Tag: Eeyou Istchee

Val-d’Or allegations throw Quebec into a crisis

Twenty five years ago this month, a 17-year-old Cree man named Neil Stonechild was picked up by Saskatoon police, driven out to the edge of the city, and left there. Temperatures were below minus 25ºC, and Stonechild’s frozen body, wearing a light jacket and one shoe, was later found in ... read more ››

Fly the Healthy Skies – Cree Health Board's medical shuttle takes off

The population of Eeyou Istchee is roughly 17,500 – and according to Cree Health Board Director Bella Petawabano, between 7,000 and 8,000 Crees travel every year for healthcare reasons to destinations outside the Cree Nation. For that reason, on October 26, the CHB partnered with Air Creebec to launch a ... read more ››

Career Fair in Mistissini Highlights Future Opportunities in Eeyou Istchee

Cree Human Resource Development’s annual career fair continues to grow every year. The event’s 8th edition saw new exhibitors, increased attendance, its first-ever live online stream and an evening gala featuring some of the James Bay’s finest artists. Taking place at the Neoweskau Sports Complex in Mistissini October 21-22, the event ... read more ››

Cree kids participate in international walk to school initiative

Hand in hand with their parents and other community members, this October the children of Eeyou Istchee participated in activities celebrating “Walk to School Month,” an initiative held in over 40 countries worldwide to get children out and active. In Mistissini, Wally Rabbitskin, a Planning, Programming and Research Officer for Physical ... read more ››

Darlene Cheechoo named Waskaganish Chief in a landslide victory

Darlene Cheechoo is the first woman to be named Chief of Waskaganish. Darlene Cheechoo, elected Chief of Waskaganish August 26 with close to 80% of the vote, is the first woman to lead her community. But she’s no stranger to leadership: she was a commissioner to the Cree School Board and ... read more ››

Specialized sex education will remain despite Quebec plan

Social media lit up with debate following an August 30 Twitter post by Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come calling the Quebec government’s plan to impose a “no-exceptions” sex-education curriculum at some of its schools “disgusting.” But many of those responding to Coon Come seemed to be missing the implication of ... read more ››

Waswanipi’s Vocational Training Centre celebrates 10 years of graduates

Responding to the needs of the rapidly developing employment market within Eeyou Istchee, it has been a full decade since the Cree School Board opened the Sabtuan Regional Vocational Training Centre in Waswanipi to give Crees the skills they needed to realize their dreams. “After many years of negotiations and representations ... read more ››

Northern bytes

It’s about time, in many different senses of the word. For instance, the time it takes to download the simplest things from the Internet in Cree communities. The time it takes to get connected to the Internet, which some Cree community members say can be more than three months. It’s ... read more ››

Oujé-Bougoumou signs agreements with Chibougamau and Chapais

Chief Reggie Neeposh and the Nation of Oujé-Bougoumou took another step forward in affirming the role of Eeyou Istchee as stewards of the land and protectors of the environment on June 15. Neeposh signed memorandums of understanding (MOUs) with Mayors Manon Cyr of Chibougamau and Steve Gamache from Chapais, marking ... read more ››

The Grand Chief discusses the Stand Against Uranium campaign

On October 7, the Grand Council of the Crees launched the web-based StandAgainstUranium.com campaign to inform people in Eeyou Istchee and the world about the Cree’s firm stance against uranium exploration on their traditional territory. The campaign addresses the risks associated with uranium mining and shares opinions, photos and videos to ... read more ››

Romeo Saganash petitions Harper government to abide by UN Declaration

It’s an effort to end systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples in Canada. Romeo Saganash, NDP MP for Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou, has launched a petition to force the Canadian government to implement and abide by the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). After introducing a private member’s bill, C-469, Saganash ... read more ››

Learning To Recognize Autism

They didn’t notice anything different about their baby boy until he was almost two years old. His speech patterns were not developing and he rarely tried to say “Mommy” or “Daddy.” He never joined his older sister in play and he didn’t answer when his name was called. At first his ... read more ››

A strong case against bio-piracy: Traditional remedies should not be patentable

A recent wire story reveals what may become the next hot global trade issue. Some 600 Indian tribes in Brazil have asked their government to protect them from “bio-piracy,” that is, attempts by corporations to patent or copyright traditional aboriginal knowledge, from potions and herbal remedies to exotic plant extracts. “We ... read more ››

Post-it Post Haste

One has to admire the total lack of knowledge retention and disregard for historical facts as well as the predictable rhetoric that the National Post seems to Post-it Post Haste require in their overtly Caucasian editorial staff writers. Ifs more than obvious, it’s downright in your face, with the extended ... read more ››

Eeyouth

The first Gathering of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador’s (AFNQL) youth will be held in August of 2001. Between three hundred fifty and five hundred young delegates and observers from all of our communities, from Quebec Native Women and from urban centers will get together to share their ... read more ››

Nation Interview: Deputy Grand Chief Matthew Mukash

Deputy Grand Chief Mukash was one of the instrumental people involved the campaign to save the Great Whale River from hydro-electric development back in the early nineties. He is also a past chief of Whapmagoostui. What are some of your earliest memories of Whapmagoostui? The place was practically barren of buildings. There ... read more ››

Miigwech!

Nshtuuten. It’s time to move on. What can I say after seven years at The Nation? It’s been an explosion of good times and memories. The Nation family and the Cree family welcomed me with open hearts and a blanket of warmth and love. I got a front-row seat for ... read more ››

Health Board Issues Cold Medicine Warning

Crees are being advised to stay away from dozens of cold medicines that contain something called PPA – short for phenylpropanolamine. This PPA is used for stuffy noses and is present in many cough, cold, sinus and allergy medications. The warning comes from the Cree Health Board and Health Canada after a ... read more ››

Article Sparks Strong Reactions

The reactions ranged from sadness, to anger, to confusion. Some were left scratching their heads. Many tried to figure out what was going through Billy Diamond’s mind as he trashed the Cree leadership in L’Actualité. “Hogwash, man,” is how one Cree responded. “What a guy! I think he’s jealous of Matthew.” (The ... read more ››

220-Year-Old Claim Enters Final Inning

The Algonquins of Ontario are hoping that their 220-year-old land claim, one of the oldest in the country, is about to enter the home stretch. The province’s estimated 5,000 to 6,000 Algonquins claim a traditional territory of 8.5 million hectares (85,000 square kilometres) that stretches from North Bay to Hawkesbury, 60 ... read more ››

Kung Fu Tourney

The Chisasibi Kung Fu School went to Quebec City by road for the 20th Annual Quebec Yoseikan Karate Championships, held March 11. They used the Cree Nation bus and were supported by some visitors and parents to cheer for them. About 30 people from Chisasibi went to the tournament. The winners were: White ... read more ››