Volume 1, Issue 23

“A Victim, A Villain and the Victor”

IN DECEMBER 1990 my mother, Louisa Weistche, fell victim to a villainous disease called chronic Myelogenous leukemia, one of a group of fatal diseases in which white blood cells proliferate in uncontrolled numbers. White blood cells are produced in healthy bone marrow. A transplant replaces dysfunctional bone marrow that is ... read more ››

Apology for residential schools

The Presbyterian Church in Canada has apologized to First Nations peoples for its two residential schools. “It is with deep humility and in great sorrow that we come before God and our aboriginal brothers and sisters with our confession,” said Rev. George Vias, head of the church, at a healing ceremony ... read more ››

Bowhead killed for Elder

For the first time in 30 years, hunters in Igloolik went out to sea and caught a bowhead whale. They wanted to grant one of the last wishes of Noah Piugatuq, a 94-year-old Igloolik Elder who had said on the radio that he wanted to taste bowhead muktuk before he died. The ... read more ››

Clear Cutting

CLEAR CUTTING IS one of the most devastating situations for the Crees, especially those whose hunting grounds have been and are being clear cut. One of them is my dad. In this essay I would like to talk mostly about clear cutting, my father’s hunting ground, how it’s affecting the Crees ... read more ››

Eight men drown in Inuit hunting tragedy

Iqaluit is in mourning for eight Inuit hunters who drowned on the night of Saturday, Oct. 29 when their boat capsized and they were plunged into the icy waters of Frobisher Bay. A private ceremony for the families of the men was held Wednesday night, Nov. 2. Two days later, 500 ... read more ››

Grand Chief gets award

Citing his fight to stop Hydro-Quebec’s dam projects in the North, a U.S. travel magazine has given Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come a $10,000 environmental award. Conde Nast Traveler gave its fifth annual Environmental Award to the Grand Chief for his fight against “a dam that would wipe out his world.” In ... read more ››

Hydro says it won’t promise not to spy on Crees

Hydro-Quebec has refused to put it in writing that it has never spied on the Cree people and never will spy on them. Hydro’s refusal has prompted the Grand Council and several Quebec environmental groups to call for a government inquiry of Hydro-Quebec’s secretive $18-million police force. Last March 1993, the Crees ... read more ››

In loving memory of Clayton Cheezo

LOSING A FRIEND can be so hard. You keep remembering those good times you’ve had together. You just want everything back, especially your friend. A year ago, I lost a friend. He was someone who was easy to talk to and someone who listened when you would talk about your problems. ... read more ››

Innu skeptical about PQ proposal

Jacques Kurtness isn’t getting too excited about the PQ government’s recent self-government proposal to the Innu and Atikamekw nations. “Let’s see the horse,” says Kurtness, who is the chief self-government negotiator for Quebec’s 12,000 Innu. “We’ll see if it’s a whole horse and if it’s teeth are all right, and can ... read more ››

Learning a thing or two from Canada Geese

Canadian Geese can teach us a thing or two about how to get along in life. As each bird flaps its wings in a V-formation, it creats an uplift for the bird immediately following. By flying in a V-formation, the flock has at least a 71 per cent greater flying ... read more ››

Mad Hatter Syndrome

Did you ever read Lewis Carrol’s book or see the Disney feature-length animated movie Alice in Wonderland? I did, and one of my favourite characters was the Mad Hatter, who was insiduously insane, partly, I think, from drinking large amounts of tea from chipped china tea cups which were laced ... read more ››

Mohawks close to forming council

In a historic move, the Mohawks of Quebec, Ontario, New York and Oklahoma are taking steps to form a Mohawk Nation Council to unite the people of all seven Mohawk territories. “The people of the flint are looking forward to coming together as one,” says a Mohawk press release. “We want ... read more ››

Natives fear social reforms

Natives and Inuit are worried about being hurt in the Canadian government’s reform of the country’s social-safety net, reports Windspeaker. The Assembly of First Nations and the Native Women’s Association of Canada say they haven’t been given enough time or money to consult their members. The AFN was given only $50,000, ... read more ››

New film on Natives from NFB

The National Film Board of Canada has launched a new film about francophone Quebecers who have lived among Natives and the Inuit. The film, called La Rencontre, was screened Oct. 31 in Montreal. Although no Natives or Inuit are interviewed in the film, it does have beautiful footage from Salluit and ... read more ››

NHL lockout drags on

They’ve bargained in at least four cities and two countries, but the NHL lockout is still no closer to being over. “There was no progress to report,” said NHL spokesman Arthur Pincus after a five-hour meeting between league commissioner Gary Bettman and union chief Bob Goodenow in Washington, D.C. on Oct. ... read more ››

Quebec Native Women’s Association 20 Years Young

It was to be my second time going to a Quebec Native Women’s Association Annual General Assembly Banquet. Once again my mother extended an invitation to attend and this time was special. It was the 20th anniversary of the Quebec Native Women’s Association. People from all parts of Canada gathered ... read more ››

Rangers expand in North

The Canadian Rangers are expanding into two west-coast Cree communities—Peawanuk and Fort Albany. Both will have a patrol of 20 Cree Rangers each. Peawanuk’s Ranger patrol will be launched Nov. 17 and Fort Albany gets its patrol in January. The new patrols were established following consultation with Peawanuk Chief Abraham Hunter and ... read more ››

Remembering My Grandfather

In this issue, we print the five essays that won runner-up prizes in The Nation’s Cree youth essay contest. Congratulations to all those who entered and to our sponsors, the Cree School Board, Air Creebec, Meechum Store and Mike’s Studio. We will be printing some of the other entries in ... read more ››

Someday, A Play by Drew Hayden Taylor

Drew Taylor is a 32-year-old Native playwright. Someday is his most recent addition to Native theater. Taylor insists though that his material is not written exclusively for a Native or non-Native audience. Someday is the first play I’ve enjoyed since I came to Montreal. At times the characters seemed to be ... read more ››

Someday, A Play by Drew Hayden Taylor – Interview By William Nicholls

The Nation: Basically how many plays do you write and how many of them make it to stage? Drew Taylor: I’d say seven out of 10. There’s been I think 10 plays produced and there have been two that I’ve written that have not been produced and probably never will be. How did ... read more ››

Technology topic of symposium

Crees are going to take the technological beast by the horns at an upcoming symposium on communications technology. The symposium, organized by the James Bay Cree Communications Society, is intended to provide a forum for learning about new technologies and trends in communications. The JBCCS says greater cooperation is needed at the ... read more ››

Trappers have mixed reactions to gun law

When the Canadian government brought in a tough new gun control law last year, it was intended to fight crime in the South. But the law also affects Crees and some trappers say it’s going to make their lives a lot more complicated. Under the new law, anyone getting a new ... read more ››