Volume 2, Issue 11

Deal on assembly delayed

A self-government deal scheduled to be signed April 30 between Quebec and the Inuit has been put on ice for the moment. Inuit negotiators have asked for a delay of two to three months in talks on a new regional assembly for Nunavik. “What Quebec is offering is nice, but there’s nothing ... read more ››

Friendship centre planning Mukushan, move to new home

Much rejoicing at Montreal’s Native Friendship Centre after a five-year search to find a new building has come to a happy end. The centre will be moving into a new building at the north-east corner of St-Laurent and Ontario which is two-and-a-half times the size of its current building. “We’re really excited. ... read more ››

Housing slashed in half for Crees

The Canada Mortage and Housing Corporation has cut the number of houses it will sponsor in Cree Territory by almost half. Last year, 73 housing units were built in east coast Cree communities. This year, that number falls to 40. This, despite a need for 900 to 1,200 new homes to ... read more ››

Letter to the Nation: We take trappers into account

The edition of February 1995 in The Nation paper gave some information which might be misleading to the Cree communities and also to any person who might be subscribing to the paper. Therefore, I felt it was appropriate and necessary to give additional and more precise information on the logging ... read more ››

Methylmercury a hazard around the world

I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay for inviting me to attend the 12th International Neurotoxicology Conference in Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA. The conference was on the neurotoxicity of low-level methyl-mercury exposure. Mercury seems to be a major ... read more ››

Native marathoners clean up

They’re corn farmers from isolated Native villages in Mexico barely surviving drought but they’re trouncing highly trained athletes in the world’s most difficult marathon races. The Montreal Gazette reports that Tarahumara Natives from Mexico’s rugged Seirra Madrés mountains took seven of the top I I places in a 100-mile marathon in ... read more ››

Natives to be taxed?

Ottawa is thinking about eliminating the Native tax exemption and allowing First Nations governments to tax their citizens, reports The Eastern Door. The proposed new powers would not stop any other government from taxing First Nations. Also, Ottawa refuses to entrench the proposed powers, such as they are, in any treaty ... read more ››

Official assaults Archibald at meeting

Mushkegowuk Council Chair Rosanne Archibald was attacked by a Canadian Wildlife Service employee as she tried to enter a meeting held to negotiate amendments to the Migratory Bird Convention. At an April 25 meeting in Parksville, B.C., Archibald was shoved and had her hair pulled as she tried to make a ... read more ››

Someone special

Her voice is soft and gentle, her smile lights up her face, she’s always sentimental, she can never be replaced. She cares about little things, she rarely gets upset, I listen as she sings, she’s easy to accept. She cooks really good, she cares about me a lot, she always has ... read more ››

Speak for your future

Today, as a young student, I would like to speak about my future education. A good education is one of the most important steps so that we will be able to contribute to our Cree Society. One school subject that I really value is Cree Culture because it teaches me about ... read more ››

The career for me and for Waskaganish

As a child growing up, I always dreamed of being someone who had a career that involved helping others. When people used to ask me, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I would answer in a very positive way. I would reply, “I want to be ... read more ››

The Great Canadian Farce

It was Hailed as the end of the patriarchy and sexism inherent in the Indian Act. Women who had the audacity to marry any man other than an Indian would regain their Indian status. In the past any Indian man who married any woman he wanted kept his status, while ... read more ››

Treatment centre for youth

To combat growing concerns over youth suicide and substance abuse, Attawapiskat is getting a youth treatment centre that it’s wanted for years. “The community wanted our own treatment centre,” said Greg Shisheesh, Deputy Chief of the Attawapiskat First Nation. “In the past the youth were sent outside the community for treatment, ... read more ››

Triplets!!! born to Cree couple

After a two-hour operation at the Royal Victoria Hospital in Montreal on April 10, Rita Pepabano of Chisasibi and Robbie Mark-Stewart of Eastmain became the first Cree couple in recent memory to have triplets. All the babies are doing well and recently went home to Chisasibi. The babies were all born ... read more ››

Winneway calls for inquiry into hydro developer

Jimmy Hunter, Chief of Winneway, wants an inquiry into the company that ran a dam 100 yards upstream from the Algonquin community. For five years, Winneway tried to buy the dam in the hope that power sales could generate money to create jobs and housing. Instead, the dam was sold to Montreal ... read more ››