Category: News

Escaping the colonialist system

“The game is stacked against them,” said Gordon Christie, when referring to First Nations Peoples wanting the right to make decisions over their traditional territories. Christie, a professor of law from the University of British Columbia, was one of five academics presenting their papers on April 20 at the “How to ... read more ››

What jobs are out there

A multitude of career opportunities were on display as Cree School Board (CSB) organizers in Waswanipi and Chisasibi invited the public to an open house and career fair. In Waswanipi, the Sabtuan Regional Vocational Training Centre (SRVTC) held an open house on March 13 which had nearly 300 people walk through ... read more ››

CNYC Elections: the Candidates

After a month-long nomination process, five candidates have put their names forth to run for the Youth Grand Chief in the upcoming Cree Nation Youth Council elections. The CNYC is the body that advises the Grand Council on matters pertaining to the youth of the Cree nation. All Cree aged 13-35 ... read more ››

2012 Golf Tourney Season

Now that spring is here, hockey season is over and geese are in the air, it is time to polish up the clubs and ptrepare for another great season of golf. The following list provides information on a number of Cree-related golf tournaments taking place across Quebec in the coming ... read more ››

Where to stay in Quebec City

Quebec City is a beautiful place to stay and there are many things for families to do. Recently I stayed at the Hôtel-Musée Premières Nations in Wendake. Upon entering the hotel, we could tell this was a magical and special place. We were welcomed by kind and helpful front desk ... read more ››

Dianne Ottereyes Reid receives prestigious medal

Dianne Ottereyes Reid, the President and CEO of the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute (ACCI), has been awarded the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal from the Governor General of Canada by the Canadian Museums Association in recognition of her exceptional contributions to Canadian culture and heritage. Reid has spent many years committed to ... read more ››

Federal Court ruling could see equal funding for Native kids

The First Nations Child and Family Caring Society of Canada’s Cindy Blackstock managed to see a major victory against the federal government on April 18 as the courts ruled in her favour over whether Ottawa is discriminating against Aboriginal children on reserves by providing less funding in child welfare to ... read more ››

Mistissini youth bring anti-uranium message to Montreal

A handful of Crees from Mistissini joined in Earth Day celebrations in Montreal to raise awareness about an issue they feel has not been getting enough airtime – to end uranium mining in Eeyou Istchee and around the world. Carrying a banner with this message on it were Mistissini Youth Chief ... read more ››

Letter to the Nation

Dear Mr. Nichols: I have forwarded letters to be printed in the Nation on a couple of occasions. Consistently, my letters have been printed with grammatical errors even though I ensure that they are correctly written prior to sending them out. The letter I sent in response to Daniel David’s editorial ... read more ››

Goose hunt update

  The goose hunt has picked up since the last update with many if not all nine Cree communities getting their first goose. Marcel Blacksmith from Mistissini and Simian Mianscum from Waswanipi were the first to shoot some geese. Over in Waskaganish, Wendel Whiskeychann bagged the first goose over by Kilometre 10 ... read more ››

Hidden calorie bombs

  Would you feed your child a chocolate bar for breakfast or eat a bag of candy as a mid-morning snack? If the thought of this sound appalling to you then you are in the vast majority of folks who would like to eat healthy and feed their families nourishing foods. However, ... read more ››

Left out of the loop

  An Ontario Métis tribe prepares to take the Government of Ontario to trial in the coming months, accusing it of excluding them from negotiations for mining grants within their claimed territory. The Algonquin Woodland Métis Anishinabek Tribe (AWMAT) submitted a comprehensive claim to the Government of Ontario in 2009, arguing the ... read more ››

Old-style justice

  Justice used to be done very differently in the Cree Nation. As Public Health Officer Charles Esau explained over the traditional lunch honouring the opening of the Waskaganish Justice Centre, the sixth such facility to open in a Cree Nation community, “The way they used to do things was when somebody ... read more ››

Resources and economic autonomy

  At the How to Get Out of Colonialism conference, held in Montreal on April 19, McGill Professor Roderick Macdonald opened his presentation with a troubling anecdote. The conference was organized by the Indigenous People and Governance (IPG) working group, an academic group that has worked on numerous different projects and conferences ... read more ››

The future of Indigenous/non-Indigenous relations

  Despite its name, the “General Principles of Indigenous/Non-Indigenous Interactions” workshop was anything but general: it was specific, complex, varied and it provided attendees a wealth of information to consider. Academics who study Aboriginal affairs at some of Canada’s most prestigious universities gathered at the Indigenous Peoples and Governance (IPG) conference to ... read more ››

Issues of sovereignty and cultural identity

  The Indigenous Peoples and Governance (IPG) working group organized a four-day conference titled “How to Break Out of Colonialism?” at the Grande Bibliothèque in Montreal April 17-20. IPG is an academic research project that has gathered 40 Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers studying constitutional law, economy, anthropology, philosophy and political science. The ... read more ››

Looming demise

  It was scandalizing headline news across Canada that many Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians alike are still trying to wrap their minds around, that the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal (NFCM) had in fact lost its core funding and will most likely force its doors to close after 37 years. According to ... read more ››

Closer to home

  The Amos Hunting and Fishing Show returned this year for a successful second edition April 12-15. It was held at the Hotel des Eskers in Amos with 16 companies showcasing their hunting and fishing goods. Launched last year, the event was organized by Gaetan Dupuis of B.C. Sports located in the ... read more ››

No access

  My assignment was to cover the Salon Plan Nord, held April 20-21 at Montreal’s Palais de Congrès. A publicity and business event with free entry for the public, the Salon was billed as an opportunity for the curious to “get all of the relevant information about this project that will ... read more ››

The next generation

The Cree Nation Youth Council prepares for its upcoming elections, which will produce a new Youth Grand Chief and Deputy Youth Grand Chief. Nomination forms were distributed to Youth Departments across Eeyou Itschee during the month of March. The nomination process – candidates were required to gather 10 supporting signatures – ... read more ››

On top again

  It has only been open for over a year and already the Quality Inn and Suites is going to have to clear some more shelf space for another award. At the Val-d’Or Chamber of Commerce 32nd Annual Business Awards, CREECO and Val-d’Or Mayor Fernand Trahan of Trahan Holdings took home the ... read more ››

Justin Trudeau beats Senator Patrick Brazeau in boxing event

With the referee ending the match in the third round, Liberal MP Justin Trudeau was the triumphant winner over Conservative Senator Patrick Brazeau in a white-collar charity boxing match. Trading in their parliamentary best for respective Liberal red and Conservative blue boxing attire, the two had only sparred previously over Twitter ... read more ››

New bans on bait-fish announced

Serge Simard, the Minister for Natural Resources and Wildlife and Minister responsible for the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean and Côte Nord regions, announced that as of April 1 the use of live bait-fish will be prohibited throughout Quebec. And, beginning in April 2017, the use of live or dead bait-fish will also be banned. The ... read more ››

Mistissini nurse honoured by Quebec Order of Nurses

Ghislaine Télémaque, a Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay nurse in Mistissini, is one of eight in the province to be awarded with the prestigious 2012 Florence Prize by the Quebec Order of Nurses. Télémaque was awarded the prize under the “Rayonnement international” category for the outstanding ... read more ››

Inter-Tribal Youth Centre stays open

The Regroupement des centres autochtones du Québec (RCAAQ) insists that it will continue to support the Inter-Tribal Youth Centre of Montreal, even though they have revoked the membership of the Native Friendship Centre of Montreal (NFCM). The Inter-Tribal Youth Centre is the only centre of its kind in Montreal that aids ... read more ››

Seeking solutions

On Wednesday, April 11, Liberal Concordia hosted a panel of experts to discuss Aboriginal issues, such as education and closing of Projets Autochtones du Québec’s (PAQ) homeless shelter. On the panel were Liberal MP Carolyn Bennett for St. Paul’s, Kahnawake Grand Chief Michael Delisle, Donat Savoie, the former Executive Director of ... read more ››