk about it, but then saw ... read more ››

Jordin Tootoo, Aboriginal Role Model

Jordin Tootoo carries more than pads on his shoulders – he carries the hopes and dreams of thousands of Aboriginal kids who look up to him as well. The rookie Nashville Predator will also be helping to kickstart the National Aboriginal Role Model Program. The National Aboriginal Health Organization announced that ... read more ››

Sports History Made in Waswanipi

There’s a new kid in town! Well actually, it’s not so much a kid as it is a team, and it’s not really so much new as it is two years old. And if you were at the Waswanipi arena on Thursday, April I, you were witness to the birth ... read more ››

Tough Sledding at Ivakkak 2004

The fourth annual Inuit dog sled race, the Ivakkak, has a new winner in Peter Kiatainaq from Kangiqsujuaq. Kiatainaq started the race with a narrow lead but had to fend off a strong challenge from second-place finisher Junior May of Kuujjuaq. Kiatainaq fell to second place on day three but regained ... read more ››

Metis Souray Sets New Record

The Habs’ hottest player is a Metis from Alberta. On Saturday, January 10, the Montreal Canadiens’ Sheldon Souray set a new team record for points by a defenseman with a goal and five assists in the 8-0 trouncing of the Pittsburgh Penguins. This broke the previous record of five points held ... read more ››

Val D’Or Cree Tournament 2003 – A Spiritual Journey

December 4-7, 2003 marked another weekend in Val d’Or where the Cree Nation gathers each year for the Annual Hockey and Broomball Invitational now known as the C.R.E.E. Tournament. All nine Eeyou Istchee Cree communities along with the west side of James Bay, and other Nations come together in sport ... read more ››

Nemaska Basketball Tournament

Nemaska recently staged a mini-basketball tournament from November 27-30 with the help of the sponsorship of the Cree School Board. The tournament was successful and fun was had by all. There were six teams entered in the boy’s category, ranging in age from 11-14. On the girl’s side, there were eight teams ... read more ››