Volume 9, Issue 20

A Different Look at Politics

I make my formal declaration: I am an Experimental Farm nationalist I decided a few years ago that I am an Experimental Farm nationalist. This decision to pledge myself to fight for a piece of land, if necessary, even if it is only 1,100 acres, has come late in life, ... read more ››

Attention Cree thespians: Go to L.A.

The American actors’ union and the group American Indians in Film and Television (AlFT) are co-sponsoring a Native talent showcase in Los Angeles Oct. 9. Pictures and Resumes will be Accepted Aug. 12-Sept. 6. CBS Television entertainment development executives and casting directors from the network’s primetime and daytime programs will also ... read more ››

Cowboys and Indians Revising genocide through Hollywood’s eyes

If it’s true, as they say, that history is written by the winners, then the movie Western is the most compelling American story ever told: How the West was won. Of course, what the Western really made famous was a series of oppositions still in play today: the lone cowboy conquering ... read more ››

Cree health services suffer almost 30 years of underfunding

Cree Health Services may soon be receiving a long-overdue financial shot in the arm. That depends, however, on the outcome of a meeting August 26 between the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay (CBHSSJB) and Quebec Health Minister Remy Trudel. CBHSSJB Chairman Bertie Wapachee has been in round-table ... read more ››

NAIG ‘biggest thrill’ for Native athlete

The web journal Canoe.ca profiles Native athlete Daina Stevens in a recent story. Canoe says her participation in the North American Indigenous Games in Winnipeg may not have been the Olympic Games, but for Stevens, it felt like it. The former Ontario collegiate crosscountry star has had a dream for many ... read more ››

Ottawa to overhaul Native lending laws

The Globe and Mail reports that Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault will introduce legislation this fall aimed at helping natives create their own economic stability and independence by allowing them to borrow money from international markets. The goal of the package, a part of several initiatives made by Mr. Nault this ... read more ››

Rez notes Berry Strange No Nasty Backstabbing Politicians Here

Having recently become a campaign manager for this upcoming election, I thought that I would learn a few dirty tricks of the trade, something downright nasty. As the campaign slowly geared up, I soon realized that this campaign for the deputy grand chief was different than other efforts throughout history. No ... read more ››

The Governance Embellishment: Still Tastes Like the Old Indian Act

(This is an edited expcert from the Assembly of First Nations Analysis of Bill C-61, Minister Nault’s new governance bill, and a legal opinion by Ojibway lawyer David Nahwegabow.) The “new and improved” Indian Act emerged from the bowels of the Department of Indian Affairs to see its first light ... read more ››

Treading the campaign trail Candidates rev up their pace

The campaign trail is open, and beginning to get beaten down by candidates’ feet. Anyone out and about in Mistissini last week may remember seeing Deputy Grand Chief nominee Kenny Loon swinging a softball bat and handing out flyers behind home plate. Meanwhile, Will Nicholls and his campaign manager have ... read more ››

UN priorities for Natives: Housing, water, land and rights

The United Nations Sub-Commission on the Promotion and Protection of Human Rights held another talk-fest last week to discuss the Report of the Working Group on Indigenous Populations. Various issues, including housing, water rights, land rights and basic human rights were the focus of the Commission’s work. Sub-Commission Expert El Hadji ... read more ››

UN slams Canada on treatment of native people

The United Nations has taken Canada to task for its “most glaring human rights problem” – its treatment of First Nations people. On Aug. 5, the UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) denounced Ottawa’s failure to consult with First Nations about the Governance initiative, discriminatory provisions of ... read more ››

Under The Northern Sky A tradition in sports

You might not know it, but we First Nation people have played and enjoyed our own sporting activities for hundreds of years. Summer activities and games were part of life as they were times to use up extra energy and to spend time with family and friends. It was a ... read more ››

Will on the Grill: Quick Baking Powder Biscuits, Navy Beans for writers, and more

In this issue of Will on the Grill I’m only going to give you a few tasty recipes but I’m going to give you some of the hard learnt secrets of the kitchen at the end. Doesn’t it just burn your butt when you want to make something but you’re ... read more ››