Volume 6, Issue 5a

ElECTlON TURMOIL HAS TAKEN TOLL IN O.J.

The months of conflict in Ouje-Bougoumou over last July’s election for chief have taken their toll on the community, said embattled Chief Louise Wapachee in a statement last month. “This ordeal has caused hurt, confusion, relaying of wrong information, targeting of certain people and dissension among the people,” the chief said. The ... read more ››

First Nations warned to hold out for better deal on residential schools

A Saskatchewan chief who signed an out-of-court settlement for residential-school abuse says his members have been cheated. Bryan McNabb, chief of the Gordon First Nation in Punnichy, Sask., said other First Nations should hold out for more money and not go for the quick buck. “I don’t think my people are being ... read more ››

Funding cutbacks leave shelter in a lurch

The Native Women’s Shelter of Montreal is seeing some hard times this year. The Quebec government cut $70,000 from the shelter’s budget for this year, and this while it was already $50,000 short of what was needed. Right now, more money is only a dream for the cash-strapped shelter. “If we ... read more ››

Ghost Towns

I recall a trip by snow mobile a few years ago with my dad Marius and my brothers. We were on an excursion to visit a couple of legendary ghost towns of the Coast about a 160 kilometers north of Attawapiskat. It was about 30 below zero when we headed out ... read more ››

I remember years and years and years ago…

I remember years and years and years ago when I was about nine or 10 calculating how old I’d be when the year 2000 would finally come around. I remember thinking how far off it was and how old I’d be. In case you’ve only just finished your New Year’s ... read more ››

Kia Ora

A trip of a life-time to the Fifth World Indigenous Youth Conference in Waitanga, New Zealand Kia Ora (hello). It was hard to imagine that here we were at the Fifth World Indigenous Youth Conference. It was only a short while ago I remember being on the Mistissini Youth Council when ... read more ››

Native voters supported Liberals

Crees voted massively for the Liberals in the last provincial election, according to an analysis by the Canadian Press. Turn-out in the Cree communities was also higher than among other First Nations. About 40 per cent cast a ballot, or 2,389 out of 5,921 elgible Cree voters. Over 83 per cent of ... read more ››

NO ROOM AT THE INN_ IN THE CAR

It was a cold, cold night, not unlike one that my mother had told me about a long time ago. Another holiday season when it was a chilling minus 41 degrees Celsius or more. That night, long ago, we were in the vehicle somewhere in Northern Ontario, with Dad and ... read more ››

Officials ignored AVALANCHE DANGER FOR THREE YEARS

The funeral for nine Inuit who lost their lives in an avalanche in Kangiqsualujjuaq took place last week, but a storm of questions remains about why the disaster happened and whether it could have been prevented. At 1:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, an avalanche smashed through a wall of the ... read more ››

The Hannah Bay Massacre

As told by George Diamond Sr. and Louise Diamond Interviewed by Christopher Stephen Translation by Brian Webb I will talk about what I was asked to talk about today. This was really long ago. Many of the Elders who told the stories are not alive anymore. This happened long ago. I don’t really ... read more ››