ARTICLES BY
Will Nicholls
Little did I know when I arrived in Mistissini that the walk across Eeyou Istchee to raise awareness about diabetes would be arriving during my stay. It was a pleasant surprise as I had heard about the possibility of this walk in the summer. At that time it was only ...
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The recipes featured below are from the Black Currents and Caribou recipe book put out by Webber’s Northern Lodges. They have two other books that I am currently trying out called Cranberries and Canada Goose and Blueberries and Polar Bears. I recommend these books for anyone who likes healthy, good ...
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Even Wemindji’s diamonds didn’t set off this kind of rush to stake and claim the area. Aston Mining and Soquem Inc said in a report that a 205-kilogram sample from exploration at Otish Mountain yielded 5 macro and 54 micro diamonds. Another 163-kilogram sample saw 29 macro and 116 micro ...
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The January meeting of the Cree Nation Youth Council was postponed until Monday January 21st. This was done as an act of respect as Grand Chief Ted Mosses Mother-in-law passed away. The original two-day meeting has been shortened to one day.
Selling the Youth on the AIP will be a tough ...
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I’ve heard it said that the Creator in his infinite wisdom chose the Cree leaders and that we should respect his or her choice. Several people, in letters-to-the-editor and in public meetings, have offered this view.
I have a few problems with that idea. First and foremost, it negates free will. ...
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I always enjoyed The Christmas Carol. The story of a cruel arrogant old miser changing for the better touches something in all of us. It is the hope that people with this type of ingrained behaviour can change for the better, but this story is just fiction. In real life ...
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Well with all this AIP stuff taking up so much space we thought we had better add a few pages so we can bring you some Christmas cheer. During Christmas there’s always a lot of visiting so I thought I would include some recipes for your visitors. Neil loved the ...
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It’s tough being a reporter at times. Take November 14th when I was kicked out of a Grand Council/CRA council/board meeting. I was told it was a public meeting by one of the secretaries but in sitting in I found I was being ousted because I was media. I told ...
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You’ve come out as being opposed to the Agreement-in-Principle that was signed between the Cree leadership and Quebec Premier Landry on October 23,2001. Why?
Yes, and in doing so I believe I have broken the oath of impartiality. I am taking many risks. But first I want to state that whatever ...
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One day I had a call from Eric Gagnon, who told me he was a president and founder of the Rupert’s River Revenence Coalition. Gagnon comes from Montreal and went north to work for the Cree School Board. He liked the region so well he decided to stay on in ...
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I have a simple question. Why hasn’t the Cree leadership hasn’t asked for the resignation of the Minister of the Environment André Boisclair?
The attitude of his department in keeping secret the toxic levels of arsenic, cyanide, cadmium, chromium, zinc, copper, selenium and mercury present in the fish surrounding the Ouje-Bougoumou ...
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It’s an old story that First Nations know well. Development has traveled ever northwards impacting Native communities. In Northern Ontario there’s about 28 communities that will be affected by Ontario’s latest forestry plans. It is an area that has no roads or energy projects. Generators deliver power and the only ...
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The Agreement-in-Principle isn’t a large document. It certainly isn’t as many pages as the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. It will, nevertheless, have as great an impact on Cree lifestyle, culture and way of life as the JBNQA.
The purpose of the Agreement seems clear enough. In layman’s terms it ...
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The Agreement-in-principle was one of the most closely guarded secrets in Quebec. At this point it’s difficult to discern everything it could mean for the Cree. Upon reading it, I will say I have reservations about the deal, especially because of the Rupert River diversion, among other issues.
But the crux ...
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No one can deny it has been a hectic past two weeks with the recent announcement of the Agreement-in-Principle between the Crees and the Quebec Government. Some people have been crying savior while others say sell-out. No matter what you think it is a historic occasion that requires a lot ...
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I watched, with the world, news concerning the terrorist attacks in the US and the analysis. Imagine my shock when Native First Nations were lumped in with potential terrorist problems within Canada by one security analyst. One of his references was the Oka Crisis. I remember First Nations peoples sitting ...
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About 50 or so of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake have occupied Victoria Island, near Canada’s Parliament buildings. A village has been erected and can easily be seen, a fact that the Algonquins are hoping will embarrass Ottawa into meeting with them to discuss their concerns. The Algonquins, from Northern ...
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It was our first Pow Wow and the first put on by a joint effort of the Eastern Door and the Nation, both independent Native newspapers. It was a case of Mohawks from the south and Cree from the north meeting to make something great happen. For the First Nations ...
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One has to admire the total lack of knowledge retention and disregard for historical facts as well as the predictable rhetoric that the National Post seems to Post-it Post Haste require in their overtly Caucasian editorial staff writers. Ifs more than obvious, it’s downright in your face, with the extended ...
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The 30-day cooling period is over according to Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault and the consultations on the proposed native governance legislation will go ahead. This will happen without the consent or participation from First Nations leadership if they can’t come up with some sort of plan the Fed’s are ...
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A cousin of mine was getting married and here I was in Chisasibi. I looked for a ride to make it to Chibougamau where the wedding would be taking place but all the rides seemed to be full or had left already. That was Thursday night and the wedding was ...
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Though the season may officially start on August 20 for Burnt Church residents, some are already on the waters in defiance of the DFO wishes. JJ Bear, communications officer of the Atlantic Congress of Chiefs, says he hopes there will be no confrontations like last year. Bear said, “the DFO ...
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14th Annual Mistissini Invitational Senior Fastball & Softball Tournament Aug. 9-12, 2001
It was a heartbreaker that seemed to go on as Mistassini started off an inning with a home run by Steve Tremblay. The second inning saw another home run, but by the Lac Simion team. It almost seemed over ...
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Let me see, Minster Nault of Indian Affairs puts a little Indian Band into third party management but that’s because it has problems, not because he’s getting back at them for criticizing his administration.
And recently Indian Affairs denied that the $5 million that they cut to the Assembly of First ...
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Every year the Cree community of Nemaska hosts on the Cree Nation Fitness Challenge. This is the third year they have done so and Crees come from all over Eeyou Istchee to take part in this health lifestyle event. It is a grueling challenge and is seen as the place ...
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You’ve seen the movies about road trips but reality is never as wild and to tell the truth you wouldn’t want it to be. My brother Don was heading to Arizona to do his masters in international Aboriginal law and he needed someone to go along with him to keep ...
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