ARTICLES BY Will Nicholls

Someday, A Play by Drew Hayden Taylor

Drew Taylor is a 32-year-old Native playwright. Someday is his most recent addition to Native theater. Taylor insists though that his material is not written exclusively for a Native or non-Native audience. Someday is the first play I’ve enjoyed since I came to Montreal. At times the characters seemed to be ... read more ››

Render unto Caesar only what is Caesar’s

January 1st is just around the corner and the taxman cometh. The Department of Revenue is about to be the new tool of Canada’s assimilation policies. Hold on, you say. This isn’t the old days. Our rights are protected and Canada is no longer the bogeyman out to get us. I ... read more ››

Mistissini gives Cree basketball a boost

After a basketball clinic was cancelled in Mistissini, William MacLeod had an idea. Mistissini would host a basketball tournament. MacLeod, who is executive director of Mistissini Band Council, told The Nation that he came up with the idea after listeningto the youth in Mistissini. Mistissini youth had been talking about starting ... read more ››

No Regrets: Tom Jackson

TOM JACKSON WAS born on a small reserve called One Arrow in Saskatchewan. His roots are Cree and English. Currently living in Winnipeg, he’s inescapably in the fast lane. I’m not just passing gossip about North Of 60’s huge sucess here. I’m sure most people have seen him in his role ... read more ››

Thoughts about the turkey

Hope nobody choked on a bone from that traditional Thanksgiving turkey. Speaking or rather writing of that traditional Thanksgiving Day, have you ever wondered about the true origins of Thanksgiving? Almost everyone thinks nice thoughts about this holiday. We have visions of the North American Native inhabitants inviting the European newcomers to ... read more ››

O’Reilly resigns as Cree general counsel

“This is to confirm formally that I have resigned as general legal counsel of the GCCQ/CRA effective today.” So started a letter signed by longtime Grand Council lawyer James O’Reilly on Oct. 4. The letter was faxed to Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come and every other Cree Chief. In an interview with ... read more ››

Burning it up with 7th Fire

WELL, THERE I WAS, the envy of my co-workers at The Nation. I had just gotten to listen to 7th Fire live at the Native Friendship Center’s annual pow wow in Montreal. This year it was held at Vanier College and was a little different than most pow-wows I had been ... read more ››

Your changes for a change

The countdown has started. In eight to ten months, the province of Quebec will be looking at a referendum on separation from Canada. That decision will have far-reaching consequences for Crees and other indigenous peoples whose territories, lands or resources happen to be in the present boundaries of the province ... read more ››

Whereas the Members of the Cree Nation of Eastmain Having Met in Eastmain

EASTMAIN is breaking new trails on old hunting grounds. At Eastmain’s Local Annual General Assembly, two resolutions were passed that deal with traplines and the traditional role of the tallyman. This is the first time that the tallymen have been officially recognized in Band resolutions. The resolutions lay out the rules and ... read more ››

International politics and Indigenous peoples

The Crees have been active in international politics for many years. Most prominent of these actions was the fight against Hydro-Quebec’s proposed Great Whale project. As a result of this confrontation, we are known in the United States, Europe, South American countries and Japan, among others. The Crees have also made ... read more ››

Nurturing Community Pride

A lot of people talk about rebuilding community pride. About how people cared for one another in the “old days.” How problems weren’t as difficult because everyone cared about each other. How they could always count on one another for help when they needed it. People talk about sharing what ... read more ››

SQ Says Situation Is In Hand

When Sept. 1 rolled around, the SQ provincial police knew there would be a problem. Lack of funding meant that the Cree people would be without police services. The Nation contacted Lt. Greg Stevens attached to SQ aboriginal communities services and agent Micheal Brunet of the Surete du Quebec’s public relations ... read more ››

Policies on Policing Mistissini style

The Nation contacted one of the newest Band Councils to see how they are handling the policing crisis. ChieF William Mianscum and the new Mistissini Band Councillors would be meeting the First test oF their administration. This new Band Council is not afraid to meet new challenges head on. Chief Mianscum ... read more ››

Jani’s Gift

Jani Lauzon, Blue Voice, New Voice RA Records P.O. Box 72087 1652 Dartmouth Ave. Toronto, Ontario M4J 5C1 Jani Lauzon is an Cree-Ojibway Metis artist with a passion for the blues. When I first came across this phenomenal voice it was an unplanned experience at a blues bar here in Montreal. I was ... read more ››

Your primer to Cree politics

In any society or culture, there exists a political structure. It can be a dictatorship, monarchy, oligarchy (rule by the few) or a democracy. In all cases, citizens should understand the rules of their government. This also applies to Crees. Without at least a basic understanding of the processes by which ... read more ››

No glory, no shame – just community

I went to help out some friends last week. On June 11 their house burned down destroying all of their worldly possessions. Fortunately none of their family was hurt. They didn’t have any fire insurance but were planning to rebuild. This is why I went there, to help out. I ... read more ››

Hydro’s 2% barrier

Most Crees aren’t aware of Hydro-Quebec’s 2-per-cent compensation policy. They assume the large amounts of money Crees spent on negotiations with Hydro-Quebec are in fact getting them a better deal. Sometimes we are even given the impression that we are lucky to receive anything at all. The truth is we ... read more ››

Who was asleep at the switch?

One must wonder at times if the viligance of our leaders is sometimes relaxed in allowing the unthinkable to happen. Just because we can’t imagine it happening. What do I mean? I mean that having a Hydro-Quebec representive on many of the boards of Cree organizations, such as the Eeyou, Opimiscow or ... read more ››

Wemindji First Nation meeting heats up

The Hughboy administration is under fire again. It happened at an August 5 Band meeting about new proposed mini-hydrodams and other matters pertaining to the interests of Wemindji residents. Walter Hughboy, the Chief, was proposing to create four or five more flow-of-the-river mini-dams. This would be in addition to the one existing ... read more ››

Still Flying High: Vern Cheechoo

I first heard Vern Cbeechoo on the Goose Wings album. He impressed me then and he impresses me still. I finally got a chance to catch up with this travelling man in Wemindji, where he performed some of his latest music at the 35th anniversary of the community’s move from Old ... read more ››

Flying higher than an Icarus

The Music from the Legends Project I Am An Eagle Various Artists First Nations Music (P. O. Box 1180, 16 Fifth Ave., Sioux Lookout, Ont. P8T1B7) Move on over and crank up that sound. This album has something for everyone. Soul, blues, country, country rock and a native pride you just can’t hide. Native music is ... read more ››

Hydro bonds a good deal, says utility

Hydro-Quebec is trying to reassure jittery investors that Hydro bonds are still a good, solid investment. Helen Mayer, a spokeswoman for the utility, played down a recent decision by yet another American college to sell off its Hydro bonds. Williams College, based in Massachusetts, dumped $1.5 million U.S. because portfolio managers said ... read more ››

Inside the evil empire

After years of fighting against the infamous Mega-Corp Hydro-Quebec in the northeastern United States, I was about to finally visit the dams that I felt had damned my people. It is hard to approach this type of story without a bias or an opinion, so I didn’t even try. I was ... read more ››

A tête-à-tête with Brouillard

Richard Brouillard is a familiar figure to many Crees. He is one of the top consultants working for the Cree economic entities. In March, Bill Namagoose, Matthew Swallow and Eddy Diamond wrote a stinging letter accusing Brouillard of conflict-of-interest because he is both the controller of the Board of Compensation ... read more ››

Richard Brouillard responds to critics

Richard Brouillard is fighting back against his critics. He has written a letter to the chair of the Board of Compensation, Rod Pachano, defending himself against allegations of conflict-of-interest. Three CRA representatives to the Board of Compensation, Bill Namagoose, Matthew Swallow and Eddy Diamond, made the allegations in a letter to Rod ... read more ››

New era in Mistissini

Chief Henry Mianscum surprised few people when he announced he was retiring from politics this year. His long years of public service included a few terms as a young Mistissini Band Councillor, in addition to the 11 years he spent serving the people of Mistissini as their Chief. In an exclusive ... read more ››