ARTICLES BY Will Nicholls

Nathaniel Bosum: A Champion in the Making

The last time I saw Nathaniel Bosum in action he was at the Molson Centre and was 11 years old. That was back in May 2001 and this time around he would be at the Olympic Stadium. Bosum is one of the few Crees heavily into moto-cross racing. He started ... read more ››

Hungry Lion or Well-Fed Kitty Cat? – The AFN Reexamines Its Purpose

Next year the AFN will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, so it’s only understandable that the organization would be looking at itself in a serious way. They’ve created the much-needed AFN Renewal Commission. National Chief Phil Fontaine says he wants input from the grassroots First Nations peoples wherever they may ... read more ››

The Heat Is On

I sit here at my desk sucking on the last Popsicle of summer. It’s coming to an end, the summer that is. The office is hot and was hot for most of the summer. Our lonely air conditioner whirring ineffectively promises but fails to deliver refreshing coolness. We all know ... read more ››

Three Decades of Political Repair

It was an exciting 30th anniversary for the Grand Council of the Cree Eeyou Istchee. In some ways it felt like Crees were getting back to our roots when Freddy Jolly came walking in from his long trek to save the Rupert River. His talk to the assembly seemed to ... read more ››

30th AGA GCC

Thirty years have passed since Cree leaders dissatisfied with the Indian Brotherhood’s assistance in the fight against the La Grande Complex created the Grand Council of the Crees. It was created so that the Cree would have a political arm and voice in dealing with the different levels of government ... read more ››

Volunteers: The Glue That Keeps a Community Together

The Nation is very proud to announce that two of its employees, Dana-Marie Williams and Tiffany Deer, have been elected to the board of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. All of us here are pleased at their initiative in joining this much-needed organization. First Nations women come to the shelter ... read more ››

Scammers

This isn’t an editorial so much as it is a warning. In happened once before and apparently is happening again: A few unscrupulous sales people are sending invoices to Nation advertisers for unauthorized ads in their own publications. In the past they would look at the Nation advertisement, copy it ... read more ››

EM1: The New Way of Dam-Building – Crees Fill Big Part of Workforce

It was almost as hard as my first trip into the bowels of the La Grande Complex when the Nation first started up. At least then I knew what to expect and what my position was as I supported the Cree position that the dam complex had been imposed upon ... read more ››

Seventy and Counting

There is a mysticism that we humans give to numbers. We’ll put on a gala for the 10th, 20th or 25th anniversary of an event. We don’t seem to give the same meaning if it is the 9th, 11th, or 26th anniversary. The reason I bring this up is that ... read more ››

Respect is a Two-Way Street

In the last issue we did a story about the Journal de Montreal’s news piece on Chibougamau. In the article the people interviewed seemed to show a distinctly racist attitude towards the Cree. We gave coverage to it because at the Nation we believe such attitudes cannot go unquestioned or ... read more ››

National Aboriginal Day

It all started in 1982 when the National Indian Brotherhood wanted June 21 as a National Aboriginal Solidarity Day. The reason for this day is it falls on summer solstice. It’s pretty cool that we get the longest day out of the year to celebrate our heritage. But National Aboriginal ... read more ››

I Apologize, You Apologize, Let’s All Apologize

You know it’s going to be a really, really bad day when someone steps up to the microphone in a public meeting and begins shouting at you. Your behaviour is described as disgusting. Verbal abuse is heaped on you in liberal doses. The day gets even worse when you are ... read more ››

Tales of the Blind

Ah, goose break. Before it happens you feel the tension, excitement and anticipation all wrapped up in one big ball at the pit of your stomach. It doesn’t matter how old you are or what gender you may be, the tradition takes hold of you. Since time immemorial, we Crees have waited ... read more ››

Dollar Dazed

It’s been an interesting few weeks watching the money come into the Cree communities. First there was the $70 million that everyone wanted a piece of. The communities took home $49.5 million. That’s good news for many who see this as more housing, more employment and generally a better life ... read more ››

Dividing the $70 Million Pie: Blood, Sweat and Tears

There were mumbles and grumbles but none of the expected rumbles for the first $70 million installment to be delivered from the Paix des Braves. It was a process that, in the words of Chief Reggie Mark, was something that “should have started back in December.” The chiefs and council/board ... read more ››

Hydro-Quebec, Cree Bury the Hatchet – Signing Ceremony Highlights Annual $7 Million Deal

It was a signing ceremony to remember, and an event that started out early for the participants. The chiefs and dignitaries had to be at the airport for a 7 am flight to Chibougamau and then on to Chisasibi. Arriving in Chisasibi, everyone was loaded on a bus after an ... read more ››

The Nation Exists to Serve You

At the Aboriginal Media Seminar in March, one of the speakers pointed out that as journalists, broadcasters and newsprint publishers; every now and then we had to remind our readers about how we operate. We should explain the methods, ways and rules the Nation has set for ourselves as a ... read more ››

Aboriginal Media Discusses Ethics Code

Do we want to talk to each other and do we need a code of ethics? These were the big questions asked at a meeting of Quebec’s Aboriginal media in Beaupre City, Quebec at the end of March. The Quebec Aboriginal Media Seminar, hosted by SOCAM (Société de Communication Atikamekw-Montangnais), had ... read more ››

Where’s my $70 Million

I think everyone has heard that money is the root of all evil. I don’t think this is so but rather the lust or desperate need for money is the root of all evil. In this case the evil to me would be the disregard for Cree culture and values. ... read more ››

Memory Walk

I don’t know if a memory walk is just a Cree thing or if any other Aboriginal group also practices it. I remember my first one. It was a number of years ago and I flew into the bush with a group. We came to Cree trappers’ winter camp. The ... read more ››

Carving Out a Future

Looking carefully at the rocks and antlers the carver chooses his materials. He gathers his tools and smiles. His chisels and saws sharp and files standing by. He is ready to start. He is set to carve his beautiful dream. A concept that exists inside: of him but one he ... read more ››

Bolivia – Part 2 of 2

I returned to La Paz to meet with the members of the Canadian Consulate. Sharon Armstrong and Gustavo Bracmonte were extremely helpful. The Consulate told me that Bolivia was an “area of interest” for Canada. There are only nine such areas in all for the world. This means that Canada ... read more ››

Bolivia

As I flew into Bolivia I kept thinking this was the country where the famous outlaws Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid made their last stand. You get weird thoughts while on a plane. They had apparently worked in a silver mine but stole from others. Finally it caught up ... read more ››

A Special Tourist Vacation Spot – Lake Titicaca

Traditionally regarded as the highest navigable body of water in the world (though there are higher lakes in Chile and Peru), Lake Titicaca is immense: its dimensions measure 233km (145mi) from northwest to southeast and 97km (60mi) from northeast to southwest. The lake has an indented shoreline, 36 islands and ... read more ››

Ancient Peru – Part 2 of 2

Will Nicholls recently traveled to Peru to study indigenous economic initiatives, eco-tourism projects in particular. Produced with the support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Along with Black Caiman, Sandoval Lake has 10-foot-long Paichi, the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world. Needless to say I ... read more ››

Ancient Peru

Will Nicholls recently traveled to Peru to study indigenous economic initiatives, eco-tourism projects in particular. Produced with the support of the Government of Canada through the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Ah, Peru, primeval Peru. A place where you could feel the very bones of the Earth were exposed and old. While flying ... read more ››