Volume 19, Issue 4

A winter gathering

  The 31st edition of the CREE Senior Hockey & Broomball Tournament took place in Val-d’Or and Senneterre December 8-11. And as usual, the attendance of an estimated 3000+ people from Cree communities across northern Quebec and Ontario transformed Val-d’Or into the Cree Nation capital – at least for a weekend.   This ... read more ››

Attawapiskat’s he said, she said

While approximately 90 families remain homeless in Attawapiskat amidst the community’s hot button housing crisis, Chief Theresa Spence and Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan are still locking horns over Ottawa’s proposed third-party management of the community.   At the beginning of December the Conservative government decided to put Attawapiskat under third-party management ... read more ››

Changing attitudes

  The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (NWSM), in partnership with the Canadian Aboriginal AIDS Network, presented their Aboriginal AIDS Awareness Week (AAAW) event in Montreal on December 2.   Hosted by Harvey Michel, the event brought First Nations together to help support change in Aboriginal communities in regards to AIDS. Unfortunately, AIDS ... read more ››

Coals in Xmas stockings

The holiday season is upon us and for some the Christmas cheer isn’t so loud. While Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan is quietly glad Parliament is finished until January, the community of Attawapiskat will still be looking at a chilly and sparse Christmas.   The 22 houses (originally 15) won’t arrive until ... read more ››

Dangerous Ice

Told by Harry Scipio Translated and transcribed by Brian Webb   One time, I experienced a frightening event out on the bay. I fell through the ice. This happened during the fall way out in the bay.   The ice began to form and there was still some open water in the channels between islands. ... read more ››

Don’t they get it?

  Two symbols stand in stark contrast to each other the moment one enters the Special Chiefs Assembly of the Assembly of First Nations in Ottawa. The first symbol is a plains teepee – empty, mute and majestic. It’s also completely out of place in this building, which is the other ... read more ››

Dust in the wind

  There’s nothing to put one’s daily concerns into perspective like reading about a black hole at the centre of the universe that’s about the size of four million suns and in the process of swallowing an enormous gas cloud with three times the mass of our planet.   As reported by Nature ... read more ››

Fun on ice

  The CREE Senior Hockey Tournament was not the only tournament held over the weekend of December 8-11. Taykwa Tagamou Nation Recreation also presented its first Annual Aboriginal Hockey Tournament that weekend at the Tim Horton Events Centre in Cochrane, Ontario.   The inaugural edition of the tournament saw 12 teams vying for ... read more ››

Goeland project moving along

  It looks like mining companies have finally learned that the only way they can set up shop in Eeyou Istchee is by making cooperative agreements that work with the communities to provide better prosperity and environmental sustainability. The Cree Nation of Waswanipi signed a Pre-Development Agreement (PDA) with Canada Rare ... read more ››

Is that you Santa?

  I recently listened to a good old country Christmas song, “Santa looked a lot like daddy, or daddy looked at lot like him…”, and it made me smile. Sometimes, songs just make up the truth as it is, and within that little ditty of a tune, it managed to expose ... read more ››

Is the current Indian Affairs Minister John Duncan, the best or worst ever?

Comments from people attending the Special Chiefs Assembly of the Assembly of First Nations. (note: Most people – everyone but one – insisted on anonymity because they feared repercussions if named. In fairness, I mentioned no names to all.) •••••••••••••• I’m going to give him a neither, only because I don’t think ... read more ››

Kin power

While it is not unusual for families to get together to attend the CREE Senior Hockey and Broomball Tournament, for the Cooper boys the tourney is truly a family affair. At this year’s event, no less than three generations of the Cooper family are participating.   Allan Cooper participated in his 30th ... read more ››

Stimulating emporium

  During the holiday season leading up to Christmas, local craft fairs were popping up all over Quebec. While most were fairly small in size, Montreal hosted the country’s largest professional crafts show at Place Bonaventure throughout December. The 10th annual Salon des métiers d’art du Québec (SMAQ) welcomed over 400 ... read more ››

UN inquiry for murdered & missing Aboriginal women

  The Native Women’s Association of Canada and the Feminist Alliance for International Action jointly announced that United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women has decided to conduct an inquiry into Canada’s lack of action into the cases of over 580 murdered and missing women.   The announcement comes after ... read more ››

We can make things better

  As Canadians we have a good reputation worldwide for giving. In the case of my home community of Attawapiskat and the recent news about the housing crisis, the Canadian Red Cross stepped in to help out. I would like to take this opportunity to thank that organization and all those ... read more ››

ᑳ ᐱᔥᐱᓈᐙᒋᐦᐅᔮᓐ

  ᐦᐋᕇ ᓯᐱᔫ ᐋ ᒌ ᑎᐹᒋᒧᑦ ᐱᕌᔨᓐ ᐌᑉ ᐊ ᒌ ᐃᑣᔥᑎᒫᑎᐦᒃ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᒌ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐊᐦᒃ ᐹᔨᒀᐤ ᑮᑆ ᓂᒌ ᐱᔥᐱᓈᐙᒋᐦᐄᑯᓐ ᑭᔮ ᓃᔨ ᐅᑖ ᐐᓂᐹᑯᐦᒡ ᐅᑖ᙮ ᓂᒌ ᑣᔑᓐ, ᓂᒌ ᐱᑭᔥᑎᐙᐱᔨᓐ ᐊᓂᑖ ᑖᔅᑯᒻ ᐊᓂᑖ ᑳ ᐱᑭᔥᑎᐙᐱᔨᔮᓐ ᐋ ᑎᒀᒋᐦᒡ᙮ ᐋ ᔒᐹᐙᔮᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ ᒥᓂᔥᑎᒄ, ᐋ ᔒᐹᐙᔮᒡ, ᒀᐦᑎᒃ ᐙᔥ ᐊᓐ ᐋᐦᒋᒄ ᐅᔥᑭᒡ ᐋ ᐊᑎ ᒥᔥᑯᐎᑎᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐋ ᓂᐲᐅᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐋ ... read more ››