Category: 2012 01 25 2012

Phil Fontaine awarded Order of Canada

Phil Fontaine, former National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations, will be appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his lifetime of public service. Phil Fontaine was born in Sagkeeng First Nation in 1944. He attended a residential school in his youth and later in his life voiced ... read more ››

Court recognizes rights of Métis and non-status Indians

A Federal Court ruling delivered January 8 obligates the Canadian government to expand its definition of rights-bearing Aboriginals to include Métis and non-status Indians. Federal Court Justice Michael Phelan stated in his decision the government should eliminate the “constitutional uncertainty surrounding these groups,” which affect about 600,000 people. The decision, which caps ... read more ››

The first Cree baby of 2013

On January 2, Valerie Rose Whiskeychan and Murphy Diamond celebrated the arrival of their third child, Lillianna La-thia Karla Rose Whiskeychan, the first Cree arrival of 2013. Valerie gave birth to Lillianna at the Val d’Or Hospital at 7:45 pm to a healthy baby weighing 7 pounds, 12 ounces, or 3.51 ... read more ››

The dream catcher

I had a dream the other night. I was a little boy again. There I was, on the land back up on the James Bay coast. I could see the clear water of the Attawapiskat River below and the deep blue sky above with the burning yellow sun as white ... read more ››

Planning your career

In recent times, we have heard about the Plan Nord and about the opportunities it will bring to the Cree communities. This could include jobs in the health, mining or human resources sector, to name a few. Many people are thinking about whether there is a career opportunity for them. ... read more ››

Meet the new boss Same as the old?

The appointment of Abitibi-Est MNA Élizabeth Larouche as Quebec’s PQ aboriginal affairs minister last September occurred with a minimum of comment, much less controversy. That might not be surprising since the approach of Larouche and her government toward First Nations appear to differ little from that of the previous Liberal ... read more ››

The struggle for unity

The high drama surrounding the January 11 meeting between First Nations leaders and Prime Minister Stephen Harper has focused national attention on aboriginal issues but also highlighted deep divisions between the grassroots ground troops of the Idle No More movement and Native politicians. The frenzied and sometimes chaotic preparation for the ... read more ››

Cree students to gather for elite briefing

Cree leaders will host a Roundtable for post-secondary students in Ottawa March 16 and 17. The Roundtable on Capacity Building will brief Cree post-secondary students about treaty agreements with the Canadian government and employment opportunities available to them. The Roundtable will be free for the 400 students that the Planning Committee ... read more ››

Taking the long view

Cree Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come is no stranger to a media storm. But when he joined several other Aboriginal leaders in a high profile and controversial meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper January 11, the media frenzy was at a fever pitch. A YouTube video posted just minutes after Coon ... read more ››

Heart, head and hockey

Cree athletic programs will now have a unified plan for their future, as a new umbrella organization begins life with a mandate to expand programs and ensure the consistency and quality of sport and recreation activities among all communities in Eeyou Istchee. The Eeyou Istchee Sports and Recreation Association (EISRA) will ... read more ››

Darlene Cheechoo elected to chair the CRA Board of Compensation

  It’s easy to forget how much one person can take upon them to grow their communities. Darlene Cheechoo is the reminder that one can achieve success through a career built on working for the Cree Nation. On December 20, the 21 members of the Cree Regional Authority’s (CRA) Board of Compensation ... read more ››

Keeping busy in the cold

How did we ever get here? According to traditional business models, we did everything wrong. Our first issues were sent to the communities we wanted to serve with a few prayers and a lot of hope that they would actually arrive. One community member questioned whether we would be able ... read more ››