Volume 14, Issue 12

7 years later – New developments in OJ mining contamination story miss one element: action

The Ouje-Bougoumou mining contamination issue is dragging on as governments at all levels fail to bring the political will required to deal with it. “It’s been seven years of studies after studies. We all know there is something wrong. How long will it be before we actually do something?” asked Louise Wapachee, ... read more ››

Cree childhood obesity is growing – report

Childhood obesity is an epidemic in Canada and the statistics are even more alarming among Aboriginal children. A study published recently in the American Journal of Public Health found that up to 65 per cent of Cree preschoolers in northern Quebec communities were overweight or obese. Dr. Noreen Willows, a community ... read more ››

First Nations have last word on sovereignty

The sovereignty debate and the threat of separation in Quebec has torn apart families, devalued property and given the province a bad name for many years. APTN decided that they would consult Quebec’s first peoples about the issue last April 18. A panel of seven invited guests traded observations and theories ... read more ››

Forward to the not-too-distant past

A long time ago, back in the seventies, there was a place we could go to in the spring, a place that was special, a place where you changed in a rite called “your first goose.” This was usually accomplished with a single shot .410 on a lone goose that ... read more ››

Hair raising experiences

Someone asked me the other day if it was time for me to get a hair cut. As a matter of fact, I have not had any shears, scissors or stylist touch my head in over a decade. I understood why my friend asked me about getting a haircut. After ... read more ››

Just don’t take him out to the bush

Quebec has a new Native Affairs Minister, and if his name sounds familiar, it’s because the new boss is the same as the old (old) boss. Premier Jean Charest reappointed Benoit Pelletier to the position the Chapleau MNA held from 2003-2005, when he was replaced by Geoff Kelly. Pelletier is part of ... read more ››

Rupert River fight continues – Montreal’s Echofête event another effort to save river

They didn’t, as promised, bring the water from the Rupert River, but three Cree chiefs were able to make a big splash anyway. Up to 300 people attended the environmental festival Echofête April 18 at Cafe Campus in Montreal, and at the same time, gained a better understanding of the Cree ... read more ››

The Power of Numbers – Stats Can develops aboriginal-specific training programs

Statistics Canada has developed an Aboriginal Statistical Training Program that is available to communities free of charge. In it, a series of specific aboriginal-taught training programs help native communities retrieve necessary information they can use in economic development strategies. With this program, Stats Can sends a representative into a community to teach ... read more ››

Waskaganish kids walk to protest drug and alcohol abuse

Children from the Winibekuu and Annie Whiskeychan Memorial Schools in Waskaganish relayed a strong message on April 12 that their community needs to fight rampant drug and alcohol abuse so they can live a brighter future. The walk, organized by the Walk Committee and the Crisis Intervention Committee, was a first ... read more ››

Waswanipi Band Council In Turmoil – Lawsuits and conflict of interest allegations as feud goes public

Former Cree Model Forest President Sam W. Gull is suing Waswanipi Chief John Kitchen, alleging Kitchen unfairly fined Gull and appointed Band Councillor Derek Neeposh to oversee the organization even though Gull had six months left on his contract Gull is looking to recoup money he says is owed to ... read more ››

Where’s the bailing buckets?

Someone once passed on the observation that a ship’s destination doesn’t particularly matter when it’s sinking. I felt his statement to be both a great truth and ultimately a lie. Does this mean that the survival of the fittest shall prevail? That would mean that the rule of law shall ... read more ››