Volume 18, Issue 22

A clan in the hundreds

When my husband Will Nicholls told me that he had hundreds and hundreds of cousins many years ago, I found it hard to fathom just how many he meant. As it turns out, he was talking about 500 family members, a fact I only discovered recently. A few months ago, an ... read more ››

Canada ignoring Aboriginals in health studies

Though Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq outlined how the country will be spending $21 million over five years to conduct research on how to address gaps in health equality domestically and abroad, not one of these studies will directly target Canada’s Indigenous peoples. While First Nations groups have long complained about ... read more ››

Celebrating the berries

According to the Oujé-Bougoumou Traditional Blueberry Gathering Festival’s event emcee, Jonathan Saganash, this year’s fest was just about the best ever. Running from August 14-21, this major community event brought in over 1000 visitors to check out the daily activities and nighttime entertainment as well as to sample the celebrated gastronomic ... read more ››

CREECO’s annual golf tournament raises funds for Willie’s Place

While periodic rain throughout the day may have made the greens a bit slower, CREECO’s annual golf classic bested its goal in a benefit for Willie’s Place, the day centre for the homeless in Val-d’Or. According to CREECO President Jack Blacksmith, Willie’s Place was a timely choice as this year’s beneficiary ... read more ››

Good times in Tremblant for a good cause

For the second year in a row, hundreds of Crees and partners of the Cree world descended upon Mont Tremblant for a massive golf benefit to raise funds for the Cree Nation Achievement Foundation. Setting off in teams of four, on August 26, Crees and various sponsors and other business partners ... read more ››

Honing medical skills

For any First Nations, Inuit or Métis working in the medical field who has wanted to brush up or enhance their knowledge from the comfort of their own home, free of cost, Saint Elizabeth may just have something to offer you. According to Saint Elizabeth program assistant, Suzanne Stephenson, Saint Elizabeth ... read more ››

Improving the game

Twelve-year old Judith Neeposh of Mistissini will soon get her first taste of international hockey competition. A member of the Cree Nation Bears AAA Girls Under-14 hockey team, Judith was recently invited to travel in January to Saco, Maine, where she will try out for a spot on the East ... read more ››

Opening the door to a brighter future

I’ve been traveling a lot in the past while. I went to Eastmain for the Grand Council/Cree Regional Authority Annual General Assembly. One of the discussions I had was on meals for students. I was told that a meal program was refused because it was the parents’ responsibility to feed ... read more ››

Rezolution Pictures’ new show hits APTN

Now from Rezolution Pictures, the Gemini-winning film, television and interactive media production company that has produced international hit, Reel Injun, award-winning Club Native and a whole slew of other TV and film successes, comes a new series: Working It Out Together. Starting September 6 at 8:30 PM on APTN and at ... read more ››

Sports and youth

On August 4, TMSI Sports Management held its 2011 Appreciation Day at eQuinelle Golf Club in Kemptville, Ontario, just outside Ottawa. For the last five years, TMSI has worked closely with the Cree Health Board’s Youth Healing Services to provide a variety of sports and wellness programs targeted at young ... read more ››

Supporting community and traditions

While it has been around for over 30 years, the Cree Indian Centre in Chibougamau (CICC) has just recently pulled off a major first in a long time: a traditional powwow. While the city of Chibougamau has not seen a traditional powwow in several generations, CICC director Jo-Ann Toulouse explained that ... read more ››

Through the eyes of a child

Recently I had to deal with some mice at the camp. I like all animals, great and small. Birds brighten up my day. However, I am not crazy about flying and agitating insects like mosquitoes, black flies and hornets. My little friends, Jack and Brynn Vokes, let me know that ... read more ››

We still have Jack’s map

Even in death, Jack Layton is still on the job, fighting the good fight. Viewed from a narrowly political angle, the outpouring of collective grief, mourning and love that followed Layton’s passing last month certainly hasn’t hurt the federal New Democratic Party he led for eight years. New polling shows the ... read more ››

What’s in a lunchbox?

As families are finally getting back into the groove of back-to-school rituals a few weeks into classes, what children should and shouldn’t be eating come lunchtime really can make a difference in their overall health. A new U.S. study by the Harvard School of Public Health has suggested that eating two ... read more ››

Winged protein and greased energy

My red-faced daughter rushed into the house to tell me that geese were flying over – the cold early fall winds are already here. Wow, can it be September already? Times goes by fast when you don’t have time for life, just work. I am often told that I think ... read more ››