Volume 20, Issue 9

A fighter for Native women

New NWAC president Michelle Audette looks at the big picture for International Women’s Day   With International Women’s Day being celebrated March 8, the Nation checked in with Native Women’s Association of Canada President Michelle Audette for her views on how well Aboriginal women are faring in Stephen Harper’s Canada. An Innu activist ... read more ››

A woman’s life

It was once said that the Creator made woman before man and she was enamoured with one of the demi-gods and still is to this day. The Creator, frustrated with the way things turned out, made woman out of man and the rest is basically the birds and the bees ... read more ››

Attawapiskat ice road blockade

A standoff between residents of the First Nation of Attawapiskat and the De Beers’ Victor diamond mine ended without incident on February 22. A team of officers from the Ontario Provincial Police force arrived to enforce a court order to remove the barricades that had been set up for the ... read more ››

Big drug pushers want you as a client

I have noticed so much advertising on television recently promoting drugs for depression. Often the drugs are pushed for just about anything approaching depression, anxiety, nervousness and all feelings related in some way. I find this very scary. For many people and in particular those of us who grew up in ... read more ››

Charlie’s love will live on

As a young person growing up in Mistissini I was unsure of my place in life. More often than not, children learn from those who are older than they are. Outsiders blithely refer to them as Elders but I knew something they didn’t. My mother taught about the “Great Ladies” ... read more ››

Cree Hockey News & Notes

Jonathan Cheechoo returns to the pro ranks Moose Factory’s Jonathan Cheechoo has returned to the ice as a member of the American Hockey League’s Oklahoma City Barons, the farm team for the NHL’s Edmonton Oilers. Cheechoo, who scored 56 goals in 2005-2006 to win the Rocket Richard Trophy, joined the Barons ... read more ››

Cultivating cross-cultural business

March 12 and 13, the Eeyou Economic Group in collaboration with the Chibougamau Chamber of Commerce will be hosting an entrepreneurial symposium, “Towards the Development of Sustainable Partnerships in Northern Quebec,” in Chibougamau. Also on the event’s steering committee are the Chibougamau Eenou Friendship Centre and the Northern Entrepreneurship Centre. They ... read more ››

Developing the South

A Chisasibi delegation trolls Quebec towns for business opportunities   Businesses from non-Native communities often venture north to Eeyou Istchee to develop entrepreneurial opportunities within the Cree Nation. In late January, however, the Cree Nation of Chisasibi decided it was time to return the favour, sending a delegation of six representatives on ... read more ››

Duncan walks the plank

A minor scandal over an inappropriate letter gave Prime Minister Stephen Harper the pretext he needed to dump now-former Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan from his cabinet. Duncan submitted his resignation February 15 after a small uproar over his letter of recommendation for a constituent. The letter was addressed to the ... read more ››

Elders pass on

On February 20, the community of Whapmagoostui lost beloved Elder and longtime Clergyman Sandy Masty. Born in 1925, he passed away at age 88. The love and tenderness he showed to his fellow community members will long be remembered. His legacy lives on through his family and the people whose ... read more ››

Hunting and Fishing and Outfitting, Oh My!

The 2013 edition of the Hunting, Fishing and Camping show at Place Bonaventure was a jam-packed hit that featured the latest in firearms, knives, fishing technology and outdoor gear. This year’s highlight was the booth hosted by Magnan Taverne, where many patrons enjoyed a cold one while filling up on a ... read more ››

Mapping the Matoush project

An American geographer says the topography around Strateco’s uranium exploration proposal poses unacceptable threats to the region’s watershed The Grand Council of the Crees and others in Eeyou Istchee opposed to Strateco Inc.’s plan for advanced uranium exploration in the Mistissini area recently made an important new ally: Michael Hunt, director ... read more ››

SAKAHÀN

Indigenous art sparks interest at the National Gallery   Rebecca Belmore, Fringe, 2009 The Algonquin word Sakahàn means “to ignite a fire.” It appropriately represents the impact that Aboriginal artists have had on the global arts community over the last decade. Like a fire spreading outwards, Indigenous artists are leaving a lasting impression ... read more ››

Silent no more

Thousands participated in Valentine’s Day actions and marches across Canada to demand justice for missing and murdered Aboriginal women and to build a safer future for their surviving sisters. For the past 22 years the Memorial March for Missing and Murdered Women has been held on February 14. According to the ... read more ››

Tales from the Amazon

An Aymara storyteller shines a light on a disappearing way of life During an intimate evening in the cozy confines of Pointe Claire’s Des Bons Voisins cabaret, celebrated Aymara Elder Roberto Alencar Zuazo recounted extraordinary stories of his life growing up in the remote Amazonian jungles of Brazil. As the United Nations ... read more ››

The butterflies go free!

The Nation steps into a winged-wonderland at the Botanical Gardens   If you are in Montreal and are desperate for some escapism in the dead of winter, the Butterflies Go Free exposition at the Botanical Gardens is like stepping into a magical fantasyland. Tropical warmth and luscious greenery provide a welcoming environment for ... read more ››