Volume 1, Issue 9

“Thanks to Crees”

Just when you thought most journalists in Quebec are a bunch of hopeless native-bashers, one magazine is making an effort to build bridges between Quebecers and aboriginal peoples. In its latest issue, l’aut journal, a monthly magazine catering to Quebec nationalists, denounces the Bloc Quebecois for “Indian Bashing” and praises Crees ... read more ››

Attawapiskat Takes On Suicide

The Crees of Attawapiskat are fighting back against youth suicide. “Something reporters miss is the potential of the community to do something for people in trouble,” says Maurice Sutherland, a solvency-abuse worker in the community of 1,400. “They just talk about the problems. What we’re trying to do is talk about ... read more ››

Chisasibi Kung Fu

T’he Chisasibi Shao-lin Kung Fu class drove to Montreal for the seventh edition of the Montreal International Karate tournament on April 9. It was held in Longueuil, at CEGEP Edouard Montpetit. The day started with the competitors showing their form with katas (choreographed moves). Then on to combat. There were 400 ... read more ››

Cree Health Report Card with James Bobbish

Cree health and social services are at a critical stage. Budget cuts are looming and there is a high turn-over rate due to the large number of non-Cree professionals. Also, there is the challenge of getting a more Cree approach into the health care system. James Bobbish has guided the Cree ... read more ››

Gee, thanks

Remember Jean Chretien’s much-publicized $2-billion job-creation program? Few people in this country need jobs more than aboriginal peoples, but natives are getting only one per cent of that money. After the $20 million is divided up between the regions, native peoples in Quebec were left with $1.5 million. Of that, Ottawa ... read more ››

Geronimo: An American Legend (GA NAN BY WED)

First the good news. The title role in the film Geronimo: An American Legend is played by an honest to good ness Native American, Wes Studi, who played the villainous Magua in The Last of the Mohicans. It also has one of the most memorable entrances of a lead character ... read more ››

Give Me Shelter

Ottawa has coughed up $2 million less than Crees need to build housing in 1994. Cree bands were hoping for 73 new houses, but are being given only $11.4 million, about 15 per cent less than they need. That amount is even $300,000 less than last year, despite rising building costs. Based ... read more ››

Grand Chief out of line: Hughboy

The Chief of Wemindji, Walter Hughboy, says Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come should stay out of Wemindji’s internal business. “Matthew Coon Come doesn’t have the right to interfere or get involved in Wemindji’s electoral process,” said Chief Hughboy. “I don’t know if he read the Wemindji election by-laws or the ruling ... read more ››

Hydro spreads the gospel in the United States

NEW YORK—Jacques Guevremont looked sad on the night he lost his big prize. It was evening rush hour, Feb. 17, 1 992. Guevremont, Hydro-Quebec’s representative to the United States, stood on the corner of Park Avenue South in a sea of yellow cabs, waving his arm. Taxis whizzed by, ignoring him. ... read more ››

Is This Our Land Or What?

The Cree Nation has encountered several conflicts with Hydro-Quebec and the Quebec government. The signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement has created many problems. It is supposed to protect our rights but is actually destroying our land, our culture and limiting our integrity to become an independent ... read more ››

Leukemia linked to power fields

A major study funded by Hydro-Quebec, Ontario Hydro and a French utility has found a link between the magnetic fields generated by electric currents and leukemia among utility workers, reports the Gazette. “We believe our results speak for an association between occupational exposure to magnetic fields and at least one type ... read more ››

Louis Riel’s legacy reborn

Not since the days of Louis Riel have the aboriginal people of this land had such a profound impact on Canadian society. In past years, aboriginal peoples have been rebelling more than ever against the colonial paternalist attitudes that permeate the dominant society of this country. As a people, even today ... read more ››

Main Market For Servinor Warehouse “Not Happening”: Cree Money Under Stricter Control

New controls are now in effect on the cash-management system. Members of the Board of Compensation created the new controls after Servinor withdrew $8.5 million from a bank account managed by the board without getting the board’s permission. Most of the money was spent on a 67,000-sq-ft warehouse in Val d’Or ... read more ››

McKenna sorry for comment

New Brunswick Premier Frank McKenna has apologized for a remark he made about native women, suggesting they all look alike. While addessing law students in Windsor, Ont. in late March, McKenna described a case he handled when he was a young defence lawyer. An aboriginal woman was charged with bootlegging but ... read more ››

Media has failed Natives: Saulnier

Journalists have failed aboriginal peoples, says Alain Saulnier, president of the Quebec Federation of Professional Journalists. “We have done our jobs badly. We should review our work as journalists.” Saulnier pointed to a recent survey by La Presse that found that 52 per cent of francophone Quebecers believe that their quality of ... read more ››

Mexican natives reject proposals

Indigenous organizations in Mexico have rejected the government’s reform proposals, saying they don’t go far enough. The Mexican government made the proposals after negotiations with the Zapatista National Liberation Army, which led an aboriginal uprising in January. “We deeply worry that we don’t see a real intention to provide solutions that ... read more ››

Nemaska Doesn’t Break Ranks: Cree police departments up against the wall

Police in the Cree communities have been without funding since April 1, 1994. Negotiations with Ottawa and Quebec on funding and police reform broke down on Feb. 15. Cree negotiators felt the talks weren’t going anywhere because the government representatives were limited by a narrow mandate. “We all worked really hard to ... read more ››

New York deal killed

The New York Power Authority confirmed on March 29 that it will not buy $8 billion worth of power from Hydro-Quebec. NYPA was acting on the recommendation of its new president, David Freeman, who suggested on March 2 that the New York state utility shouldn’t buy the power. “We don’t need ... read more ››

Now That’s Prejudice

Not too long ago, a strange editorial appeared in La Presse. Agnès Gruda, an editorial writer for the Montreal daily newspaper, scolded the Bloc Québécois for going too far in demonizing the Mohawks. “Barely a day has passed without the Bloc denouncing, often with reason, the government’s handling of the native ... read more ››

Ombudsman wants “moderation”

Quebec Ombudsman Daniel Jacoby said some editorialists at Quebec newspapers are writing “veritable hate propaganda” against aboriginal peoples. Without naming names, Jacoby pointed the finger at “certain editorialists.” He said they might exercize “more moderation.” The comments came during a forum organized by the Quebec Federation of Professional Journalists. “I don’t accept that ... read more ››

One of my proudest moments

I was sitting in the blind alone. I was a young man. It was a few years ago. I don’t remember exactly, but I remember that day. It was a sunny day. Not too much wind. The geese were hardly flying. So at midday everyone went for tea except me. ... read more ››

PQ Critic Contradicts David Cliche on First Nations

The Parti Quebecois’s two chief native-issues spokesmen are publicly bickering over where the party stands on native issues. David Cliche, the party’s special liaison person with First Nations, told The Nation last month he opposes the Great Whale River Project. “Personally, I don’t see a need for Great Whale for years ... read more ››

The Native Generation X Band

The Check Is In The Mail by 7th Fire Distributed by First Nations Music Publishing (3015 Kennedy Rd, Unit #10, Scarborough, Ont., M1V 1E7) When I first heard 7th Fire, it was during the summer of 1990. Remember that year when the Mohawks held an entire country spellbound as they blockaded their lands? ... read more ››

This story of a historic journey is a must-read

Voices From The Odeyak by Michael Posluns 1993, NC Press Ltd. (Box 452, Stn A, Toronto, Ont., M5W1H8) If you read one book this year this should be it. If Cree schools are looking for relevant books about the recent history of the Crees, this is one for your students. If you ... read more ››

Twenty questions

Hunting and poaching: what’s the difference? When you hear someone ask this question, you know that he or she either knows the difference or is just plain naive. I have compiled a list of questions with three possible answers: hunter; poacher or both. To answer the question, just write H ... read more ››