Volume 4, Issue 8

A Nation Under Seige: Lubicon Lake Crees Fighting For A Future

War is raging in this country but most Canadians have no idea where the battle lines are drawn. A 10,000-square-kilometre patch of land in Northern Alberta is arguably the most valuable on the planet. It is no surprise then that huge multinational corporations—oil and gas, pulp and paper, and logging companies—have ... read more ››

Bears Take 1st in Tournament

News from the front lines of hockeydom. Our boys on the Bantam CC Cree Nation Bears brought home a first-place victory from a tournament in LaSarre February 6 to 9. The Bears powered over Ville Marie in the final game with a 3-1 win. In previous games, they beat Val d’Or ... read more ››

Co-op Store to Open in Mistissini

A while ago, Mistissini refused to give Northern Stores a grant to renovate and upgrade the store in that community. Soon after Northern Stores closed down its Mistissini outlet. Since then Mistissini-ites have had to go out of the community to get furniture, clothing, hardware, toys and other dry goods. That will ... read more ››

Dedicated to the Hunters

The Briefs Dept, interrupts your normally scheduled Briefs to bring you this story we received from J. Snowboy: A hunter stands before a lake, to his back a vast wilderness. To see such beauty brings joy to his heart, as he sets up his tent or teepee. He thinks of the ... read more ››

Drum Up The Vote

Mr. Mercredi, you’re proposing that I vote against the Liberals. Who do you suggest I vote for? The Reform party? The Natural Law Party? Or how about the Tories? Wait, wait how about the Bloc? Pretty good choice, eh? Who are you voting for? It is like choosing, to use ... read more ››

Gold, Gold, Everywhere Gold

There’s gold in them thar hills. Another mining outfit has struck gold in Iyiyuuschii. GéoNova reports it has bought the resources of the Chevrier project, south of Chibougamau, with its 600,000 ounces of gold. The project is being called one of the largest gold finds in Quebec. Last January, Montreal-based GéoNova announced ... read more ››

James Bay, We Have a Problem

It sure gets crazy around here in The Nation office sometimes. We were hot on the trail of NASA last week, when suddenly we found ourselves asking the question: Just how safe are the dams? Have you ever wondered what you would do if one of the dams broke? Is there ... read more ››

Judy Capissisit’s Story

Hello, my name is Judy Capissisit. What I’d like to talk about is my personal experiences. I’m an alcoholic and I’m 32 years old. I’m an adopted child. I remember the day I found out I was adopted. It was at school during recess and kids were telling me that my family wasn’t ... read more ››

Moral “Low Ebb” for Canada

Canada has been condemned by a government-appointed commission for the way it took land away from a First Nation in the Prairies. “Not only did Canada fail to protect the Band from sharp and predatory practices,” says the Indian Claims Commission. “Canada itself initiated these tainted dealings. Indian Affairs officials used their ... read more ››

Our History, Our People and Sharing

I recently had the good fortune to be invited to the Cree Cultural Coordinators’ meeting in Val d’Or on February 18-20th. The part of the meeting that I was interested in was the repatriation of Cree artifacts. This would be bringing them back to a Cree museum or facility where they ... read more ››

Rez Notes

Sometimes I wonder if we Crees really do live in a democracy. You hear about Crees being denied their paychecks unless they vote in a referendum. Other Native people who can’t even vote for their choice of National Chief. Powerful chiefs bulldozing resolutions through while other “chieves” sit by and ... read more ››

Two-Game Suspension “A Joke”: Chief

Val d’Or minor hockey coach Yvanhoé Bélisle has been suspended for two games for making racist comments against Native youth. The punishment drew an outcry from Crees who said it’s not enough. Chief Bosum said the decision sends a message that racism is okay. “I think it’s a joke. I think ... read more ››

Where Do We Go From Here?

During the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples conference I came across many Crees but because of space could only interview two. I chose Romeo Saganash, former Deputy Grand Chief, former Waswasipi Deputy Chief and present Waswanipi Band Councilor, as well as one of the speakers and one of the observers ... read more ››