Category: News

Keeper of the language

Dinah Asquabaneskum from Wemindji speaks about her life I was born in a winter lodge on my father’s trapline, not far from LG3, in 1958. As a child, I couldn’t go to school as much as I wanted because classes began in September, when my parents and I returned to the ... read more ››

Endangered species

A report released last year outlining the state of decline of the woodland caribou herds of northern Quebec brought attention to the dire situation. In response to the situation, the Cree Regional Authority (CRA) released a plan April 10 detailing a new method aimed at preserving some of the last ... read more ››

The next step?

As a nation grows so does the need for more and more infrastructure, tools, policies and procedures that will enable it to develop in a healthy way. There is no doubt that the Cree Nation, as a whole, has grown over the years. Where we once had people stand in ... read more ››

CSB’s new location in Montreal

The Cree School Board officially opened its head office for Post Secondary Student Services at a new location at 1440 St. Catherine St. in Montreal. The grand opening took place March 28 with numerous students and friends present for the event. With so many universities and trade schools in Montreal, the ... read more ››

Branding Eeyou Istchee

Eeyou Istchee Tourism, Tourisme Baie-James and the Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association unveiled a new brand image for the region. Launched at the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Centre April 8, the new marketing campaign is placing the spotlight on Cree heritage and the region’s vast tract of wilderness in hopes of ... read more ››

Nishiyuu’s epic journey: Kitigan Zibi

  photo by Ernest Webb VIEW IMAGE GALLERY I joined the Journey of Nishiyuu in Kitigan Zibi, the Algonquin community near to Maniwaki, Quebec, on March 21. I made my way to the community centre, where most of the walkers were being served breakfast. What struck me about the walkers as I entered the ... read more ››

Winning words

  “My true goal is to be a pilot,” shared Sec. 1 student Michael Mark at the 25th Annual Public Speaking contest held in Wemindji on April 4. “When you get back on the ground you can still feel the greatness of the sky.” Michael also told a crowded house that ... read more ››

Budding scientists

Science fair attracts talented young Aboriginals Johnny Yuliusie and Judith Naluiyuk from Salluit made traditionnal inuit soap photo by: Isabelle Dubois What can I do to avoid bacterial growth in my poutine? What do smokers’ lungs look like? How can I grow tomatoes in Chisasibi? How can I make low-cost speakers? These are ... read more ››

State of the arts

Crees share and discuss artistic endeavours at the CNACA festival   While there are artists and artisans throughout the Cree nation who embody the culture, spirituality and uniqueness of the Cree arts scene, looking at them in terms of social infrastructure is a whole other story. According to Lloyd Cheechoo, the executive director ... read more ››

Crees welcome moratorium

The Quebec government puts the brakes on uranium development   Is Quebec ready to take on the risks of uranium mining? That is what the provincial environmental review board (BAPE) is trying to find out. Quebec Environment Minister Yves-François Blanchet unveiled the process on March 28 in Montreal. The Grand Council of the ... read more ››

The half-life of the uranium battle

Moratorium far from the final word on the Matoush project, says Strateco While many Crees and environmental activists throughout Quebec may be celebrating the Quebec government’s decision to impose a moratorium on uranium development pending a provincial study, Strateco Resources Inc. is making it clear that the company isn’t throwing in ... read more ››

A Grand Elder’s sacrifice

Raymond Robinson holds a hunger strike for nation-to-nation talks     Manitoba Cree Grand Elder Raymond Robinson ended a five-day hunger strike April 9, but not before visiting Concordia University to explain the message behind his fast. He introduced himself to the group of students and journalists at Concordia April 4 by shaking their ... read more ››

A huge step forward for health care

Mistissini’s new Miyupimaatisiiun Centre is open for business     Crees take pride in seeing their communities grow and Mistissini is no exception. Seeing a needed addition to your community is a pleasure when it fulfils a basic necessity like health care. The local clinic had become too small to handle Mistissini’s population growth ... read more ››

Food for thought

It’s no surprise that Olivier De Schutter, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, concluded that current food systems are deeply dysfunctional. He said the world is paying an exorbitant price for the failure to consider health impacts in designing food systems. In his “Report on the special ... read more ››

Val-d’Or’s Quality Inn wins three awards

Since opening in 2011, the Quality Inn and Suites Val-d’Or has already made quite the impression in the region with its award-winning services. On March 16, at the Grand Prix du Tourisme de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue held in La Sarre, the CREECO-run hotel managed to pick up three more awards to add ... read more ››

A monument for residential school victims serves to remind

On March 25, the Anishinabek Nation erected a monument to honour their citizens who suffered in the residential school system. The monument was unveiled by the Grand Council Chief of the Anishinabek Nation Patrick Wedaseh Madahbee in front of the head office of the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) in ... read more ››

Fun at the food show

The Manger Santé et Vivre Vert expo serves up a bevy of new eats   VIEW IMAGE GALLERY It was all about quality, purity and going organic at this year’s Manger Santé et Vivre Vert March 15-17, when the Nation made its annual pilgrimage to investigate trends and sample the latest healthy food ... read more ››

Connecting to the past

Youth Grand Chief discusses the two-day meeting devoted to Cree history   Two jam-packed days in Ottawa focused on passing on Cree history to the future generations. This landmark meeting couldn’t have gone better, said Youth Grand Chief Joshua Iserhoff. This event was held at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa March 16-17 to ... read more ››

Facing the past

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission hearing in Chisasibi airs a painful chapter of Cree history   In the lead-up to its four-day Quebec National Event in Montreal at the end of April, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) held the last of its four Quebec regional events in Chisasibi on March 19-20. Following ... read more ››

Looking to the future

On an appropriately cold, rainy night March 12, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and Espace pour la vie Montréal screened We Were Children at the Botanical Gardens. Using vivid reenactments, the film sheds light on the disturbing crimes that disgraced Canada’s residential schools. With many survivors in attendance and ... read more ››

Waiters & Walkers

The Nation’s first-hand report of the historic arrival of the Nishiyuu Walkers   photo by Ernest Webb   The Nation spoke to a few of the thousnads of people waiting for the Nishiyuu walkers about why they had come out, and what the Journey of Nishiyuu meant to them. Here’s what they said:   Vivian Snowboy, Mistissini I’m ... read more ››

Nishiyuu’s epic journey

Hundreds of determined youth walkers make history and spread a message   photo by Ernest Webb As an eagle soared overhead, the Nishiyuu walkers took their final steps to Parliament Hill on March 25. Emotions finally caught up to the young men who embarked on this epic walk from Whapmagoostui to Ottawa. They ... read more ››

Opening up

Men articulate their inner feelings at Wemindji wellness conference   “The old adage that ‘men don’t cry’ no longer applies,” said Rev. Rod BrantFrancis of Wemindji’s Anglican Church. “In fact, it takes a strong man to be able to show his feelings, to articulate his emotions and to admit that he doesn’t ... read more ››

Coming together

Annual Val-d’Or march underlines the fight against racism   Photo by Paul Brindamour   Over a 1000 people gathered in downtown Val-d’Or for the 13th annual Gabriel Commanda March on March 21. The event is held every year on the United Nations’ International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination and brings people from ... read more ››

Panda-mania

If you were tuned into the news networks March 25 you were subjected to wall-to-wall panda-mania. China, as you must know by now, rented Canada two pandas for five years (for $5 million, no less) and our mainstream media decided this was the top news story of the day. Canadians ... read more ››

First Nations youth discuss ideas for change

Youth taking part in a forum to discuss issues such as education, culture and suicide plan on making recommendations to government and First Nations leaders about how to make things better for their communities. The three-day forum in Thunder Bay involves young people from more than 90 northern Ontario First Nations ... read more ››