It feels like forever since I wrote an editorial. Or should I say since I felt like writing an editorial?

There have been great events happening in Eeyou Istchee. A decision has been made. What the consequences of that decision will be or whether it will even be honoured is something that we will see in the future.

Often because of the importance of the decision I held back even though my heart was with the Rupert River.

But there is still one thing that must be addressed and that is the rift within our communities. Anyone who expressed concerns over this were labeled as crackpots or worse. Even the media came under attack because we did our job. Part of that job is to give a voice to the voiceless. When the yes-to-the-deal side had so many community tours and resources and the other side was denied them, then it is our job to even the scales as best we can. Yet I heard labels such as the negative ones given to the no side. Both sides had valid reasons for their decisions to go one way or another. That is the simple truth but even today I am hearing about winners and losers and such.

It is in my opinion time for our leaders to begin mending fences and bringing the Cree Nation together again. Such rifts will only benefit those who have always used the divide and conquer methodology of colonialism.

A true leader would do this yet 1 have seen no signs of this. Take the case of Henry Diamond. I have heard it said that he is somewhat of a loner. He was divorced some years back. He was put up to it by the “negative ones.” All things designed to diminish his worth as a human being and a Cree. I have talked to Henry and he did what he did on his own because he felt he had to. No one put him up to it and 1 think what he did, especially in the face of the reaction, took great inner strength.

There was a time when Crees valued that inner strength. I know we did when we were fighting Great Whale. Then people who did such things were heroes. I guess it depends on what side of the fence you were on. He intelligently and certainly achieved what any environmental activist could have wanted with the press response he got.

I guess what 1 am trying to say here is that everyone is entitled to their opinion and we should respect them for it. I respected people on the yes side but if a lack of respect on both sides continues then the result will just be communities that are torn apart internally.

Did not someone say that I may not agree with you but I will defend until death your right to say it? Crees have always been willing to disagree but they have in the past always got along with each other in spte of differences.

So I say to our leaders that it is time for you to address this problem and start leading us into that golden future that was promised.