Volume 12, Issue 5

Board Removes C.T.A. President from Office

Citing a lack of leadership, the Cree Trappers Association board of directors voted to fire CTA President Johnny Cooper December 9. Cooper says he is stunned by the decision “I didn’t feel too happy,” he told the Nation. “It wasn’t a very good Christmas gift.” CTA Director Donald Gilpin, who has been ... read more ››

Hunting in the ‘Grey’ Zone – Cree Fined for Following Game; Discovers Strange Grand Council Policy

Jimmy Cooper is beginning to wonder the meaning of being Cree in today’s world after a Val d’Or Court ruling found him guilty of hunting south of the 49th parallel – even though he had signed an agreement with the farmer who owned the land he was hunting on. Having grown up ... read more ››

Imagine all the People

I spent the better part of the holiday season with a shovel in hand moving large piles of snow from the driveway. Whenever I thought my work was done, the municipal plow piled more snow at the end of the driveway for me to clear. The first day or two ... read more ››

Innocence Lost

One of the saddest chapters in the history of the Cree Nation came to a partial close January 11, when Trevor Spencer was sentenced to 54 months in jail – which actually translates to 32 months after time already served is taken into consideration. Unfortunately, Khayden Otter-Rupert, the little boy he ... read more ››

Mistissini Man Gets Six Months for Gun Offense

A man who was arrested by police on New Year’s Day and charged with careless use of a firearm was given a six-month suspended sentence in a Mistissini traveling court January 12. At 7 am the morning of January 1, Mathew Swallow came out of his house in a drunken state ... read more ››

Native Kids Account for 1/3 of Children in Foster Care

A report published in the Montreal Gazette earlier this month stated that Native kids account for one-third of all children in foster care in Canada. The paper cites Indian Affairs documents as proof in estimating that 30 to 40 per cent of all kids in foster care are aboriginal. According to documents ... read more ››

Quiet Christmas in the Communities

Police forces throughout Eeyou Istchee reported a relatively quiet holiday period this year, with only one gun offense and a lower-than-usual level of disturbances. “It wasn’t as bad as it was in the past,” said Chisasibi police spokesperson Lyle Cox. “We didn’t have many calls to respond to this time. People ... read more ››

Snowtrax

One of the many things that we enjoy is the fact that in the North, snow is around for about eight months of the year. Another true fact is that it gets damn cold, yet it is an important time for people of the north. I happen to like using ... read more ››

Trevor Spencer Sentenced to 54 Months in Prison – Trial of Foster Father Who Assaulted Khayden Otter-Rupert Finally Ends

Khayden Otter can rest easy for the next 32 months – Trevor Spencer can’t hurt him behind bars. In a half-filled Waswanipi courtroom, Spencer was sentenced to four and a half years in a federal penitentiary – minus 22 months already served pending trial. Many Waswanipi residents, most of whom do not ... read more ››

UN Proclaims Indigenous Peoples’ Decade…Again

The United Nations has labeled the next 10 years as the second Decade of Indigenous Peoples after the first one apparently didn’t live up to its promises. In an announcement December 20, the UN General Assembly formally adopted the resolution that proclaimed the decade, which commenced January 1, 2005. “A major goal ... read more ››