ARTICLES BY Will Nicholls

I’m a stand-by-my-native man

At the end of June, The Nation took part in a native media teleconference interview with Ron Irwin, the federal Minister of Indian Affairs. We shared the panel with John Coplin from Alberta News, Diane Lewis of Wawatay News in Sioux Lookout, Anne Sillibeck of CHON-FM from Whitehorse, Yukon and ... read more ››

Shades of the Buffalo Jump

I’ve always wondered how the Plains First Nations felt when they started to notice the buffalo disappearing. To see your source of food and well-being deliberately being killed off. Finding rotting carcasses with only choice portions taken. Wanton slaughter, they called it, even back then when it was happening. We all ... read more ››

Belcher Islands people fight to be heard

The Sanikiluaq Inuit of the Belcher Islands are trying to get their voices heard in hearings into the proposed Great Whale River Project. At the moment they have no official representation at the hearings despite the serious impacts of Great Whale and other hydro-projects on their way of life. “It is ... read more ››

Turn on Power Of The North

Finally, a film that gives you the voices of the Cree elders, the people of Quebec, the rhetoric of the politicians, the Crees and non-Crees, the desire of Hydro-Quebec to build the Great Whale project and a chance to listen to Cree youth express their concerns about an uncertain future. More ... read more ››

Whapmagoostui Reaffirms its resolve

When Matthew Mukash got the news that he had been elected to another term as Chief, he was waiting by the Great Whale River. The continuation of the fight against Hydro-Quebec’s proposed Great Whale River Project was one of his main platforms in seeking re-election. The election saw more people turning ... read more ››

True Respect Comes From Actions

It is really amazing the amount of attention that two Elders can cause even here in Montreal. One day an elderly couple parked illegally in a bus lane just long enough to pick up a bunch of gifts for a wedding or something. Next thing we at The Nation hear ... read more ››

Chuck It in the Garbage, says Grand Chief

“Let the process go on,” says Hydro-Quebec in response to the latest Cree criticism of the utility’s Great Whale impact study. Six months of public hearings are underway to determine whether the 5,000-page study conforms to the environmental-impact guidelines set by five environmental review committees looking into the Great Whale River ... read more ››

Doors Open at Waswanipi Commercial Fisheries

Waswanipi Commercial Fisheries is now open for this season’s business. Though plagued by compressor problems, Albert Saganash expects no problems with servicing his customers this year. He warned, though, that customers might be looking at a quota this year on sturgeon, which could raise prices on this main seller. Smoked sturgeon in ... read more ››

Waseskun House on the Move

Now you can get your furniture moved and help a native non-profit organization at the same time. Residents of Waseskun House, the first and only half-way house catering solely to native men in Quebec, are starting up a moving company under a work program. Kenneth Deer, the communications officer, said he ... read more ››

Traditional and bureaucratic values

At times in this world of ours, people ask for assistance in attaining what they feel is justice. Often, like Freddy Jolly, they attempt to right the wrongs of their world themselves before asking. This isn’t unusual in the Cree world, where tallymen are respected and valued. The respect and value ... read more ››

It’s Time to Listen to the Trappers: The wounded land: Part II

The Route du Nord, a road running from Nemaska to Chlbougamau, was to bring many benefits to the Crees. The residents of Nemaska would be able to shop in less expensive stores, inland Crees would be able to get to Chisasibi easier as well as other coastal communities, Crees would ... read more ››

Time-line for R-21

Below is a chronological diary of Freddy’s attempts to right the wrongs he feels have been done: May 1993—Freddy talks to his chief about R-21, Cree Construction and the need for compensation. Freddy is informed by Nemaska Chief George Wapachee that he is on Cree Construction’s board and will be sitting ... read more ››

Goose Hunt ‘94

The results are in and The Nation is bringing them to you. Overall, the goose hunt this spring was not a good one for the Crees. Five communities felt the hunt wasn’t as good as last year. Four felt it was about the same and one thought the hunt was ... read more ››

One-Sided History Isn’t Truth

There is a book called 1984 and in that book one of the themes is a simple idea. Whoever controls the past controls the present, and whoever controls the present controls the future. What they mean by this is that if you write the history books and write them in ... read more ››

Terra Nullius… Not!

This book should be required reading for the Euro-Canadians who think living conditions on reserves are as good as or better than the average Quebecer’s or who believe government funding should be cut to aboriginal people or for the journalists who have been accused of racism against native peoples. As a ... read more ››

Sharing the power of knowledge

Well, it’s the 10th issue of The Nation. I must admit that each issue has a special meaning for me. Cree political, social and business structures have undergone drastic changes in the last 20 years. In some cases these structures didn’t even exist then. To me that means we have a ... read more ››

Cliche’s agenda questioned

“I think these people of colour who have travelled many miles to come here have been misled. Because they wish to use your colour to add credence to the position of pro-development”—Daryll Wright Native peoples from around the world, developers and government officials met in Montreal April 13 to 15 to ... read more ››

Strong on the other side of the bay

The Crees and Inuit have the James Bay Agreement. On the other side of the bay, five Native Bands located on the Churchill and Nelson River systems have the Northern Flood Agreement. The Flood Agreement was signed by the federal government, the provincial government of Manitoba, Manitoba Hydro and the five ... read more ››

Alcan legacy still haunting Cheslatta

Though Alcan helped to fund the recent H20 Water and Indigenous Peoples Conference in Montreal, there was no invitation for the Cheslatta people to attend. They showed up anyhow and plan to stage a protest at the April 25 Alcan annual stockholders’ meeting. The Cheslatta t’en Carrier First Nation of British ... read more ››

“Water Is My Life Struggle”

“Water is my life struggle/’ says Phyllis Young, a Lakota woman from the Standing Rock reserve at Fort Yates, North Dakota. Phyllis Young has been fighting for her tribe’s water rights for the last 20 years. She remembers when she was 10 years old being removed from the Missouri River basin. ... read more ››

Sami Stands Up For Their Rights

The Sami people are natives of the European continent. For thousands of years they have harvested the reindeer, keeping their traditional lifestyles in the face of opposition from neighbours who saw them as outdated. Today, the Sami people still herd reindeer in northern Scandinavia. They have felt the effects of civilization ... read more ››

Louis Riel’s legacy reborn

Not since the days of Louis Riel have the aboriginal people of this land had such a profound impact on Canadian society. In past years, aboriginal peoples have been rebelling more than ever against the colonial paternalist attitudes that permeate the dominant society of this country. As a people, even today ... read more ››

Grand Chief out of line: Hughboy

The Chief of Wemindji, Walter Hughboy, says Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come should stay out of Wemindji’s internal business. “Matthew Coon Come doesn’t have the right to interfere or get involved in Wemindji’s electoral process,” said Chief Hughboy. “I don’t know if he read the Wemindji election by-laws or the ruling ... read more ››

Gee, thanks

Remember Jean Chretien’s much-publicized $2-billion job-creation program? Few people in this country need jobs more than aboriginal peoples, but natives are getting only one per cent of that money. After the $20 million is divided up between the regions, native peoples in Quebec were left with $1.5 million. Of that, Ottawa ... read more ››

The Native Generation X Band

The Check Is In The Mail by 7th Fire Distributed by First Nations Music Publishing (3015 Kennedy Rd, Unit #10, Scarborough, Ont., M1V 1E7) When I first heard 7th Fire, it was during the summer of 1990. Remember that year when the Mohawks held an entire country spellbound as they blockaded their lands? ... read more ››

Nemaska Doesn’t Break Ranks: Cree police departments up against the wall

Police in the Cree communities have been without funding since April 1, 1994. Negotiations with Ottawa and Quebec on funding and police reform broke down on Feb. 15. Cree negotiators felt the talks weren’t going anywhere because the government representatives were limited by a narrow mandate. “We all worked really hard to ... read more ››