Category: Editorials

“Con-grad-ulations”

As this issue of the Nation reaches the Cree communities in the North, many schools will have already held their graduation ceremonies. I would like to add my heartfelt salute to a job well done by all our graduates. It has been a tough journey. Some parents might disagree, arguing it ... read more ››

A non-apology apology for a non-existent crime against humanity

So Canada’s House of Commons passed a motion last week calling on the federal government to apologize to residential school survivors. Hell, it even passed unanimously, 257-0. Even though Conservative government MPs voted for the motion, the smoke and mirrors that Ottawa has employed for a century continues, however. Indian Affairs Minister ... read more ››

Where’s the bailing buckets?

Someone once passed on the observation that a ship’s destination doesn’t particularly matter when it’s sinking. I felt his statement to be both a great truth and ultimately a lie. Does this mean that the survival of the fittest shall prevail? That would mean that the rule of law shall ... read more ››

Time for a sober view of alcohol

The Mistissini Band Council’s recent decision to reject a Cage-aux-sports style resto-bar in the community is raising many questions. The first being, Why was it shot down so hastily? Calvin Blacksmith may or may not have been the right person to end the ban on alcohol sales in the community. He ... read more ››

Fight isolation by sharing problems

Picture this; you are holding two people’s hands as you sit in a circle of happiness and comfort. You love and respect those around you and you trust them. You are surrounded by people you care about, people who can relate to what you’re going through, people who are living ... read more ››

Voting for a change

If you were conducting an epidemiological study on Aboriginal peoples in Quebec you might come to the conclusion that we are allergic to ballot boxes. The First Nations voter is usually averse to both provincial and federal elections and that is reflected in the very low voter turnout. In most ... read more ››

Coddling corruption taints us all

Eeyou Istchee has been dealing with its fair share of questionable conduct and suspicious activity. The question is, where is the accountability and consequence? Here are a few cases that have made the news. Keep in mind that these are the cases known to the public. • Four Waswanipi women are charged ... read more ››

Our lives, our land, our health

Recently in our community a regional conference was held on diabetes and its effects on our people in Eeyou Astchee. I would like to add some recommendations, things that we as a community could consider to lead us towards prevention in the fight against diabetes. The need for better nutrition and ... read more ››

To protect and to serve

There are moments that clarify life for you. You may lose faith in the inherent ability of man to encompass community and wellbeing and then you are handed a gift. One such moment in my life occurred recently when I was helping to keep one dog away from another that was ... read more ››

‘Hang onto these words’

I recently asked for a book that I knew would interest me. I didn’t know when I started to read how muchit would influence me. The words that Johnny said were so close to the words I grew up with I couldn’t put the book down. The words of an ... read more ››

Mirabel lands set to be stolen all over again

Stephen Harper’s Conservative government missed a chance to right a wrong in the Mirabel Airport fiasco when it announced that the land will be sold back to the Mirabel farmers who were paid for it in the 1969 federal expropriation. That land belongs to the Mohawks. As the massive Mirabel Airport ... read more ››

Nationhood?

Do the souls of the hundreds who lay long buried beneath the Plains of Abraham toss and turn in an unquenched quest for nationhood? It’s doubtful. Nationhood was the exact opposite of the competing cries upon that battleground almost 250 years ago. Rather, it was the glory of imperial France ... read more ››

Rupert River: R.I.P.?

For five years already, the most divisive issue in recent history has been gripping the Cree Nation: the loss of the irreplaceable Rupert River. The issue has created a deep divide between the people who voted for the Paix des Braves and those opposed to it. It has torn apart friends ... read more ››

Lucky 13

It’s our 13th anniversary. Some might consider that an unlucky number, but I think it’s a significant date for this Aboriginal magazine. Thirteen consecutive years in business makes this one of the longest-lived publications in the Aboriginal media world. As I write this I am smiling with pride that the Nation ... read more ››

No deal: letter was wrong

In our last issue, the Nation published a letter to the editor from Leonard Matthews. In the letter, Matthews claimed that the Grand Council had completed negotiations with the Canadian government. It was also claimed that after approval by the federal cabinet this new agreement would be worth $4.3 billion ... read more ››

Just Us

By the Creator, it is true. The truth in that old chestnut of a joke we all told way back when. Justice for Indians? Look at the jails it’s just us. A federal ombudsman in the form of correctional investigator Howard Sapers reported last week that the Canadian justice system engaged ... read more ››

Our mother’s en-dashweems

Note: This letter was read to those in attendance of the official opening of the Mary Ann Centre September 26, 2006. Our mother, Mary Ann Baribeau-Rabbitskin, passed away in October 2004, leaving behind a life filled with service to others, especially children. From my youngest days I can’t recall our home ... read more ››

When the music’s over…

It’s now been a year since Matthew Mukash was elected Grand Chief of the Crees in a decisive vote, sweeping Ted Moses from office after a narrow defeat three years previously to the good doctor. At the Nation, we were optimistic. After a number of years in which we felt the ... read more ››

Out of the park, in the ground

Dudley George is a name we should never forget. After a lengthy 25-month inquiry and testimony from 139 witnesses, the inquiry into Dudley George’s death is bringing his family that much closer to closure in the 1996 shooting death of the Aboriginal protestor. But is it enough? Members of the Kettle and ... read more ››

AIDS: infecting our people at an alarming rate

The biggest misconception when it comes to Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, or AIDS, is the fact that you are safe from it and that you could not possibly contract the disease. Well, you’re dead wrong, especially if you happen to be Native. A recent report talked about the rates Aboriginals contract ... read more ››

Finally – support for Cree victims of crime

The Grand Council of the Crees is currently reviewing a very important new project that may affect you and your loved ones (see the Nation’s full coverage of the story in “Victims of crime to receive new services” located at the top of the main page). The Crime Victims Assistance Centre ... read more ››

Beat the heat – get chillin’

It has been hot in Eeyou Istchee. I don’t know if anyone has tried frying eggs on the sidewalk of the band council steps lately, but at one point Whapmagoustui and the surrounding area was the hottest place in North America. Given how far north Crees and Inuit live, none are ... read more ››

Canada’s double-cross at the UN

The Canadian government’s recent vote against the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples was a surprise move and is one that will cost Canada dearly. Perhaps I better explain my thinking. Canada has a seat on the United Nations Human Rights Council. It was awarded one because of its stances ... read more ››

Ready to evacuate?

A few weeks ago in early June, I witnessed much of the first fire-related evacuation of Mistissini. I watched as lightning struck from the sky. Soon after, I could see a small plume of smoke reach for the sky. It would grow thicker and you knew another fire was on ... read more ››

Law and Order: Eeyou Istchee

Our focus in this issue is on justice and policing. Several stories this week raise a multitude of questions about the current models of criminal justice, punishment and rehabilitation in Eeyou Istchee and in First Nations across Canada. There are many different models out there. At present, Waswanipi is making some ... read more ››

The spirit of the Mohawks

The Mohawk protest at Caledonia, Ontario brought back memories of another incident that is still fresh in the minds of most Aboriginals. In 1990, a small group of Kanesatake Mohawks set up a non-threatening, side-of-the-road camp to halt the Oka golf club’s proposed expansion onto their land. If plans had proceeded, ... read more ››