Category: Interviews and Profiles

The Matthew Mukash Interview

The Grand Chief picks up his fiddle and plays tunes on the Rupert River, power plays in James Bay and working with Hydro QuebecIt has been a little over a year since Matthew Mukash was elected Grand Chief of the Eastern James Bay Crees. The Nation caught up with him ... read more ››

Glenna Matoush – The art of living an empowered life

Glenna Matoush is known across the globe for her masterful and celebrated canvases. She presently has works exhibited in the National Gallery, has had major shows in Toronto and Europe, was once a special invitee of the Vatican to display her work and very soon her art will be displayed ... read more ››

Pulling strings with Grand Chief Matthew Mukash – The State of the Cree Nation Interview

The Nation: How are you doing in terms of carrying out your election promises? Grand Chief Matthew Mukash: Since our election, Deputy Grand Chief Ashley Iserhoff and I have tried to meet with as many Cree entities and organizations as possible. Some of those we have met with over the past ... read more ››

Jonathan Cheechoo talks to the Nation about the new NHL, Sweden and moose…

The Nation had a chance recently to talk with Jonathan Cheechoo, one of the NHL’s exciting young wingers. We sat down with the rising San Jose Sharks star at the Bell Centre in Montreal to get his view on many things and ask him questions about his stardom in Native ... read more ››

Four Questions for National Chief Phil Fontaine

Assembly of First Nations head Phil Fontaine was harshly criticized for his first budget submission to the federal government since regaining his position of National Chief last summer (see the December 12, 2003 issue). In particular, Cree Grand Council spokesman Brian Craik said Fontaine was trying to position the AFN ... read more ››

Interview with Ted Moses

The Nation: What was it like in the beginning? Moses: Well, Premier Robert Bourassa announced the La Grande Project. The Crees reacted and the court case (Malouf) began. I was one of the members of the delegation in Montreal. My role at that time was to translate for the Elders and ... read more ››

Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault Visits Eeyou Istchee

After meeting with Ted Moses Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault accepted an invitation to visit two Cree communities on April 6 and 7. His first stop was in Chisasibi where he looked at the sick and overcrowded housing problems. He also officially opened the fire and police station. During his ... read more ››

The Worst Day of the Year…

We present two accounts by Waswanipi Crees on their residential school experiences. The Nation: Which residential school did you go to? Lily Gull Sutherland: Shingwauk Residential School in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. For how many years? I think nine years, when I started in Kindergarten to Grade 8. During high school we boarded in ... read more ››

Catching a Dream the NAEP Way

Last year was the first Dreamcatchers Conference, hosted by Concordia’s Native Access to Engineering Program. Since its beginning, NAEP has provided teachers with tools to make science and math more culturally relevant and fun. In 1997 NAEP produced hard copy curriculum materials, but only for Quebec. In 1998 teachers were ... read more ››

Tammy Beauvais Native Fashion

Tammy Beauvais is a new designer on the scene, who owns her own company making unique clothing and accessories with an Aboriginal theme. I first came across Beauvais’s work at a Christmas office party. Since I had done some work for the Eastern Door, the Mohawk newspaper, I received an ... read more ››

Interview with the President

While the world might be holding it’s collective breath (as I write this) to find out who the next leader of the United States might be, this kind of indecision does not plague the Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO). We at the Nation know who the ... read more ››

Profile: Grand Chief Dr. Matthew Coon Come

The Crees of James Bay have been led by one of the most charismatic Native leaders, Matthew Coon Come, for the past 10 years. On October 8, Matthew was honoured with an honourary Doctor of Laws degree by his alma mater, Trent University of Peterborough, Ont. The occasion called out ... read more ››

MEDICINE

Interview by Nellie Pepabano I always listen to the Elders when they tell stories and I don’t hear the Elders talk about medicine. I will talk about how I healed people who were sick. I was then alone at my home when there was a sickness. It was at that time when ... read more ››

In the Cree camp: an Interview with Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come

The Cree War Room at the Sheraton emptied as speech makers started. Coon Come along with Bill Namagoose and Brian Craik watched to the end as speeches were made. Coon Come had days before announced the results of the Cree referendum to Canadian media. The Cree position was clear and ... read more ››

Magic Revealed

I am honoured that she took the time to talk to The Nation. She is controversial. She is a scholar, a professor, an intellectual, a communicator, apoet and a fighter, above all else, she is Hawai’ian. Her beauty, power and magic embodies everything that she is and everything she does. Her ... read more ››

Luke MacLeod: There has to be a focus

Elections were recently held at the Cree School Board. The latest Chairman is Luke MacLeod. Also elected as the Vice-Chair is Lisa Petagumskum. The third member of the new executive is Robert Weistche. Luke MacLeod has been with the school board for a number of years. He served as a commissioner ... read more ››

The spirit is going full force

There is a revolution going on at Makivik Corp. and her name is Sheila Watt Cloutier. Elected Corporate Secretary on March 31, Sheila is already planning big changes. She is honest, direct and has no use for the “games” and “political lingo” we sometimes see in organizations like hers. The sister ... read more ››

Common goals

At the end of June, Paul Gull will step down as Chairman of the Cree School Board ending 11 years of service. Initially Paul was persuaded by Waswanipi community members to run as a school commissioner in the early Eighties. At the time he remembers he was just two years ... read more ››

Interview with Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin

During a recent teleconference with Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin The Nation got to ask a few questions. The minister talked about issues near and dear to Native hearts but couldn’t be nailed down to any concrete promises by interviewers. No guarantees on housing, negotiations or assistance to northern communities ... read more ››

Viva Las Vegas

Has the Las Vegas of the North lost its glitz? Is the recent human rights complaint filed by Larry House just the tip of the iceberg? (See The Nation, February 17.) That is how many people feel about Val d’Or. Val d’ Or was once the hub of most Cree business ... read more ››

Wabimeguil serious at last

Betty Albert Lincez a.k.a. Wabimeguil (which means White Feather) is an amazing artist. It’s unfortunate The Nation isn’t in colour so you could see the full glory of her work. I found her name for the first time on the Worldwide Web, a sort of computer bulletin board that is amazing. ... read more ››

…To Be Heard…

I met Alanis Obomsawin, an Abenaki from Odanak, a couple of years ago when she was thepresident of the Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal. I used to go to the National Film Board of Canada where she has been working since 1967. I requested her autograph, or more accurately her ... read more ››