Volume 15, Issue 18

10 tips for the environment

1. Eat local and, if possible, organic. Less transport means less pollution and more freshness. Also, fresh fish and caribou are better for you than the meat you can buy in the store. 2. Compost, (see last issue of the Nation, Vol 15. No. 17, for details). 3. Plant a tree. You ... read more ››

Armed robbery in Kuujjuarapik

On June 14 at 9:25 am the Kativik Regional Police received a phone call from the Kuujjuarapik social club. Three male suspects entered the social club and one pointed a gun at the janitors who were cleaning up. Nobody was harmed but a good quantity of alcohol was stolen before the ... read more ››

Cree-Naskapi Reappointment

On June 20, Indian and Northern Affairs minister Chuck Strahl announced the reappointment of the members of the Cree-Naskapi Commission. The tenures for Philip Awashish, Robert Kanatewat and chairperson Richard Saunders have all been renewed for another two years. The Cree-Naskapi Act in 1984 created Canada’s first Aboriginal self-government and the ... read more ››

Crees going greener: Several new projects indicate a growing interest for protecting the environment up north

For as much as living off the land and being kind to Mother Nature ring true with the Cree spiritually, ever since the intrusion of the modern world, most communities have sent their garbage to landfills without contemplating other options. Though the community of Wemindji has managed to set up an ... read more ››

Crimes throughout history

In many ways, crime is something that seems to be hard to swallow. It’s not likeable and treacherously dirty, not to mention illegal in many countries and downright dastardly wrong. But in some ways, crime does pay a little tribute to those who most likely wish that it wasn’t for ... read more ››

Field Of Dreams

It is a hot mid-summer day and we are all gathered in the big open field behind the school. My friends and I are hanging onto the chain-link fence watching another game of adults playing a round of baseball in the far corner of the field away from the school. It ... read more ››

No More True Value

On June 27, at about 9:30pm, a fire erupted at the True Value store in Mistissini and left the building in ruins. The charred remains hold little of the original building except for its steel frame. The Mistissini police and fire departments refused to comment to the Nation on the incident since ... read more ››

Prepping for the future: Retiring Liberal MP John Godfrey gets the Federal Sustainable Development Act passed through parliament

On June 26, Canada finally made the Federal Sustainable Development Act a law with the bill receiving Royal Assent and all four political parties giving it their stamp of approval. Having finally confirmed its commitment to the environment, the Canadian government will now be required to create and implement a governmentwide ... read more ››

Protecting Mother Earth: The 6th Annual Environmental Symposium organized by UQAT is a success

It was a meeting of minds as over 280 people gathered at the 6th annual UQAT First Nations Symposium to talk about the environment May 28. Hosted by the Universite du Quebec en Abitibi-Temiscamingue (UQAT), the Val-d’Or conference brought together representatives from the Cree, Algonquin, Innu, Mohawk, Atikamekw and Quebecois communities, ... read more ››

Seeking gold: Wabun First Nations sign an axploration agraamsnt with Augjaji Qold

Three Wabun Tribal Council First Nations and Augen Gold Corporation signed an exploration agreement on July 9. The signing took place at the Wabun Tribal Council office complex in Timmins, Ontario. Mattagami, Brunswick House and Flying Post First Nations, through the signing of this agreement with Augen Gold, have the benefit ... read more ››

Standing firm: For the past five decades, singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie has never wavered in speaking out on Native issues

Buffy Sainte-Marie needs no introduction. The world-famous singer-songwriter has spoken out for decades for those who are voiceless. In the early 1960s few were focusing on Native issues. For this Saskatchewan-born Cree folk-singer, those issues were never out of sight. She told people around the world about the tragic plight of ... read more ››

Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation Bill

On June 12, Quebec Justice Minister Jacques Dupuis introduced a new anti-SLAPP bill into the National Assembly that would prohibit Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. Bill 99 came about to protect environmental and public interest groups against silencing lawsuits from the corporations or governing boards they are often fighting. At times, ... read more ››

The meaning of bullshit

I know I will get more than one comment on this editorial but it seems to me there is a lot of B.S. in and around the Cree territory. Some of it is noticed and commented on while other forms seem to go unnoticed as the bullsh*t works its magic. So ... read more ››

Water alert: After a dyke burst Waswanipi residents fear their surrounding waters are contaminated

Due to the heavy rainfall in the last two months, a dyke – that had surrounded a settling pond containing tailings from the now-defunct Opimiska mine located between Chapais and Waswanipi – burst at the end of June. The breach washed away nearby roads and spilled into Slam Creek that flows ... read more ››

What’s her 411?: Newly elected Youth Grand Chief Stacy discusses her past, present and future

Not only is Stacy Bear the first-ever female Youth Grand Chief of the Cree Nation but at 28 she is bringing a sense of humility and wisdom beyond her years to the table that perhaps only someone as evolved and endearing as her could. Though bubbly and brimming with self-confidence now, ... read more ››