ARTICLES BY NATION

Some Quebec water facts

The La Grande complex reportedly has 35,000 linear kilometres of shoreline. Hydro-Quebec isn’t fooling around about the hydro part. Apparently if all the people in Quebec owned the reservoir September 22, 1995 Action at the 2nd Annual Demolition Derby In Inuvik: A plucky little yellow car showed the wagons that ... read more ››

Tuktonyaktuk:

“At the ends of the earth, it is cold…” Quote from Canada’s North by R.A.J. Phillips 1967. It was the trip of a lifetime, Only once would this happen and The Nation at 11 p.m. Wednesday night decided that we (Alex and Will) would be heading for the Molson Polar Beach ... read more ››

Tuk Rocks…Exclusive Interview with Jason Newsted of Metallica

The Nation (William Nicholls, Alex Roslin, Rhonda Sherwood): Metallica hasn’t come out with an album in a couple of years. Are you working on one? Jason Newsted: It’s been a long time, hasn’t it? We’ve been working for a long time on one. Since October of last year, the ... read more ››

Off the office wall

Then Taken From a 1950s Home EC Textbook: 1. Get your work done. Plan your tasks with an eye on the clock. Finish or interrupt them an hour before he is expected. Your anguished cry, “Are you home already?” is not exactly a warm welcome. 2. Have dinner ready. Plan ... read more ››

The Waskaganish Canoe Brigade

Centuries before the Hudson’s Bay Company built its first post on the Rupert River, Indians in their birch-bark canoes were traveling on the turbulent waters. Descendants of those Indians now man the company canoe brigades to bring fur out from the inland posts.” —from The Rupert River Brigade by J. ... read more ››

Crees will defend rights, Quebec told

Crees can stand proud for defeating the Great Whale River Project, says the yearly report of the Grand Council of the Crees and CRA. But Crees will be also standing on guard against any attempt by Jacques Parizeau’s government to violate their human and national rights, the report adds. “In 1971, the ... read more ››

What is our culture?

So whatever happened to the phrase we’ve been saying to our young generation… “Let’s return to our culture”? What is our culture? Is it going back to the land, living a simple life like our ancestors long before us, or is it living in a modern house in town with ... read more ››

Cree Eeyou Astchee Commission

Objective and Process The election in the Province of Quebec of a government whose fundamental goal is the separation of Quebec from Canada raises serious issues regarding the status and rights of the James Bay Crees -Eeyou. The Cree Eeyou Astchee Commission is mandated to provide the Cree people and ... read more ››

On May 16, 1993, perhaps around 10:30 or 11:00 o’clock in the evening…

On May 16, 1993, perhaps around 10:30 or 11:00 o’clock in the evening, I had my one and last beer and I haven’t touched a drop since. I never realized that approximately two months later, the thing I quit would take the life of someone I loved very much. This tragic death took ... read more ››

ABCs of Cree politics: The Resolution

In Cree society today people have more power than they realize. Last September you might have remembered The Nation did an article entitled, “Your primer to Cree politics.” In it we discussed the various rights all Crees are entitled to and protected by. Now it’s time to learn how to use ... read more ››

Thank you message to all people in Chisasibi from Juliet and Clifford Bearskin.

This is something we had wanted to do after the goose-break and we thank the Creator who has made things possible for all of us; that things went well and that we are d together again in the community. At this time, we wish to express great gratitude to the people ... read more ››

Chief Seattle

In 1854, the “Great White Chief” in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indian land and promised a “reservation” for the Indian people, Chief Seattle’s reply, published here in full, has been described as the most beautiful and profound statement on the environment ever made, THIS EARTH ... read more ››

Dad

Dad, you were very wise with your teachings. Dad, you were always gentle to your children. Dad, you always spoke wisely and gently. Dad, you taught me to respect our Mother Earth, For we are her children and she loves us. Dad, you taught me to respect the animals, For they are the ones that keep ... read more ››

Hockey and Travis Grant

While most of the Cree hockey fans and players turned into couch potatoes glued to the boob tube, rumours reached The Nation that not everyone was just watching the Stanley Cup finals. No, there was one young lad still going strong. So like Travis Grant of Waswanipi, Neil and I ... read more ››

Congratulations to Ouje-Bougoumou

The Grand Council of the Crees is proud to congratulate the Cree Community of Ouje-Bougoumou on its recent award. Ouje-Bougoumou was informed that it has been chosen as a recipient of the United Nations 50 Communities award. The reason why they were selected was that they, out of all the ... read more ››

Katejun beats Quebec motocross champ

Sydney Coonishish knew his son, Katejun, was a natural for competitive racing when he could handle a 440 cc ski-doo with ease at 4 years of age. But Sydney didn’t know of any snowmobile competitions for 4-year-olds. So Katejun cooled his heels for a few years until he and his father ... read more ››

We as children tend to think about how special our parents are when we don’t see them any more….

We as children tend to think about how special our parents are when we don’t see them any more. This Father’s Day, we would like to recognize our dad in a very special way. During goose break, our dad was diagnosed with a tumor in his bladder. On May 29 ... read more ››

Spring goose hunt no longer illegal

After 79 years of being against the law, the spring goose hunt is now legal again. This is according to recent amendments to the Migratory Birds Convention. The amendments finally recognize Native peoples’ right to hunt at any time during the year according to their Aboriginal and treaty rights. But the negotiations ... read more ››

From the GCCQ news desk: Memorandum of understanding

WHEREAS Quebec and the Crees wish to move forward with negotiations with respect to matters related to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement and other issues; WHEREAS the attached document entitled “Mandate for Negotiations” sets forth an overall negotiation process acceptable to the Cree people and was previously submitted ... read more ››

Methylmercury a hazard around the world

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay for inviting me to attend the 12th International Neurotoxicology Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA. The conference was on the neurotoxicity of low-level methyl-mercury exposure. Mercury seems to be a major ... read more ››

The O.J. Simpson trial

Here’s a problem that the Secondary 3B English class, Wemindji, has with the O.J. Simpson case. On the night of the double murder, 12 June 1994, neighbours heard Nicole’s dog Kato barking around 10:15 or 10:30. But no one seems to have heard anyone yelling or screaming at that time ... read more ››

From the GCCQ news desk: Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks

The Government of Quebec is up to its old environmental tricks again. This time it concerns the “approval” of the proposed Chapais Dump Site. The government is attempting to railroad through Phase I by getting the GCCQ to agree that this phase of the proposed Chapais dump is technically acceptable. This seems ... read more ››

Nunavut Act Steals Cree Islands

The Cree off-shore islands are currently under dispute. The recent Nunavut Act transfers all the Cree off-shore islands from the Northwest Territories to Nunavut. Currently the Grand Council is looking at two options. The first option is negotiation with the Federal Government on this issue. The second option to protect Cree rights ... read more ››

Losing someone hurts

In loving memory of my late grandmother, Hellen Jolly, who passed away on November 11, 1994, at the age of 83. She lived in Nemaska. She had 53 grandchildren as well as three sisters and three brothers. Many knew her as a close friend. To me she was a special grandmother, almost ... read more ››

Mooseheads Captain Blackned leads team in goals

Brant Blackned of Wemindji is making headlines with his hockey and leadership skills as captain of the Halifax Mooseheads. This article appeared in The Montreal Gazette on March 8 in the Junior Hockey column written by Herb Zurkowsky. Brant Blackned had a feeling he was going to be left unprotected ... read more ››

A Question of Fur

The Grand Council of the Crees (of Quebec) may soon be going to Brussels where the European Parliament is expected to pass a bill banning Canadian wildfur. There are two possibilities for the GCCQ. Canada is saying that we should present a united front and points to the seal fur ban ... read more ››