Volume 15, Issue 14

Aboriginal judge chairs new Residential School body news: Truth and Reconciliation Commission journeys towards justice

The newly formed Indian Residential Schools Truth and Reconciliation Commission (IRSTRC) has appointed an Aboriginal chairperson to oversee its responsibilities for the next big step towards healing for Residential School survivors. Justice Harry S. LaForme, who is a member of the Mississaugas of New Credit First Nation, was named in late ... read more ››

Cree attend UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues

Deputy Grand Chief Ashley Iserhoff and Grand Council Political Attache Don Nicholls represented Eeyou Istchee at the 7th Annual United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, April 21- May 2. This year’s forum focused on climate change and bio-cultural diversity but the main concern of delegates was the implementation of the ... read more ››

Environmental Health Project set to begin in Waskaganish and Chisasibi

Nituuchischaayihtitaau Aschii project will start its tour of Eeyou Istchee this spring and summer in the communities of Waskaganish and Chisasibi. Developed by the Cree Board of Health and Social Services, the program aims to study how development projects and environmental contaminants affect people’s health. Community members will be selected randomly and ... read more ››

It’s a dog’s life

Back in the day, before petroleum products were common in the north, the dog team got us around. Remarked an old friend of mine who asked if I still remember those days, I reply yes, I do. Those dog team days were quite something, another time, another generation… Most dogs were ... read more ››

It’s time to implement the Declaration

Politics is one of the most amazing and confusing things human beings ever invented. The world political stage vis-a-vis the United Nations on September 13, 2007 voted overwhelmingly for the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. It’s a document that was in the making for over 30 years. A ... read more ››

Lakehead University’s new unique program news Exclusively for Aboriginals, Honours B.Ed. promising

Aboriginal students looking to become fully qualified teachers will be able to turn to a unique new program this fall offered by Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario that stresses First Nations realities and helps to acclimatize teachers to their students’ needs. “It is different from other programs because it is ... read more ››

Mistissini resident dies following car accident

Don Neeposh, 37, died May 6 after his vehicle went off the road at Kilometre 295 on Highway 167 North. Mistissini Police and the Surete de Quebec rushed to the scene of the accident after an anonymous caller informed them that a car had gone off the road and that the ... read more ››

Quebec Native Women denounce lack of federal funds for prevention of violence

Citing a report by Sheila Fraser, Canada’s Auditor General, the Quebec Native Women’s organization calls for an overhaul of existing federal funding practices to prevent violence in Aboriginal communities. Published May 7, the Auditor General’s report denounces existing federal programs for First Nations child and family services. The report highlights a ... read more ››

Small things

When it comes to the environment, I’m by no means perfect. I recycle, I don’t use plastic bags, I don’t have a dryer or a car; and I buy as many organic/fair trade/Energy Star products as I can afford. On the other hand, I use way too much water, my ... read more ››

Waking up with the gulls

I have been waking up every morning for the past two weeks to the sound of gulls in my backyard. Every day I hear the same squawking, jeering and yelping cries of a group of gulls that have made the growing pool of water in the backyard their home. In the ... read more ››