ARTICLES BY Amy German

Moving forward

It all began a decade ago when David Bosum, a Cree tallyman, asked an American graduate student who was in Oujé-Bougoumou on a course, a simple question: “Can mines make fish sick?” That student was Christopher Covel, a geologist and scientist who specializes in the field of contaminated water clean-up. Upon discovering ... read more ››

Where is Canada’s signature?

While the Maori of New Zealand continue to celebrate their nation’s signing of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, many Canadians are still wondering when and how Canada will start taking steps to endorse it. Though the announcement was made that Canada would do so in the ... read more ››

On the Path of the Elder

What began as a research project to bring the youth and the Elders of the Mushkegowuk region together has become one of the most innovative Cree leaning websites on the Internet. A few years ago, Stan Louttit (not the Mushkegowuk Grand Chief) was working on a research project and started looking ... read more ››

Putting Research into Action

While their mission over the last five years has been research driven, the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s Sisters In Spirit (SIS) initiative is in the process of reinventing itself: using knowledge to pave the way for change. On April 21, SIS released its latest report, What Their Stories Tell Us ... read more ››

Still discriminatory

The British Columbia Court of Appeal granted the federal government a three-month extension to implement Bill C-3, an amendment to the Indian Act, on April 1 after the court deemed the bill discriminatory as a result of the McIvor v. Canada ruling. Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) now has until ... read more ››

The Hollywood Treatment

The staff of Rezolution Pictures, along with their friends, families, colleagues and many of the festival goers at Montreal’s International Festival of Films on Art (FIFA) packed the Cinémathèque québécoise for the Montreal premiere of Reel Injun March 25. In a glorious uproar of cheers for the film’s homecoming presentation, its ... read more ››

Making the Masterpiece

They are a hit on Myspace, have hundreds of fans on Facebook and are enormously popular in the Cree Nation. Hot of the heels of launching their first full-length album, CerAmony’s frontman Matthew Iserhoff is proud of the road he has traveled with bandmate/ songwriting partner Pakesso Mukash, even though ... read more ››

Marching for a Decade

For the 10th year in a row, Val-d’Or residents came out in droves for annual Gabriel Commanda walk which marks the ending of the city’s week for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. According to the Val-d’Or Friendship Centre’s Executive Director, Edith Cloutier, not only was this year’s march special because it ... read more ››

Eating Well & Living Green

“Eating well” and “living green” are the buzz words that appear just about everywhere people are trying to flog their new product, service or living concept these days, whether or not the product is actually good for your health or the environment. At the 2010 edition of the Montreal Eat Well ... read more ››

Policy for the People

Over the last few months, the Grand Council of the Crees/ Cree Regional Authority have created and finally published their own guidelines to follow when it comes to the Crees and mining developers. “Our government was quite worried about what was going on in the Cree world in terms of negotiations ... read more ››

Youth on a Budget

Interim Youth Grand Chief Joey Blacksmith is feeling a pinch in his department’s wallet after the Cree Nation Youth Council saw a sharp drop in their funding compared to the previous year. After receiving $550,000 for their 2009 projects, Blacksmith said the CNYC is only getting $150,000 for 2010 from ... read more ››

Hydro-Québec impacts to be reexamined

As U.S. President Barack Obama sets out to move forward on a big energy and climate bill that would see renewable energy sources sold to power companies at better rates, Quebec sets out to get a piece of the pie. Over the last five years, Quebec Premier Jean Charest has made ... read more ››

Prestige at the Helm

Though he might not be a household name in Eeyou Istchee yet, the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute was proud to announce appointment of Stephen Inglis as its new executive director. The board of directors of the future museum and cultural centre is feeling confident with the selection of Inglis because of ... read more ››

Talking to a Real Injun

It was the film that needed to be made said Cree film director and the Nation’s own Neil Diamond in reference to his latest film, Reel Injun. Produced by Rezolution Pictures, Reel Injun is a feature-length documentary that chronicles Natives in cinema from the birth of film to present day. The ... read more ››

Dancing Away from Dependency

While James Bay Cree Day at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics was a day of celebration and cultural sharing, it was not without its serious moments. While the performances rang out from the stage of the Aboriginal Pavilion, in its adjacent reception hall the Crees held a private lunch after taking in ... read more ››

Working in an Olympic Wonderland

While their day-to-day tasks might not be so glamorous, a handful of Crees have had the opportunity of a lifetime working in food-and-beverage services or housekeeping for the athletes in the Olympic Village at the Vancouver 2010 Olympics and Paralympics. “The mountains are so beautiful – I wish I could bring ... read more ››

Analyzing the Throne

The 2010 throne speech highlighted a myriad of Aboriginal issues from Canada’s alarmingly high rate of missing/ murdered Aboriginal women to the Sisters in Spirit initiative to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. But what does it all mean? This is what Ellen Gabriel, president of Quebec Native ... read more ››

An End to Aboriginal Healing

On discovering that their funding from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation, which runs out on March 31, will not be renewed, the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal (NWSM) found their organization in a desperate situation. Reaching out for support, they called on Michael Ignatieff, leader of the Liberal Party of Canada, ... read more ››

Cultural Olympians

While the rest of Canada may still be reveling in the many historic and record-breaking moments of the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympic Games, the James Bay Cree have their own Olympic legacy to celebrate. Not only did the Cree have their own James Bay Cree Day at the Aboriginal Pavilion on ... read more ››

Curriculum Kerfuffle

In looking to improve the Cree School Board’s low student success rates, the CSB recently announced that it would be improving the curriculum board wide, which has caused a stir in the community. “The school board, through the council of commissioners, have, by way of resolution, passed a plan that we ... read more ››

Marching for the Missing and Murdered

Braving frigid temperatures and forgoing romantic afternoons with their sweethearts, over 200 people gathered on Valentine’s Day to take part in the 19th Annual Woman’s Memorial March. The purpose of the event was to bring together Canadians of all backgrounds to show a united commitment and to support women who experience ... read more ››

What’s “Tough on Crime” Mean?

Prime Minister Stephen Harper ushered in five new senators at the end of January to help solidify his tough-on-crime policy, but tough on crime might just mean being tougher on some of Canada’s most marginalized people. For the Native Women’s Association of Canada’s Sisters in Spirit (SIS) initiative, the new appointments ... read more ››

Cree Power

February 10 became a historic day for the Nation of Eeyou Istchee as five community Chiefs handed over their cheques and inked the deal with Eeyou Power, the newly formed Cree energy company. Chiefs from Eastmain, Nemaska, Oujé-Bougoumou, Waskaganish and Waswanipi took part in a formal signing of the documents to ... read more ››

This Is Our Land

The Council Board held a special meeting in Mistissini on February 9 to address growing concerns throughout out the Cree communities that stem from the creation of Bill 40. This piece of legislation was created in 2001 after the signing of the Paix des Braves and handed control over Category II ... read more ››

Another green light

While the community of Mistissini has once again requested a “pause” in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and permitting process granting Strateco the rights to build an exploration ramp deep into the Otish Mountains, the federal government has given the mining company a green light, making them one step closer ... read more ››

Cree Olympic Fever!

The James Bay Cree have a lot to be excited about with the upcoming 2010 Olympic games! Not only will the Cree Nation host their own day in the athlete’s village Aboriginal Pavilion to showcase Cree arts but many Cree entities will be presenting themselves at the Aboriginal Business Showcase, Cree ... read more ››