Volume 15, Issue 22

“This never should have happened!”: In the wake of the murder of a Whapmagoostui woman and her two children, questions are being asked whether justice services for victims of conjugal violence are sufficient in the North

On the morning of August 22, Whapmagoostui police were called to 30 Whapmac Street to investigate the possibility of a domestic-violence dispute. After a forced entry into the home, police discovered a woman and child who were not breathing, a severely injured second child and a man who had also ... read more ››

A Failing Grade: The results of the Cree School Board’s Educational Review are finally in and, according to them, things are not looking great

Following the Mianscum report that came out in the late 1990s, the Cree School Board decided that it was time once again to look into the kind of education that was being delivered to its people. In that the Mianscum report detailed how what the CSB was offering to students was ... read more ››

Aboriginal law programs needed

Though Sudbury’s Laurentian University is still conducting a feasibility study to try to implement a new law school with a focus on Aboriginal law, the Ontario government is flat out denying it funding along with two other Ontario universities that had similar plans. Laurentian along with Thunder Bay’s Lakehead University and ... read more ››

Back to school daze

It’s time to head back to school after a summer of crazy lazy times for many students. It’s a time that some look forward to and for many other laggards, it’s time to wake up the sleeping mind and get back into the groove of school days. I remember back in ... read more ››

Bullying: information for parents

For the Community of Waskaganish, July 2007 Taken from a text by the Canberra Department of Education, Australia Bullying among children at school is a serious matter. Bullying has always happened, and there is nothing to suggest it is better or worse now than in the past. Adults have become more aware ... read more ››

Canada’s Lost Girls: Though new information is slowly becoming available on the domestic sex trafficking of aboriginal girls, the world is without an appetite for it

While it has become increasingly known across Canada that there are over 500 missing and/or murdered Aboriginal women who are still unaccounted for, when it comes to Aboriginal girls dropping off the map at the hands of traffickers, the issue is yet to make a headline, much less receive a ... read more ››

Education with rewards: After just one year, Dabwetamun Academy proves its Christian-based curriculum is winning hearts and minds

Crees and schools run by Christian orders go a long way back. All the way back to Moose Factory or La Tuque for prime examples of the residential-school policies. This is why it was hard to look at the Dabwetamun Academy without having a concern. The concerns were groundless to say ... read more ››

Election results in Eeyou Istchee

Former Chisasibi Chief Abraham Rupert is the new CRA/Council Board Member for his community. Former Chief Kenneth Gilpin is the CRA/Council Board Member for Eastmain. The new School Commissioner in Mistissini is Kathleen Wooten.

First Nations entrepreneur?

Are you a First Nations entrepreneur looking to get a bit of a leg up, develop your business or do some networking? The First Nations of Quebec and Labrador Economic Development Commission is looking to help you do just that with the First Nations of Quebec Entrepreneurial Forum to be held ... read more ››

Just what the doctor ordered: Chibougamau’s Cegep de St-Felicien offers a solution for all those looking for a nursing program adapted to the needs of the Cree Nation

This past August, 30 new students from the Cree communities embarked on a four-year-long journey to become Chibougamau’s Cegep de St-Felicien first class of anglophone nurses in a program that is specifically geared towards graduating Cree students. “One of the advantages is that because we are so close to the communities, ... read more ››

Land of Hidden Treasures

The Cree Regional Authority and Niskamoon have begun a program called the Boumhounan Archeology and Cultural Heritage program. Under the Boumhounan agreement, Hydro-Quebec has been assisting them in an archeological search for ancient artifacts. The sum of $2.5 million will be distributed by Niskamoon over a period of seven years ... read more ››

My Brother John: Always searching for answers

Like all other school survivors I have heard the apology from the federal government concerning the residential-school era. The apology was done on national TV on June 11,2008 and if you missed it I am sure someone told you about it. I have been asked to forgive and with the recent compensation ... read more ››

Nemaska beating

On the morning of August 13, John Blackned, 36, became the latest victim of a swarming attack perpetrated by yet another group of youths, most of which were minors, said his brother Jim Blackned. The incident happened in Nemaska. According to Jim Blackned, his brother was attacked “by five females (two ... read more ››

Old Man River: Soon the powerful Rupert River will be silent with only the stories of its glorious past to give it a voice

A year ago my brother and I made a pact to travel down the river our father and grandfathers worked for many summers. They paddled up and down the Rupert in the service of the Hudson’s Bay Company several times a summer. My father George Diamond started when he was ... read more ››

Phelps of the North: Swimmer Gabriel Rabbitskin returns home with five medals he won at the Indigenous Games

Returning to Quebec with five new medals from the 2008 North American Indigenous Games in Cowichan, B.C., swimmer Gabriel Rabbitskin is proud of his wins for Mistissini and hopes there are many more to come. Despite winning four gold medals at this year’s NAIG, Rabbitskin’s silver win was the one he ... read more ››

Rising Sun Childcare Centre

In November 2008, a new daycare will open its doors in the Montreal neighbourhood of Verdun. The Rising Sun Childcare Centre will provide a positive, nurturing and stimulating environment for First Nations, Inuit and Metis children aged three months to five years. With the help of the Aboriginal Head Start Program, ... read more ››

The Cree Arts Festival

Bertie Wapachee proudly surveyed the packed arena in Chisasibi at the start of the 2nd Annual Cree Arts Festival. Held from August 21-23, the festival is a showcase for singers and musicians from the Cree world. This year’s theme was to honour the residential school survivors. Wapachee said festival organizers knew ... read more ››

Who’s That Knocking On My Roof?

Have you ever looked at the animals in the forest and noticed how their personalities sometimes seem similar to people you know? Some of the connections are simple to make. The busy beaver would be associated with people who have a big work ethic and are always on the go. ... read more ››