Volume 22, Issue 4

A Christmas wish for you

Here we are heading into the New Year of 2015 and ready to celebrate another Christmas. When I was younger and still drinking, the holidays were an excuse to party. Although I, and everyone around me, had good intentions to try and have a real family Christmas and then an ... read more ››

Behind the scenes at the premiere of the new TV series Mohawk Girls

To celebrate last month’s premiere of the APTN original series, Mohawk Girls, the cast, crew, and producers hosted a screening party at the 99 Resto Bar in Kahnawake. Upwards of a 100 people, including family members and close friends of those affiliated with the show, came together to watch the ... read more ››

Better days ahead

Resource developers and First Nations are finding common ground when it comes to the creation of projects on traditional Native lands. The main ingredient to successful partnerships that benefit everybody seems to be respect. I have watched First Nations all across Canada interact with resource developers and often there are problems. ... read more ››

C.R.E.E. Hockey and Broomball Tournament in Val-d’Or

Northern Lights Team The 34th annual Cree Regional Events and Entertainment (C.R.E.E.) Senior Hockey and Broomball tournament took place December 4-7 at the Centre Air Creebec in Val-d’Or. Featuring teams from Ontario, Quebec and one all the way from Nunavut, men and women battled it out on the ice in Women’s ... read more ››

Centre encourages a love for science in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik

Alanah Heffez was impressed when she heard that the Centre d’études nordiques was building a new community science centre in Whapmagoostui-Kuujjuarapik. It was 2009, and she was organizing science activities for the Cree Health Board. She saw enormous potential in the new project, which was about to be constructed. The Community Science ... read more ››

Courageous broadcaster passes away

Eeyou Istchee has lost one of its most prominent broadcasters. Roderick Rabbitskin passed away from heart failure on December 1 in Mistissini. For years Rabbitskin was a constant presence in many people’s lives as the sensitive man discussing the issues of the day as a radio host on CBC North. Rabbitskin worked ... read more ››

Cree Youth finish 850-km walk against uranium development

By Jeremy East and Joel Barde Photos by Jeremy East After walking hundreds of kilometres through punishing late-autumn weather, a group of Cree youth arrived in Montreal December 15 to deliver the message they had carried since leaving Mistissini three weeks before: No uranium mining in Eeyou Istchee. The mood ... read more ››

Dispute within Mistissini’s Living Water Assembly prompts lawsuit

Controversy is roiling the Living Water Assembly in Mistissini, where the board of directors of the local Pentecostal church has taken former pastor Joseph Blacksmith to court. The members of the board state that in the past year Blacksmith has assumed control of their church building on 304 Amisk Street, ... read more ››

Eeyou Istchee leaders share their highs, lows and hopes for the future

As families celebrate the end of another year and shed their burdens for the season, many of us find ourselves contemplating what was and what could be when the world picks up again in the New Year. Looking back on the events of the past year, the Nation once again approached ... read more ››

First Nations and Inuit suicide conference celebrates life and children

Attracting survivors, professionals and families from around the province, the 2014 First Nations and Inuit Suicide Prevention Association of Quebec and Labrador (FNISPAQL) conference was about honouring those who soldier on after loss and those who work with them. Bringing together frontline workers for the three-day pre-conference trainings followed by three ... read more ››

Glass houses

Hard times are ahead for over 80 First Nation bands that haven’t handed over their financial records under Canada’s First Nations Financial Transparency Act. If documents aren’t received by December 12, Ottawa says federal funding will be cut off. Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC) issued an ultimatum, threatening to ... read more ››

Keeping the fire burning

I am sitting in a warm cabin just beside Pikauba River, in the land of Innu. Words cannot describe how these past few days have been. We have trekked many miles and have seen the breadth of the land from Mistissini to here. We may have tasted possibly all seasons since ... read more ››

Maintaining your health on the road

With the deep freeze well underway, traveling abroad is a sure fire way to escape the hardships of winter, if only briefly. Your trip, however, is only going to be as good as you feel, so take some advice from a medical professional who knows how to make your travel experience ... read more ››

Meechum’s annual fundraiser spreads the holiday spirit in Mistissini

Christmas brings families together throughout Eeyou Istchee. For most, a turkey dinner with all the fixing and gifts under the tree are an integral part of the holiday. Yet for a small minority, those things are out of reach. Putting any food on the table and paying the bills takes precedent ... read more ››

Quebec-Cree collaboration on the Plan Nord

Unveiled in 2011 under Jean Charest’s Liberal government, Plan Nord was the province’s long-term strategy for improving access to and developing the vast untapped mineral and energy resources that lie north of the 49th parallel; a gargantuan landmass twice the size of France. The original Plan Nord, which sought to ... read more ››

Susannah’s Journey

A Cree family from Whapmagoostui is raising funds to attend a Florida conference for families impacted by a rare genetic disorder. Susaannah Kawapit Their 12-year-old Susannah was diagnosed with Sotos syndrome shortly after her birth. The condition causes children to grow rapidly during the initial years of their lives. Susannah’s speech and ... read more ››

The Montreal Council for Women names Nakuset Woman of the Year

Nakuset is one of the most visible Aboriginal figures in Montreal for two reasons: she’s involved in a multitude of important projects, and she’s always willing to talk about them. In late November, the Montreal Council of Women chose to name her their Woman of the Year in recognition of ... read more ››

The sharing season

Christmas is the most celebrated holiday in the Western world. While many may decry the commercialism of an event that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ (who wasn’t actually born on December 25), it is nevertheless a magical time of the year. It has gone far beyond its ancient beginnings ... read more ››

Tim Whiskeychan’s $5 coin now available

Tim Whiskeychan is officially a minted success. In September, the Nation reported that the Royal Canadian Mint would use the Cree artist’s design for a special edition $5 coin. The coin, which features a Cree hunter aiming his bow at flying geese from behind a blind, was launched at a ... read more ››

Walking the talk: My journey for a uranium-free Eeyou Istchee

It was a beautiful afternoon in Mistissini. The sunrays kept us beaming as we traveled across my Grandpa Iserhoff’s territory. Grandpa Joe is no longer with us but Dad would share a story of their moments while we roamed around the dirt road. Mom would often be smitten by a ... read more ››