Volume 13, Issue 11

Blowing in wind

Bob Dylan never really met any Crees, given his age and stature as a musician and entertainer, but his famous song is starting to ring true in Cree world. Another fluid dynamic is proposed to be harnessed by the Cree, not in a sail but in a rotating wing that ... read more ››

Book Review: Three Day Road

Three Day Road Joseph Boyden Penguin books ISBN 0670063622 What if the qualities of a good hunter were twisted so much that it made the man turn windigo? That is what happens in Joseph Boyden’s novel Three Day Road. A Windigo, or in our case, Ajaan, is someone who has a taste for human flesh. Once ... read more ››

Building Bridges Through Basketball – Cree youth visit TO for Raptors games and to boost self-esteem

Toronto was the latest sports scene for the Cree youth of Eeyou Istchee as they attended two Raptors games and opened their eyes and minds to a wealth of southern delights. In all, 27 youth and 24 adults from seven communities traveled to Toronto March 28 to April 1 to catch ... read more ››

Cree woman wins ‘Loft Story’

The hugely popular Loft Story, based on the reality series from France of the same name and shown on Télévision Quatre Saisons, has produced a winner after 63 days of being on air – and surprise, she’s Cree! “I feel weird,” Stephanie Belanger from Ouje-Bougoumou told the Nation by phone. “We’ve ... read more ››

Grand Chief meets with Premier Charest – Great Whale to stay off the table

For the first time since his election last September, Matthew Mukash met with Quebec Premier Jean Charest. The meeting at Charest’s Montreal office on March 24 went well, according to Mukash. “It was more than I expected,” he said. “Because of my past positions on Great Whale and hydro electric development ... read more ››

JBNQA trumps CEA Quebec Superior Court

The Superior Court of Quebec has ruled that the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act is in violation of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. In a lengthy decision handed down April 3, the Superior Court affirmed the Crees’ constitutional right to “fully participate in the management, control and regulation of the ... read more ››

Jurisdictional dispute pits Chisasibi against James Bay Municipality

The James Bay Municipality (JBM) has issued a warning to Chisasibi’s Cox family – halt construction on your winter camp; it’s on land we’re renting from the Minister of Natural Resources (MNR). “It didn’t actually explain why,” said Josie Cox, a spokesman for his family. “It just said to stop construction.” The ... read more ››

Making the past part of the future

Congratulations are extended to the Wemindji Investing in Traditional Skills group for their recent award from the Canada Council for the Arts. The group received a research grant in Aboriginal Traditional Art Forms funded by the Visual Arts section of the council. The award recognizes the group’s efforts to revitalize ... read more ››

The Big Bird Virus Epidemic: Cautionary Advice for a Happy Hunting Season

Avian flu is the talk of just about every media outlet and family dinner table these days. Yet with the all the buzz surrounding Avian flu or the particular strain that has everyone so concerned, H5N1, it’s hard to know what the facts are and even harder to assess what ... read more ››

The Land of the Mushkego

There is a reason why my people are called the Mushkego Cree. We reside on the James Bay lowlands, a region that starts about 100 kilometres from the western coast of James Bay. This region stretches from Hudson Bay in the north and down to the southern tip of James ... read more ››

The new NHL offers lessons far beyond hockey

With about a week to go before the playoffs, this National Hockey League season has been a revelation. Cynicism reigned supreme back in October as the players, badly outplayed by the owners in their contract dispute that wrecked an entire season, finally returned to the ice. But with new rules permitting ... read more ››