ARTICLES BY Will Nicholls

$1.7-Billion Residential School Lawsuit

Lawyer Russell Rakes is spearheading what is being called the first-ever class-action suit against a residential school. The class-action suit is demanding $1.7 billion to compensate all the First Nations children who attended the Mohawk Residential School in Branford. Ont., between 1834 and 1970. The suit says the children were physically, ... read more ››

Cree unity emerges over EM-1 project

Cree chiefs and community representatives to the Council/Board came together in VaJ d’Or on November 24 to talk about Hydro-Quebec’s co-ownership proposal for a dam on the Eastmain River. They decided no individual Cree community could say yes; this has to be done by all the Crees. Also, the Grand Council ... read more ››

A blast from the past,James Bay style

James Cheechoo, a Cree from Moose Factory, has just released his first music CD at 68. Cheechoo is of the old school, a self-taught fiddler who’s has been performing for the last 55 years, longer than most people have been married though he’s certainly played more than one wedding. He ... read more ››

Cree ranks 27th in world

It’s been a very busy successful racing season for Cree moto-cross sensation Nathaniel Bosum, a youth. Bosum, a youth from Ouje-Bougoumou, was the 27th ranking racer in the 50cc class at this past summer’s World Amateurs National. Only 42 racers qualified in North America. There were 1,500 racers from all ... read more ››

The land, the environment, everything.

Well, I would have thought the forestry case being suspended was the cat’s meow, so to speak. Yet, the gathering of Cree politicians in Montreal this week showed that Cree values have changed, at least in the past 20 years or so. No longer for the Crees is it, as American ... read more ››

Profile: Grand Chief Dr. Matthew Coon Come

The Crees of James Bay have been led by one of the most charismatic Native leaders, Matthew Coon Come, for the past 10 years. On October 8, Matthew was honoured with an honourary Doctor of Laws degree by his alma mater, Trent University of Peterborough, Ont. The occasion called out ... read more ››

ideas

I came across this great quote and concept recently that I have to share with you. “If you have a penny and I have a penny and we exchange pennies, you still have one cent and I still have one cent. But if you have an idea and I have an ... read more ››

The Cree Naskapi Commission’s Recommendations

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT 1. Discussions should be held between the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee), local Cree and Naskapi Governments, the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada in order to talk about the future. Included in the discussions: EDUCATION AND TRAINING a) completion and regular updating of an education and ... read more ››

Carte Blanche A noun meaning full discretionary power

Well, one day, we were all out there walking together. I mean everybody was there from five Cree communities, the leadership, the trappers, the townies, the Elders, the youth, the business people. When I say everybody I mean everybody. The leaders gathered us around and said we were needed. They ... read more ››

Shut down SDRJ, says Grand Chief But Crie unity elusive nr commission hearing

Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come has called on Quebec to shut down the James Bay Development Corporation and other provincial entities operating in the Cree territory. He made the comments at the October 6 hearing of the National Assembly’s Commission on Development of the Territory, in Quebec City. The Grand Chief’s point ... read more ››

Status quo not acceptable: Reports Cree-Naskapi Commission

The Cree-Naskapi Commission is putting on a new face in this year’s report to the federal government. The report starts off talking about the limited resources that the commission has had to deal with. Perhaps one of the most serious for the Crees is the inability to do detailed follow-ups ... read more ››

Never without consent?

News Flash: The Cree forestry court case is in limbo. Rumor Mill: The case is dropped. The Truth: The Grand Chief called an emergency chiefs’ meeting by request of the provincial negotiator, Chief Billy Diamond. The negotiator, who this year made Cree history by finally getting Quebec to agree to the MOU ... read more ››

Pimpichuu make snowmobile history

At the recent snowmobile show held in Montreal I had a chance to meet Yamaha Canada’s latest addition to snowmobile racing, Team Yamaha Pimpichuu. To my knowledge this is the first all-Aboriginal team to officially become a factory racing team. I interviewed the Cree-history-making team starting with captain Larry MacLeod ... read more ››

Weekend Party Indian style

Organizers called the Native Friendship Center of Montreal’s 17th annual Pow Wow, held on September 12-13, one of the urban Aboriginal events of the year. I love Pow Wow’s. They provide an opportunity for people to get together and join in dancing, singing, visiting, renewing old friendships and making new ones. ... read more ››

It’s the new kid charging up your engine block

Did your car battery freeze this winter? Did you have pay to get a boost because of the cold? There’s a solution that you may not have heard about. Mohawks Juanita Cree, Deborah Etienne and Robert Giroux from Kanehsatake have entered into a business that may help you out. It’s a ... read more ››

Memories

When I learnt that the old Catholic Church had been burnt down a lot of memories from my past surfaced. It had been a long time since I had thought of that particular part of my life. The church and its impact on the community really started before I was even ... read more ››

Whapmagoostui man sentenced to six years

Joseph Napartuk, 29, of Whapmagoostui pled guilty to manslaughter and was sentenced to six years in prison, starting September 9. Napartuk was involved in an alcohol-related incident in which Sydney Bullfrog was killed sometime after midnight on April 20 earlier this year According to the police, Napartuk and Bullfrog were involved ... read more ››

Mistissini rocked by massive coke bust

The arrest of Mistissini resident Ricky Petawabano, 35, on drug charges is being described as the largest coke bust ever in the Abitibi region. After a two-year investigation, Mistissini police executed a search warrant at Petawabano’s home on August 7 and seized 100 grams of cocaine, over 100 grams of marijuana ... read more ››

Mi’gmaq blockade down for now

The month-long Mi’gmaq blockade of local logging operations, a sawmill and sporadic blockages of Highway 132 near their Listuguj reserve ended August 17. According to Gary Metallic, a hereditary Chief of the Mi’gmaq (Micmac to non-Natives), protesters started the blockade to protest inequities in local forestry practices, but it ended ... read more ››

Dene first victims of the atom bombs

White doves are released in Hiroshima every August 6 in the annual remembrance of those killed by the atomic bomb dropped to ensure Japan’s surrender in 1945. What most people don’t know is that they are now joined by the Dene First Nation of Eline, Northwest Territories. The village has ... read more ››

An interview with André Caillé

It has been a long time coming. The Nation ventured into Hydro-Quebec’s Montreal stronghold to talk to the highest power in the tower — barring the ghost of Premier Bourassa. Normally, this would be an unsettling prospect at best, given the reputation of the utility among Crees. I was about ... read more ››

Make our roads safe

There is a concern I have about alcohol. No, this isn’t going to be an editorial advising all drinkers to stop or even to promote the use of the dreaded firewater. It involves another issue entirely. Namely that of drinking and driving. Yes, I agree that alcohol has long been a ... read more ››

Kenny Loon takes the reins in Mistissini

It was an unexpected victory for many when Kenny Loon became Mistissini’s new chief. Loon was working with the Indian Claims Commission when he received the news. These days he is in Mistissini during the week but drives to Ottawa to be with his family during the weekend. He’s not getting ... read more ››

Women Rule

Matthew Wapachee said he was proud of his daughter Louise when she was elected the newchief of Ouje-Bougoumou. Louise Wapachee is walking a new path in Cree leadership roles.She is only the second woman to be elected as a chief since Indian Affairs imposed theBand Council system on the Eastern ... read more ››

First pro Cree in basketball

The basketball camp at Mistissini saw about 90 youth attending this year. At the end of it every one of the participants went home with a trophy. “We want all the kids to feel like winners,” said Anthony MacLeod, one of the event’s organizers. MacLeod explained that the camp was not ... read more ››

Tribal Justice and Political Accountability

Every now and then you come across something that makes you laugh and think at the same time. If we were from the western Prairie peoples we would probably call this a lesson from Coyote. Just what am I am going on about? It’s about political accountability by political leaders ... read more ››