ARTICLES BY Will Nicholls

Wheeling and Dealing in the Outdoors

Since 1948, the Canadian National Sportsman’s Show has grown from being the very first outdoor sportsman show, to one of the largest in Canada today. This was evident at Bonaventure in Montreal from April 2-6th, 1997. This year’s show was impressive and didn’t seem redundant, even though another outdoors show ... read more ››

Où Est Le Boeuf?

It is indeed painful at times to bring up old news but sometimes you can even forget that it’s there. And it is there for the asking! One hundred and fifty Crees having jobs working at Hydro-Quebec. Don’t worry folks, it’s in the latest Agreement!!! Did I mention the target date ... read more ››

Dead Air Greets Chisasibi

One of the most successful Cree community radio stations went off the air on April 1st but it was no April Fool’s joke for Chisasibi residents. People were expecting a bingo but instead Madeline Iserhoff read a letter explaining the reasons for the Chisasibi radio station going off the air and ... read more ››

Reader’s Digest Freelancing Racism?

The best way to describe this article is a book review of a book review. It goes like this… Reader’s Digest, at least its Canadian counterpart, recently printed a story by freelancer Robert Nielsen entitled Giving Canada Away Claim by Claim. In the bold outtake it reads, “Our timid response ... read more ››

The National Great Outdoors Show

I hear stories of the old days, real old days, where a boat came around once a year with a very limited selection. Janie Panchano reminded me of this when she me with the other Cree culture coordinators back in February. Can you imagine those Crees of long ago? Spying ... read more ››

Co-op Store to Open in Mistissini

A while ago, Mistissini refused to give Northern Stores a grant to renovate and upgrade the store in that community. Soon after Northern Stores closed down its Mistissini outlet. Since then Mistissini-ites have had to go out of the community to get furniture, clothing, hardware, toys and other dry goods. That will ... read more ››

Our History, Our People and Sharing

I recently had the good fortune to be invited to the Cree Cultural Coordinators’ meeting in Val d’Or on February 18-20th. The part of the meeting that I was interested in was the repatriation of Cree artifacts. This would be bringing them back to a Cree museum or facility where they ... read more ››

Do I Bitch?

Are you ready to quit? Sick of the system? Fed up with the mysterious “they” Cree leadership/your boss/the feds in Ottawa/the PQ in Quebec City and all who control your destiny? Yes? Well friend, you may be suffering from the common disease of the downtrodden—APATHY! Apathy is defined as follows: 1. ... read more ››

The Art of No War

The conference on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples was a real eye-opener. There was no feeling of invading a temple as when I once dropped in unexpectedly at an anti-fur conference. The people who attended were from all over Canada and some dropped in from the States. This conference ... read more ››

A Tradition Under Fire

New Years was different this year. A familiar sound was missing. One that I always felt was unique to Cree communities and an important tradition. A new by-law was delivered just after Christmas to each household banning the firing of guns on December 25th, 26th, 31st and January 1st on Category ... read more ››

Montreal Auto Show 97

One of the first things to catch my eye at Montreal’s Car Show was one of the info-commercial lads happily throwing grease and acid on his car and then polishing it away. I almost asked for his autograph but the models you see on the show were nowhere to be ... read more ››

Thoughts for the Season…

Well, Christmas approaches ever nearer by the day and when you’re shopping you see the by now familiar signs; drop an extra can of food in for the needy. It used to be Crees didn’t have the “needy” in the same sense that we have today. We had the less fortunate ... read more ››

Troilus Mine Gets Good Report Card

Cooperation between Crees and development companies is possible. This is the message that the Mistissini First Nation and the Inmet mining company are sending out two years after signing an agreement to open the Troilus copper-silver-gold mine on October 13,1994. The company entered into negotiations with Mistissini despite protests from mining and ... read more ››

Christmas – A Season to Remember

Christmas was once a moveable feast celebrated many different times during the year. The choice of December 25 was made by the Pope Julius I in the fourth century AD because this coincided with the pagan rituals of Winter Solstice, or Return of the Sun. The intent was to replace ... read more ››

Cree Youth CD Launched – 6 in the Morning and Tired of George Jones?

The Cree Nation Youth Council has a lot of firsts. For example they were the first to have Elders as part of their council as well as hosting the First Indigenous Youth Conference. Now they’re doing it again; the first James Bay Cree Youth Compilation Album is out! Nine artists from four ... read more ››

Robert Weistche: Steering the Boat

Robert Weistche may be new to the position of Chairman of the Cree School Board, but he is entering the third year of his mandate as Waskaganish’s School Board Commissioner. He has been on his community’s parents’ committee. He is also the proud father of four children. His eldest daughter ... read more ››

Crees Make Case at Eco-Summit

The World Conservation Congress came to Montreal October 17 to 21. The Grand Council of the Crees was on hand with a booth to represent Cree concerns with forestry. Along with a seven-minute video called Trees and Crees was a pamphlet entitled the same. The Cree message was clear and concise. ... read more ››

A Circle Completed: 1933-1996

A man of vision died recently, Robert Bourassa. No one can question his role in the changing Cree world. He left his mark on us all. I know you would expect me to bring up the La Grande Complex or the fact that he was the first premier of Quebec to ... read more ››

In the Fbotsteps of their Ancestors

Even as Wemindji began work on its second sports arena, some Eastmain Crees began a 710-kilometre walk to raise money for their first one. Eastmain is looking to get a community complex complete with arena, stage, youth centre and an area where Elders can gather and tell stories. After years ... read more ››

Confronting The Future Head On

Not since the days of the Great Whale fight have I seen Crees on the streets of a city gathered to protest. It was a group of students banded together to fight the Cree School Board’s move to the new Cree building in Old Montreal. I am neither for or against ... read more ››

Violet Pachano Another First

Violet Pachano is a woman with two important firsts. She was the first women chief in the Cree Nation when Chisasibi residents elected her. Lately she became the Cree Nation’s first woman to be elected to a national position as Vice-Grand Chief of the Crees of James Bay in Northern ... read more ››

To Vote Or Not To Vote, Who Be The Question?

Duringthe recent election campaigns for the Cree leadership positions, both on a local level and national levels, I noticed something that was raised as an issue by only one candidate. The issue was the lack of time to campaign. This, I believe, is a very serious issue. Without a time period ... read more ››

Great Shades of the Buffalo Jump

Housing is the focus of a new report prepared for the Grand Council of the Crees. The report looks at the housing backlog and says the future doesn’t look good for Crees. In a mere eight years, James Bay Crees in Quebec will be 1,530 housing units short of actual needs. ... read more ››

Balances

There seems to be a new attitude being fostered in the Cree communities that I find very disturbing. It’s the old government propaganda machine in motion with the same old message: See no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil. Of course the powers that be don’t say it in ... read more ››

From one of the illiterates

On May 15, Josée Legault, a prominent Quebec nationalist and Le Devoir columnist, participated in a talk show in Montreal. In it she mentioned a few “facts” and comments on the s of James Bay. She said Crees have an extremely high level of illiteracy. Crees, she said, would have to ... read more ››

Sawmill Approved With Conditions

The Waswanipi-Domtar sawmill has been approved, but there are a few conditions. Two environmental panels held hearings into the sawmill in June. They released their reports to Irene Neeposh, Waswanipi’s Environmental Administrator, who was to make the final decision. On July 10, Neeposh announced her preliminary ruling at Waswanipi’s General ... read more ››