Volume 8, Issue 7

A Mayan in Cree Country

Alfredo Caxaj is a Mayan who headed into the bright snows of Eeyou Istchee, far from the jungles his ancestors came from. He traveled northwards to give workshops to the Crees about festivals and putting them on. I had a chance to sit down with Alfredo before he went into ... read more ››

Arrest Warrant Out for Awasis Prez

For more than a year, Jennifer Russell has been president of the board of directors of Montreal’s Native daycare centre. She is also wanted by Toronto police. Russell, 32, has an outstanding bench warrant for her arrest after failing to appear in court to face an assault charge, according to Toronto police ... read more ››

British Ran Murder Squads in North Ireland

Britain is embroiled in a scandal over a top-secret army unit that directed murder squads in Northern Ireland in the 1980s. Strong evidence has emerged that British army officers directed and gave intelligence to Protestant gang leaders who killed Catholic civilians. Many of those killed had nothing to do with the underground ... read more ››

Catching a Dream the NAEP Way

Last year was the first Dreamcatchers Conference, hosted by Concordia’s Native Access to Engineering Program. Since its beginning, NAEP has provided teachers with tools to make science and math more culturally relevant and fun. In 1997 NAEP produced hard copy curriculum materials, but only for Quebec. In 1998 teachers were ... read more ››

Crees Outmanoeuvre Quebec in Europe

Romeo Saganash was in a happy mood after he got off the plane from Europe. “It went pretty well. We have a lot of support out there,” he said. “We know there is support in the European Parliament for our right to self-determination in the event of Quebec separation. “It was important to ... read more ››

Little Wheel, Spin and Spin

I grew up using and working on all kinds of vehicles from an early age. The first vehicle I ever drove was a Skidoo Elan when I was only 12 years old. In the remote community of Attawapiskat where I was born and raised it was normal to see young ... read more ››

Misfortune 500

Long ago, when the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement was hailed as the first comprehensive modern day treaty, fiscal deficits were regarded as being bad, bad, bad, and bad. Now, these days, I’m pig-biting mad when I hear of $30 million dollar losses. Is this a normal state of ... read more ››

Native Leaders Set Stage for Disaster

I left last week’s Assembly of First Nations National Fisheries Strategy Conference in Halifax in the same mood I left Esgenoopetitj (Burnt Church) last September – tired, frustrated and discouraged. It’s not that I don’t care about aboriginal and treaty rights. My frustration stems from watching the AFN try to micromanage ... read more ››

Nunavut Focuses on Education

The Nunavut government is doubling school spending and making education its top priority. Nunavut plans a territorial library, workforce training programs and new schools. More than a third of the $70 million set aside for infrastructure is planned for schools and educational facilities. That’s almost double last year’s budget.

Oil Behind Plan Colombia

The Vietnam-like U.S. intervention in Colombia is all about oil, not drugs, reports the Resource Center of the Americas. The U.S. is committing $1.3 billion to “Plan Colombia,” assistance package to Colombia’s notoriously abusive military. The plan was supposedly to fight Colombia’s drug barons. Less-known is that Colombia’s petroleum production today rivals Kuwait’s ... read more ››

Parents Turn School Around

Parents and kids in Whapmagoostui are feeling better about the community’s school. Last fall, they had complained about badly maintained and dangerous facilities, a lack of teachers and other problems. Parents took matters into their own hands, reviving a community-wide school committee and asking for intervention of the Cree School Board. A school ... read more ››

Quebec Forestry Deal Trashed

Quebec’s proposed forestry agreement provoked frustration and defiance from Crees during community meetings this month. The meetings were held in five communities affected by forestry to discuss the province’s final offer to Crees, which was made just before the holidays. “The overall message Cree delegates heard is that lyiyuuschii is not for ... read more ››

Warrior Artists

Fort Marion in Florida saw some 70 Native prisoners far from home arrive in the spring of 1875. The U.S. Government took what they considered the leading warriors and chiefs as a way of keeping “Indian unrest” to a minimum. The decision came after the Red River War, when most settlers ... read more ››