ARTICLES BY Will Nicholls

Common goals

At the end of June, Paul Gull will step down as Chairman of the Cree School Board ending 11 years of service. Initially Paul was persuaded by Waswanipi community members to run as a school commissioner in the early Eighties. At the time he remembers he was just two years ... read more ››

Regaining the past

Not many people are aware that a Cultural Institute file exists and is active. Kenny Mianscum met recently with The Nation to talk about a mutual desire—to see a Cree museum a reality. The Cultural Institute facilities are looking at the possibilities of housing a museum, a theater/stage, the CSB ... read more ››

The Bambi Syndrome

In this issue of The Nation you will read some pretty shocking statements (see fur story, page 12). Shocking at least to any of you who haven’t had a run-in with the animal rights groups. The Nation staff attended a fur show in Montreal and of course outside met up ... read more ››

Goose Hunt 1995

(additional reporting by Paul Rickard) The results are in. It wasn’t a good hunt for many. An early spring ruined many people’s hunt this year and in some places thegeese are still arriving. People in the south are reporting 1,000’s of geese feeding in the fields. Other people are saying the flying ... read more ››

Interview with Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin

During a recent teleconference with Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin The Nation got to ask a few questions. The minister talked about issues near and dear to Native hearts but couldn’t be nailed down to any concrete promises by interviewers. No guarantees on housing, negotiations or assistance to northern communities ... read more ››

The Great Canadian Farce

It was Hailed as the end of the patriarchy and sexism inherent in the Indian Act. Women who had the audacity to marry any man other than an Indian would regain their Indian status. In the past any Indian man who married any woman he wanted kept his status, while ... read more ››

Winneway dam timeline

1912 Long Point Band forced to move because of hydro-electric project 1936 Some band members forced off their traplines again by another hydro-project at Rapid-7. 1938 Lt.-Governor decides to encourage mining growth in the region. He allows construction of dams to harness the Winneway River. Power would be used by mining ... read more ››

Native rights not respected: report

It slipped by The Nation as it did many newspapers and magazines that 1994 marked the 25th anniversary of a critical moment in Canadian history that would’ve affected all Aboriginal peoples within Canada’s present borders. It was the infamous “White Paper.” That was a federal government statement that essentially called for ... read more ››

From Plains, Pueblos and Tundra

I had the good fortune to attend From Plains, Pueblos and Tundra recently. It was a show featuring Native American music, dance and story-telling at the Sommerville Theatre in Massachusetts. This tour was presented by World Music, a non-profit group committed to world cultural exchange. The show started on Indian time at ... read more ››

Copy of Actual Prayer Received in the mail

This prayer has been sent to you for good luck. The original is in England. It has been around I the world 9 times. The luck has been sent to you. You will receive good luck within five days after receiving this letter provided that you will in turn send ... read more ››

Indian affairs not alone

In a couple of weeks we’ll see if Canada’s hard work at the recent UN World Summit on Social Development to water down the summit’s Declaration on Social Development (see last issue) was successful. No copies of the final declaration are available in Canada at the moment. An internal government fax obtained ... read more ››

Rights too costly, says “appalling” Indian Affairs document

Federal bureaucrats are trying to water down the UN Declaration on Social Development because they’re worried it gives First Nations and minorities too many rights in Canada. A fax originating from Indians Affairs was mistakenly sent to a Native organization in Ottawa which contains notes from a teleconference between top federal ... read more ››

The Few the proud the brave and the fast

It was a tough, gruelling five-day race covering 1,750 kilometers. Each team was composed of three skidoos and a sleigh. The cost to enter was $5,400 except for the Mistissini and Waswanipi team which got a deduction of $1,000 each compliments of The Nation. When the snow settled at the end ... read more ››

One long primal scream

Canada certainly went out of its way in the last two weeks to accommodate Quebec. I was appalled to learn that an Canadian ambassador told a European Parliament delegation that Canada intends to honour the results of Quebec’s referendum but all Aboriginals could do is vote in that referendum (see GCCQ ... read more ››

Mistissini gets $1 mil from Troilus

Charlie Mianscum gave the opening prayer that would precede the formal signing of the Troilus Mine Agreement between the Crees and Metall Mining Corporation on February 13. As he led the prayer I noticed behind the principle signatories were some people not usually at such signings. They were tallymen from the ... read more ››

Route du Nord: a tangled web

The Route de Nord was a Godsend to many. Benoit Bouchard, federal Minister of Transportation under the Brian Mulroney, got the feds to kick in 55 per cent of the funding to get this road built—a road Bouchard’s Lac St-Jean riding had apparently wanted for years. The road was especially sought ... read more ››

Wabimeguil serious at last

Betty Albert Lincez a.k.a. Wabimeguil (which means White Feather) is an amazing artist. It’s unfortunate The Nation isn’t in colour so you could see the full glory of her work. I found her name for the first time on the Worldwide Web, a sort of computer bulletin board that is amazing. ... read more ››

Manhattan for sale

Well as it happens I almost opened my mouth and stuck my foot in it. I had a rip roaring editorial all set up but hadn’t been able to contact one of the main players. Now as any editorialist hates, a last-minute phone call helped me see the other side ... read more ››

Trappers file class action suit on Route

Cree trapper and tallyman Freddy Jolly is back in the news once again. The latest articles are from La Presse. They concern a court case launched by roughly 350 trappers against Cree Construction, SDBJ (James Bay Development Society) and the federal and Quebec governments. This all started three years ago when Nemaska ... read more ››

Great Whale office closed

By the time you read this, the Montreal office that was an important component in fighting the proposed Great Whale project will be no more. During the last few months, staff had been slowly laid off due to budget cutbacks. Latest to be laid off are Claude Otter, Luis Eguren and ... read more ››

To The Gazette

I was upset to learn of the ignorance of Montreal Gazette Outdoors columnist George Gruenefeld’s opinion piece on January 6. It showed a serious lack of knowledge of both the laws of Canada and Quebec, but also that of Native culture and lifestyles. It concerned the Huron First Nations people continuing ... read more ››

Chiefs discuss Great Whale victory

The Chiefs of all the nine eastern James Bay Cree communities met in Montreal as part of the Grand Council board on December 7 and 8. They sat down and discussed the recent victory on Great Whale, Quebec sovereignty, federal and provincial relations, forestry, the Coon Come court case, the policing ... read more ››

V for Victory

When I first heard that Great Whale had been postponed indefinitely, all I felt was disbelief. I had to check things out myself. I mean, given the tenacity with which Hydro-Quebec promoted the Great Whale project, I did not think the war would be over so soon. No celebrations for ... read more ››

Great Whale Celebrates

After news spread that the Great Whale project was shelved indefinitely, the people of Whapmagoostui were overjoyed. Everybody was jumping around joyfully or shaking hands. Some people couldn’t sleep for two days they were so excited. A celebration was planned. We contacted Chief Matthew Mukash for his comments. The Nation: You must ... read more ››

Quebec Native Women’s Association 20 Years Young

It was to be my second time going to a Quebec Native Women’s Association Annual General Assembly Banquet. Once again my mother extended an invitation to attend and this time was special. It was the 20th anniversary of the Quebec Native Women’s Association. People from all parts of Canada gathered ... read more ››

Someday, A Play by Drew Hayden Taylor – Interview By William Nicholls

The Nation: Basically how many plays do you write and how many of them make it to stage? Drew Taylor: I’d say seven out of 10. There’s been I think 10 plays produced and there have been two that I’ve written that have not been produced and probably never will be. How did ... read more ››