Volume 19, Issue 25

Cool times during the cooler seasons

As the days grow shorter and the air colder, many crawl under the blankets on the couch seeking comfort and coziness from the fall and winter weather. And then there are those who are already planning their escape from cabin fever by buying concert tickets and perusing other cultural events to ... read more ››

Four corners, bad signs

Guatemala’s Cuatro Caminos is an important intersection in the Central American nation’s western “Altiplano,” its mountainous highlands. Depending on which of the directions you take from Cuatro Caminos – west to Quetzaltengo, north to Heuhuetenango, or east to Totonicapán – you’ll find three major centres of the country’s Indigenous Mayan ... read more ››

I’ve got my eye on you

  “I’ve got my eye on you,” is a phrase you would usually expect to hear from a father of a young teenager. In this instance, it was a rude awakening. As someone with a long history at a First Nations publication, I pretty much expect that Canada’s various intelligence agencies ... read more ››

Jamming with Buddy

Making your dreams come true is everyone’s goal. For some, it takes a lifetime to reach their aspirations, but for one lucky 17-year-old it came early. For Joseph Seth Jolly, Jr., that moment arrived September 21when he played in front of a crowd of 10,000 people with his hero, blues ... read more ››

Negotiations halt on Native education reform

Plans between Ottawa and the First Nations to overhaul the Native education system have fallen apart. The federal government and First Nations leaders were discussing plans for legislation that would create schoolboard-type systems, giving Native governments more control over their education systems. However, the plans were rejected and discussions halted on October ... read more ››

Nemaska Hospital opening rescheduled

The official opening of the Nemaska Hospital was moved from its original October 5 date due to a conflict with the Quebec Minister of Health and Social Services. Dr Réjean Hébert could not attend the ceremony on October 5. Hospital Director Beatrice Trapper said that the ceremony is being rescheduled to accommodate ... read more ››

Raising Native awareness

From September 24-28 McGill University held its 2nd Annual Aboriginal Awareness Week. Events were held on campus to promote awareness of Aboriginal culture and foster cross-cultural dialogue. The events were varied and many, ranging from dream-catcher making workshops to film screenings to guest speakers. Among the guest speakers were renowned Native ... read more ››

Remembering our sisters

This October 4 marked the 7th Annual Sisters in Spirit Memorial March and Vigil. About 200 people gathered at Place Émilie-Gamelin in downtown Montreal to call attention to Native women who have been killed or gone missing. Sisters in Spirit (SIS) was a research program initiated by the Native Women’s Association ... read more ››

School and sports

Across Quebec each school year, thousands of student-athletes, including a number of gifted Aboriginals, take part in the Sport-Études program run by the Quebec Ministry of Education and various sports leagues and associations across the province. No such program has ever been offered in Eeyou Istchee – until now. With the start ... read more ››

The Colours Of Change

These days I am surrounded by nature’s art. Mother Earth is changing the landscape with incredible colours that she takes from her pallet. The fall colour extravaganza is in full swing up north and vivid yellow, orange, red and green fill the forests. Even though we northerners feel a little ... read more ››

The struggle continues, for the kids

On October 1, reports surfaced that the government of Canada has spent $3.1 million attempting to prevent the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (FNCFCS) and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) from bringing the issue of Aboriginal child welfare underfunding before the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. Child welfare services ... read more ››