Volume 8, Issue 21

AGA 2001

Neil noticed that there was a depressing lack of doodling at the GCCEI/CRA AGA in Nemaska this year. I don’t know if the delegates were less artistically inclined this year or saving them for making something they could sell to tourists and Crees alike. It would be a horrible thought ... read more ››

B.C. Land Claim Threatens Legislature

Two Native groups have taken legal action to establish their rights to the land on which the B.C. legislature sits. The Esquimalt and Songhees bands, from the Victoria area, have filed a 15-page statement of claim with the Supreme Court of British Columbia in which they seek a declaration that ... read more ››

Fear and Loathing in Burnt Church

Tension continues to mount in New Brunswick over fears of violence relating to the lobster stand-off in Burnt Church. The federal government has criticised the Native community for refusing to negotiate and has announced it’s intention to place heavy limitations on the band’s lobster fishery. New government restrictions will prohibit the ... read more ››

Fed’s Are the Problem Says ABL

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake (ABL) say they will be suspending most logging operations in their territory after the federal government unilaterally cut funding for an innovative co-management forestry project. The Department of Indian Affairs notified the community 140 km north of Maniwaki in July that it is cutting funding of ... read more ››

Fontaine To Head ICC

Former National Grand Chief Phil Fontaine has been named as the new Chief Commissioner of the Indian Claims Commission. The appointment, announced August 29, had the full support of acting co-chairs Daniel Bellegarde and P.E. James Prentice. “We were originally appointed co-chairs on a temporary basis until a Chief Commissioner ... read more ››

Heat Wave on for First Nations

The 30-day cooling period is over according to Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault and the consultations on the proposed native governance legislation will go ahead. This will happen without the consent or participation from First Nations leadership if they can’t come up with some sort of plan the Fed’s are ... read more ››

Keeping an Open Mind

There are many differences between life in First Nation communities as compared to living in the non-Native world. One thing I notice is how badly the non-Native world treats those people who are different or who may have mental problems in a negative way. I notice in the cities and ... read more ››

Lets Do Launch

Chisasibi was hot in August. First the community hosted the country wide Cree Nation gathering of its confederacy. Then there was the annual Pow Wow on Fort George Island and the countless summer weddings. Closing the two-week long festivities, the James Bay Cree Communications Society held the official launch of ... read more ››

National Chief Attends Racism Conference

Matthew Coon Come is off to Durban, South Africa to take part in the World Conference Against Racism. The National Grand Chief is hoping to use the world stage to gain recognition for the rights of Aboriginal Peoples around the world. Mr. Coon Come is especially keen on drawing attention ... read more ››

Out of Cigarettes

It was a cool fall day when we, a trio of young lads, decided to go out on a major hunting expedition out on the islands of James Bay. We thought of everything, including a camera to record our incredible hunting prowess. We picked Big Mand for our spot for ... read more ››

Post-it Post Haste

One has to admire the total lack of knowledge retention and disregard for historical facts as well as the predictable rhetoric that the National Post seems to Post-it Post Haste require in their overtly Caucasian editorial staff writers. Ifs more than obvious, it’s downright in your face, with the extended ... read more ››

RAM Page

Cossack-European Wars by Strategy First The name Cossack derives from the Turkic word “kazak,” which means “free man” or “adventurer.” Indeed, the Cossack’s life was quite an adventure: this sub-ethnic group was formed and shaped in never-ending wars and conflicts. From the 16th through the 18* century the Cossacks were one of ... read more ››

Starting on a Healing Journey

First of all, I am one of the members of the Whapmagoostui First Nation. I was raised in Whapmagoostui in all my life, my name is John-Clarence Kawapit, 32. I would like to put some lines here and tell you what I’ve been through in all my life, and I ... read more ››

Waskaganish Band Results

It was a community election with results that were eagerly awaited throughout the Cree Nation. One of the great Cree statesmen from the past would be running for Deputy Chief, Billy Diamond. Newly elected Deputy Chief Steve Diamond said “I was surprised by the margin by which I won. I will ... read more ››

Z-man’s Back to School Tips

With the days getting shorter and the nights getting colder, one can’t escape the inevitability of summer’s end. A funny thing about endings is that they tend to signify new beginnings, like the beginning of a new school year. The piles of homework, the skill-testing math quizzes, the reading assignments ... read more ››