Volume 11, Issue 16

“I Was Misquoted” – Chibougamau Mayor

The Mayor of Chibougamau wants to set the record straight. Don Bubar claims he was misquoted in an article published in the Journal de Montreal that caused quite a stir in Eeyou Istchee. The following, about new public facilities in Ouje-Bougoumou, is an excerpt that appeared June 4 in an article ... read more ››

$hock and Awww

The digital readout kept on climbing and climbing and my excitement level rose to an all time high. The numbers rose past 100, 150, 195, and edged over the $200 mark. Hands shaking, I reached for my pocket, my adrenaline soaring. No, I wasn’t at the casino or in front ... read more ››

Arson Suspected in Mistissini House Fire

A Mistissini woman is homeless after a fire that police say was deliberately set. The June 10 blaze left the home of Ann Marie Awashish unsalvageable, said Mistissini Police Chief Calvin Blacksmith. Witnesses saw two youngsters near the house before the fire started. Police had not spoken to the parents of the ... read more ››

CLIP Gets Shaved

While they may not be thinking about the next school year already, students at Mistissini’s Voyaguer Memorial School will be getting a new lease on learning come September. The Cree School Board (CSB) has approved a new pilot project for a teaching ratio of 50-50 in the languages for those ... read more ››

Editorial

A letter sent to Danny Doucet, the editor of the Montreal Journal by Ted Moses. The story concerned statements made by residents of Chibougamau. The story by Journal de Montreal’s article by Jean Maurice Dubbin is covered by the Nation on page 7. Dear Sir: I write in regard to the article ... read more ››

Elders Unhappy Over Paix des Braves Cash

Members of the Elders’ Council feel neglected. They recently received $100,000 under the Paix des Braves allocation, but at least one Elder says the amount is not enough. Robbie Matthew Sr., one of the leaders of the Chisasibi Elders’ Council, says the council should be given more attention. “It should be a ... read more ››

First Peoples Festival Kicks Off Fest Season in Montreal

Opening night for the Rezolution Pictures’ screening of Dab Iiyyuu at the Land Insights Festival was hot. Notables included filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, who was on hand to see what the Crees were up to. She got to see Sonny get his first goose. Dab Iiyyuu is a touching story of hunting. ... read more ››

Forestry Companies Ignoring New Rules? – Overlap Between Paix des Braves And Forestry Agreement Produces Conflicts

The Grand Council of the Crees says many forestry companies are still not respecting logging guidelines established under the Paix des Braves agreement. Under the agreement signed with Quebec in February 2002, one per cent of each tallyman’s trapline is protected from cutting. Another 25 per cent of the harvestable land ... read more ››

Harmonize This

Problems on your traplines? Through the trapline Harmonization and Enhancement program, in collaboration with the Cree Trappers Association and Local Joint Working Groups, tallymen finally have an opportunity to apply for funding to improve the quality of their haunting grounds. The industry has scapegoated their responsibility of sustainable forestry far too long ... read more ››

Mooshoom’s Memories

On a bright spring afternoon my grandfather James Kataquapit, or as we call him in Cree, Mooshoom, steps out of our home in the middle of the community. My family has just finished a hurried lunch of moose stew while on a break before returning to school and work. Mooshoom ... read more ››

Richard Desjardins: Still Trying to Correct L’Erreur Boréale

What do you do when everything you have come to love is threatened with destruction? Well, if you are Richard Desjardins, you make a documentary to use as a tool in your defense. What was done initially to protect the area around his beloved chalet in Abitibi that was being ... read more ››

Tembec Hopes to Harvest Halo by Courting Crees

Tembec, the international forestry conglomerate based in Temiscaming, is appealing to Crees for help in gaining certification with the Forest Stewardship Council of Canada (FSC). Certification is important for the company because it would enable them to sell their timber at a higher price to large multinational retailers such as ... read more ››

Waswanipi Cree Model Forest to Restore Moose Habitat

A forest in danger, the livelihood of thousands on the brink of extinction? Not if the people working to create Waswanipi Cree Model Forest (WCMF) have their way. Since 1997 WCMF has been working to maintain and enhance the natural quality of Eeyou Istchee. Through developing new methods of forest management while ... read more ››