Category: 2013 05 31

Coon Come opens BAPE consultation on uranium mining as issue heats up

With a new, pro-business Liberal government, the beginning of a provincial consultation process on uranium extraction and new legal manoeuvres by Strateco, the battle over uranium mining in Quebec is reaching a tipping point. Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come was one of the first to appear before a year-long Bureau d’audiences ... read more ››

Saganash reacts to the Anaya report, looming FN crisis

Last October, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples James Anaya visited Canada to see how its First Peoples were faring. Not well, it appears. His report released May 12 highlighted a looming “crisis.” Citing the “jarring manifestation” of human rights problems that “have reached crisis proportions in ... read more ››

KI youth invite Canadians for a visit

Ottawa filmmaker Andrée Cazabon has partnered with the Oji-Cree youth of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) First Nations to bring 25 young Canadians to the remote fly-in community in northern Ontario. The youth extended their invitation April 26 to the Canadian public to experience their community and learn about their way ... read more ››

National support for inquiry grows

Political support for a national inquiry into the tragic scandal of missing and murdered Aboriginal women grew last month as nine provinces jointly called upon the federal government to conduct an extensive investigation into the issue. Aboriginal affairs ministers from every province and territory except British Columbia met in Winnipeg to ... read more ››

Picard addresses UN on Indigenous education issues

“Education is the instrument through which cultures perpetuate themselves,” said Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL), in an address to the 12th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII) on May 21. The focus of this year’s forum ... read more ››

All About Hair

I have been growing my hair now for the past 24 years. It all started for a very practical reason. I decided one day that I couldn’t take any more peer pressure concerning hairstyles and looks. It seemed easier and more comfortable to simply grow my hair long. I also owe ... read more ››

Heading down the Powwow Trail

A guide to some of this summer’s hottest Powwows JUNE  Running June 1-2 is the Pictou Landing Annual Powwow in New Glasgow, NS. For more info: 902-752-1918 or 902-754-3726 June 8-9 brings Peace River’s 18th Annual Aboriginal Gathering and 10th Annual Powwow on the Peace River Ag Grounds in Peace River, AB. The event features a hand ... read more ››

Toxic spill

Tailings pond dyke breached at Casa Berardi Mine The breach of an internal tailings dyke at Aurizon’s Casa Berardi Mine 95 km north of La Sarre May 1 spilled up to 150,000 cubic metres of contaminated water into the James Bay watershed. Aurizon says initial estimates were overstated, claiming that between 50,000 ... read more ››

Voices of truth and reconciliation

Supporting survivors and telling truths Crees were well represented at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) National Event in Montreal. They weren’t just on the stand, speaking to the Commission, or in the Survivors’ Sharing Circle. They were also there to support their friends, family and other community members who made ... read more ››

Native numbers jump

The 2011 census documents a sharp increase in Canada’s Aboriginal population New Statistics Canada data published May 8 reveals substantial population growth among the country’s First Nations, Inuit and Métis, making Aboriginals the fastest-growing and youngest ethnic category in Canada. Three figures in StatsCan’s National Household Survey (NHS) stand out: almost half ... read more ››

Election Coverage Week 1

Ashley Iserhoff launches campaign for Grand Chief After two terms as Deputy Grand Chief, Ashley Iserhoff is now bidding for the top job at the Cree Grand Council. Iserhoff is challenging Matthew Coon Come for the position of Grand Chief in the July 15 Grand Council elections. The Nation spoke to the ... read more ››

Elijah Harper: A man to remember

It was a blow to hear of Elijah Harper’s death on May 18 at the age of 64. He will be remembered for his courage and his actions, above all for his role in opposing the Meech Lake Accord 23 years ago. That moment became a turning point in Canadian ... read more ››