Volume 2, Issue 2

…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 ››

Cuts may cause unrest, kill 1,800 jobs

If the federal government goes through with a proposal to cut off all funds to Native friendship centres, the result will be massive social upheaval and 1,800 lost jobs, warns a leaked government document. But that�s just what Ottawa is thinking about doing as it looks for ways to cut the ... read more ››

Fort Albany gets Emergency Response Team

With the growing concern over the response time to emergency situations, the community of Fort Albany will be introducing an Emergency Response Team completely made up of volunteers from the community. “It would improve the response time of injured people and get the patient from the accident to the hospital faster,” ... read more ››

Irwin tour disappoints west coast leaders

Indian Affairs Minister Ron Irwin’s recent “fact-finding” visit to Western James Bay left local leaders frustrated because they felt he failed to make any commitments to solve the problems they are facing. “Most of the people I talked to were a little frustrated at the outcome of the trip/’ said Rosanne ... read more ››

Parizeau sparks new tiff

The PQ has done it again. In a much-publicized speech in Toronto at the end of November, Premier Jacques Parizeau put his foot in it again by referring to Crees as “our minorities.” The Grand Council was unwilling to take Parizeau’s remark lying down. The Crees’ response came in a ... read more ››

Policy deal finally struck

Crees stuck to their guns and finally won the battle with Quebec over policing. After months of dispute, a policing agreement for the Crees was quietly signed November 23 by Grand Chief Coon Come, Deputy Grand Chief, Kenny Blacksmith, the Solicitor-General, Quebec’s Premier and two Quebec cabinet ministers. Crees will get $4.2 ... read more ››

Reaching out across the bay

This issue marks the beginning of a new direction The Nation is taking in the future. First of all, the paper will be expanding its coverage area to include the Western James Bay communities within the Muskegowuk region, my home. In the past year, I have heard about the work that ... read more ››