The Nation | Vol. 32, No. 05 by nationmag

Photo by Willy Bosum

Happy Holidays

by Will Nicholls

The holidays are upon us and we at the Nation and Beesum wish you all the best this Christmas. May your blessings be many, your worries few, and enjoy the days spent with those who mean the most to you.

For most of us, the best Christmas gifts are the ones we’ve had all year – a roof over our heads, food in the fridge, and family to enjoy it with. May the richness of gratitude be yours this Christmas!

May you think of those less fortunate and let them know they are not alone. Perhaps a “Happy Holidays” will make their day. And don’t forget to contribute to local charities that will help make the season a more joyful one.

After all, Christmas is a time to believe in something greater than yourself – even for just one night. You will be surprised at the sense of well-being and self-worth such actions will bring to your soul. It might be something that makes you take the words of Norman Wesley Brooks to

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by Xavier Kataquapit

A golden moment

Agreement signed between Beaverhouse FN and Agnico Eagle

In an historic first, Beaverhouse First Nation signed an impact benefit agreement (IBA) with Agnico Eagle Mines Limited regarding the company’s Macassa gold mine on December 16.

“We are appreciative that Agnico Eagle was willing to work with our community regarding the historic Kirkland Lake Macassa Mine site,” said Beaverhouse Chief Wayne Wabie. “They carried on the legacy of previous owners when they took ownership of this mine site, and they came to the table to work with us on this milestone agreement.”

The opening and closing prayers were conducted by Elder Sally Susan Mathias, a past Chief who was involved in negotiations leading to the IBA signing.

“This agreement demonstrates our commitment in sustainable development and in respecting the First Nations that are part of the territory where we operate,” said Agnico Eagle vice president Andre Leite. “We want to focus on sustainability and in ensuring that our relationships with First Nations are based on respect and trust.”

The community was represented by lead negotiator John Kim Bell of Bell and Bernard Limited, a research and consulting firm that specializes in relations between First Nations, corporations

and governments. Bell is a well-known Canadian Indigenous leader and activist in the arts, philanthropy and First Nation resource development.

“I can sense that we are moving towards more modern, respectful and positive relationships with the industry, in this case with Agnico Eagle and we are very grateful for this partnership,” stated Bell. “This is so meaningful for the community because it diversifies and increases their revenues. This is life changing for Beaverhouse and it launches them to another level. We are all very happy with the outcome.”

Bell is highly regarded in the industry, having negotiated many agreements both for First Nations and corporations.

“We put together a team of great environmental and legal experts as well as a mining analyst who deeply understands the mine’s economics,” commented Bell. “Together we formed a unit that represented Beaverhouse very well on consultation, mitigation, environmental and other issues as well as the compensation. I’m very proud of the team.”

The agreement is significant as this is the first major resource development agreement signed by Beaverhouse, which achieved federal recognition in May 2022. The community was not originally includ-

ed in the creation of the Treaty 9 signing between government and Indigenous people in northern Ontario in 1905-06.

The lack of official First Nation recognition made it difficult for Beaverhouse leadership to develop social, health, education and administrative activities for its membership.

“This is an historic event for our community,” stated Wabie. “This signing is another recognition of our people’s rights to these lands, and we want to thank our community members, past leaders and more importantly our past and present Elders who have always stood for Beaverhouse First Nation. If it weren’t for our ancestors who are part of this territory, we would not have had a leg to stand on to push for a major agreement such as this IBA.”

The IBA is set to provide the community with training, employment and business opportunities as well as financial compensation.

“This will place our people on a good footing and foundation for the future in terms of proper training and opportunities to work in the industry” said Wabie. “The royalties and revenues that will be generated will also provide additional support services for our membership.”

Photo provided by Agnico Eagle Mines

Left on their own

Lack of police services in Winneway prompts declaration of emergency

by Marek Bagga

Astate of emergency over a lack of police services was declared November 21 in Winneway, where about half the 800 members of Long Point First Nation (LPFN) reside. Located roughly 100 kilometres from the nearest Sûreté du Québec station in Ville-Marie on Lake Temiscaming, the community has relied on the SQ since 2006, when the local police force was abolished due to a lack of funding.

Community councillor Steven Polson told the CBC that the past four years have seen a spike in impaired driving, vandalism, arson, burglary and substance abuse because police respond only during the day.

“People know cops don’t come around on evenings or nights or weekends,” said Polson. “We just phone and phone and phone and then they say, ‘Oh, we’re on our way, we’re on our way.’ But they don’t show up until the next day.”

Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, noted the “community is taking matters in its own hands” by creating a four-member foot patrol that works from 11pm to 7am.

“Obviously it cannot be a permanent solution,” Picard added. “Quebec or the SQ or both are not living up to their end of the bargain.”

Former LPFN Chief Steeve Mathias had long pressured Quebec for a solution. Two years ago, the province proposed to conduct a feasibility study on establishing a local police force, promising to send him a letter this past summer to detail their plans. It quickly became apparent that Quebec had not engaged in any talks with the federal government.

“They are leaving us to the mercy of bureaucracy,” said Mathias. “I find that disrespectful and very negligent.”

Mathias said then-Quebec public security minister Geneviève Guilbault should have personally intervened. A spokesperson for Guilbault said a plan is in the works to establish Indigenous policing in the area and that “the file has not fallen through a crack; it is in the process of being worked on.”

In 2021, Quebec announced a rapid response team initiative for the LPFN community. Recent promises echoed by officials such as Guilbault have felt as mere compromises toward a community

that has been pressing to have their own police force for years on end.

During the initial inquiries, former Chief Mathias had cited an incident in which a young man in crisis fired a gun in front of the community school during the evening hours. With no police response, civilians removed children from the neighbourhood, prevented people from using the street and confronted the man to convince him to give up his weapon.

“These people are not trained,” Mathias stressed. He said it was fortunate the situation was resolved without violence before the SQ’s eventual arrival.

Current Chief Henry Rodgers says that residents are telling him they are afraid to walk around the community and of being targeted if they try to intervene in incidents.

François Bonnardel, Quebec’s current minister of public security, and Ian Lafrenière, the provincial minister responsible for relations with First Nations and Inuit, said in a joint statement that the situation is “worrying”, but that they have confidence in the police.

REQUEST TO ALL MEMBERS OF EEYOU ISTCHEE

Please let us know if you would like to include your cell phone numbers in the 2025 James Bay Cree telephone book.

Please send us your updated contact info before January 17, 2025. Email or call us and leave a message here: info@beesum.com 514-272-3077

Meegwetch - Thank you - Merci

DCI Keeps It Local

Pelletier elected new CHB chair

To the editor,

IJeannie Pelletier won 54% of the run-off vote on November 27, taking over the role of Cree Health Board chairperson from incumbent Bertie Wapachee. Pelletier has worked 28 years for the health board, the first half of her career as a nurse.

time as a nurse taught her how to really listen.

“When you want to transform an organization, you have to understand first the needs and then the people you can leverage,” Pelletier said. “I like to learn and listen – we have to talk to people to find what works.”

am writing on behalf of the Department of Commerce and Industry (DCI) regarding the recent article featured in the Nation that mentioned the “Keep it Local” campaign. We greatly appreciate the coverage; however, it appears there was a misunderstanding about the origins of this initiative.

“Time to reclaim our path, restore our health and rewrite our story,” shared Pelletier, highlighting the pillars of her campaign.

Secretariat to the Cree Nation Abitibi-Témiscamingue Economic Alliance (SCNATEA).

AFN demands inquiry into policing

To clarify, the “Keep it Local” campaign is a project developed and implemented by the Department of Commerce and Industry (DCI) in partnership with the Cree communities. It is not affiliated with the

With her election, Cree women now lead the Grand Council of the Crees, the Cree health and school boards, and AirCreebec. Pelletier suggested, “As women, we have compassion, we’re nurturing

The mandate of DCI is to diversify and stimulate economic growth in Eeyou Istchee. Further, this campaign aligns with the broader efforts of the Year of Economic Development in Eeyou Istchee to encourage and stimulate local economic development.

At the annual winter meeting of the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), an emergency resolution called for a national inquiry into systemic racism in policing to address an “inter-related epidemic” of violence and death. National Chief Cindy Woodhouse

Anthony MacLeod, Director of Commerce and Industry

The situ ation has deteriorated

Picard, AFN regional chief for QuebecLabrador. “That’s just

Sharing their vision Features

by Willy Bosum

Cree Knowledge Festival celebrates the Nation’s accomplishments

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Photos

The second Cree Knowledge Festival held in Ouje-Bougoumou December 6-7 showcased the Nation’s wealth of talented artists, gifted storytellers and passionate land defenders. With the theme “Bringing People Together.” this year’s event was divided into three segments spotlighting Cree culture, nature as an intrinsic part of Cree identity and the people’s adventurous spirit.

“I was really proud to be Cree and inspired by everyone’s contributions,” said COTA executive director Robin McGinley. “We tried to highlight the connection to the land, the importance of language, and what people could do in the region. It’s fun

when everyone pulls together to highlight Cree culture and Eeyou Istchee.”

According to early viewership numbers from production company Webdiffusion, over 1,000 checked in from as far away as Europe and Latin America. McGinley believes the footage will remain a valuable resource for not only the tourism industry but featured artists, school curricula and Cree entities recruiting staff.

“In the version that lives on, we want to have some portions in Cree transcribed and translated in English and French,” explained McGinley. “I’d like to promote it far ahead and have people come specifically for the festival and plan their trip

around it. We offered some workshops that were absolute hits.”

As co-hosts Wayne Rabbitskin and Christine Petawabano interviewed panelists and fielded audience questions, local artists worked in their diverse mediums in the background, occasionally presenting and explaining their creations. Miss Whapmagoostui Jade Mukash painted between Cecilia Bosum beading mittens and George Longchap weaving a snowshoe.

“At our Montreal store, Wachiya, we often talk to people who are eager to hear our stories and get to know our artists,” said Dale Cooper, executive director of CNACA. “The Cree Knowledge Festival is

“We needed something the media could focus on, a symbol of the resilience of our people”

- Wayne Rabbitskin

“It sees from above and finds its way around a storm,” said Bosum. After being displaced seven times by mining activity, he and late wife Sophie devoted their lives to fulfilling the JBNQA and building a community that envisioned seven generations into the future.

In a message affirmed in a later panel by Cree Language Commissioner Jamie Moses, Bosum said it only takes a generation not speaking it to lose a language. Co-host Rabbitskin was concerned by this message, noting that there are rarely exclusively Cree-speaking events anymore.

“In 50 years from now when guys like me will be gone, it will be hard to relearn the language,” said Rabbitskin. “We need to wake up and realize that one of those languages that might be disappearing is our language. I sensed some urgency that something more needs to be done.”

Rabbitskin also highlighted how “the land was literally shaking” from bulldozers when Cree trailblazers organized to achieve the JBNQA, asserting self-sufficiency that was evident in the festival’s diverse offerings. Another source of pride was the announcement of Mistissini’s new Nibiischii national park.

“We told Quebec if our people are not allowed to hunt on their traplines there will be no park,” recalled former Chief Kathleen Wootton. “Historically, living that nomadic lifestyle was a way to practice conservation, allowing land to replenish itself. The Nibiischii Park is a modern version of that nomadic lifestyle.”

Former Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come told the entertaining story of the Odeyak voyage, gaining inspiration for canoe activism from a random encounter in Plattsburgh, then sending lumber up to Whapmagoostui to build the boat with the Inuit. Reaching New York City by chance on Earth Day, he met with governors and mayors while getting calls from actors Meryl Streep and Christopher Reeve.

“Guess who’s on our side – Superman,” Coon Come shared with the group. “When you pick a fight, you have to present a vision that’s clear. We needed something the media could focus on, a symbol of the resilience of our people.”

The festival, a collaboration between the Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association (COTA), Cree Native Arts and Crafts Association (CNACA) and Cree Trappers’ Association (CTA), remains available online at www.cree-festival-cri.com.

MoCreebec Eeyoud

MoCreebec Eeyoud EMPLOYMENT

MoCreebec Eeyoud EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

OPPORTUNITY

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL JOB POSTING

OPPORTUNITY

MoCreebec Eeyoud EMPLOYMENT

INTERNAL/EXTERNAL JOB POSTING

POSITION: DIRECTOR OF CREE LANGUAGE & CULTURE

SUMMARY: The department of Language & Culture will be responsible for the development, coordination, and implementation of local programs to promote and strengthen our Y-dialect Cree language and culture. The director will work closely with relevant departments within our MoCreebec Eeyoud organization and with our clan representatives for the promotion of the Y-dialect Cree language & cultural activities. The director will also coordinate with other Y-dialect communities in Eastern James Bay for sharing of resources and methodologies, and to support the long-term language initiatives of the Cree Nation.

EDUCATION:

• University degree in education, Indigenous studies, or other relevant ﬁelds, or equivalent work experience.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Senior management experience

Senior management experience

• Work experience in indigenous community/First Nation administration, Indigenous language programming or advocacy, education, or other relevant ﬁelds

• Experience as a project manager

• Strong knowledge of social and cultural issues within the communities of the Cree Nation

• Proven success in maintaining strong communications, including the ability to facilitate eﬀectively

• Proven ability to be discreet and maintain conﬁdentiality

• Good attention to detail and accuracy

Proven ability to be discreet and maintain conﬁdentiality

• Good attention to detail and accuracy

• Good organizational skills and the ability to manage multiple projects

• Proven ability to demonstrate strong judgment in complex situations

• Proven ability to problem-solve, to think strategically, and to take initiative

Proven ability to problem-solve, to think strategically, and to take initiative

• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and to adapt to a changing environment

• Proﬁciency in standard computer software and IT technology

• Demonstrated ability to work under pressure and to adapt to a changing environment

• Proﬁciency in standard computer software and IT technology

• Some proﬁciency in verbal Cree is an asset

• Proﬁciency in standard computer software and IT technology

• Some proﬁciency in verbal Cree is an asset

• Some proﬁciency in Cree Syllabics is an asset

• Some proﬁciency in verbal Cree is an asset

• Some proﬁciency in Cree Syllabics is an asset

Some proﬁciency in Cree Syllabics is an asset

• High level of English verbal and writing proﬁciency is essential.

TERM: Full-Time with six (6) month probationary period.

SALARY: $85,000 plus beneﬁts.

Please apply in writing, providing two most recent work references to:

Please apply in writing, providing two most recent work references to: Debbie Jolly – Employment Counselor P.O Box 4, Moose Factory, ON P0L 1W0 705-658-4769 ext. 2002 meu@mocreebec.com Fax: 705-658-4487

Please apply in writing, providing two most recent work references to:

Debbie Jolly – Employment Counselor

Debbie Jolly – Employment Counselor P.O Box 4, Moose Factory, ON P0L 1W0 705-658-4769 ext. 2002 meu@mocreebec.com Fax: 705-658-4487

P.O Box 4, Moose Factory, ON P0L 1W0 705-658-4769 ext. 2002 meu@mocreebec.com Fax: 705-658-4487

Please contact Debbie Jolly to request a copy of the full job description. CPIC & Vulnerable sector CPIC will be required.

FOR APPLICATIONS: JANUARY 31,

JANUARY 31, 2025 – 5:00 P.M.

Land is medicine

While land-based programs expand, resistance remains for ceremonies

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Land-based healing has become increasingly prominent throughout the Cree Nation, with demand for recent wellness retreats overwhelming available places. These holistic programs deliver numerous benefits, including cultural reconnection, intergenerational knowledge and identity empowerment.

The Cree Health Board’s implementation of traditional medicine and land-based healing has largely been guided by the Nishiiyuu Council of Elders, with which it signed a collaboration agreement in 2020. In the last year, it acquired a large outfitting camp called Mirage, which former chairperson Bertie Wapachee called “our place where we deal with our trauma.”

While several camps in Eeyou Istchee currently host healing gatherings, cultural workshops and detoxification sessions, emerging resources such as Chisasibi’ Miskasowin Healing Lodge will significantly expand this availability. Expected to open in 2026, this landbased wellness recovery centre will include 20 beds for longer-term care to “nurture the spirit within.”

Being out on the land, away from modern distractions and dependencies, brings participants closer to their Cree language and culture, with proximity to natural medicines. However, that’s not the only reason these healing retreats are held outside communities. Many landbased programs include traditional ceremonies, which remain controversial among Cree people.

“Some of the tallymen around Chisasibi don’t want the ceremonies,” explained Wayne Rabbitskin, addictions specialist and founder of the National Indigenous Men’s Gathering. “There can be some hostility having it in the community.”

Rabbitskin has observed more and more land-based programs occurring, primarily at Mirage and the community of Whapmagoostui. He’s involved with a provincial program held 40 minutes outside of Quebec City that’s funded by Health Canada, integrating counselling sessions with traditional and spiritual healing methods.

“We let the men know we’ll be doing some sweats, smoke our pipes, smudge, our tobacco ties, that sort of thing,” Rabbitskin said. “We haven’t done a shaking tent,

but we did mention if the men wanted to have a teaching on it and the impacts of colonization, the brainwashing tactics used by the churches. We don’t have to hide anymore.”

Rabbitskin and Christine Petawabano, his co-host at the recent Cree Knowledge Festival, have been facilitating “Wellbriety” retreats for the past few years in Mistissini territory. While sage is available for participants to smudge, these gatherings are designed to be spiritually neutral.

“There are communities that are more Christian-based, so we have to be careful not to impose anything on them,” said Rabbitskin. “We just leave some of the stuff out, like the sweat lodge or the pipe ceremonies – especially the community of Mistissini, when we do the Wellbriety retreat.”

Finding that attitudes are gradually shifting towards curiosity, Rabbitskin noted that there’s now a mitutisaan (sweat lodge) in Chisasibi. Located in a cabin across from the museum, it’s concealed yet out in the open, accessible to community members who may not be able to attend distant retreats.

In 2010, a sweat lodge established by Redfern Mianscum in Ouje-Bougoumou was forcibly dismantled by orders of a band council resolution. The homemade structure built in his friend’s backyard quickly drew opposition from Pentecostal Christians, with a petition signed by about 130 people sparking a swift response from leadership.

“That was a hard time,” shared Mianscum. “They didn’t want ceremonies, powwows; they even banned traditional people in the community. This was our way of life, to bring healing to our people. It hurt me.”

The resolution stated “the community was founded by Christian faith” and “native spirituality practices ... do not conform with the teachings of our Elders.” At the time, community member John Shecapio-Blacksmith said they didn’t want to confuse youth and “you don’t want to bring in witchcraft.”

As Mianscum defended his religious freedom with a high-profile lawyer and the controversy made news across Canada, the Grand Council affirmed the importance of sacred Cree ceremonies, and a counter-petition was signed by over 100 locals. With the issue set to go to court, the resolution was rescinded about a year later and a mitutisaan was soon built by the sports lodge just outside the community.

This rift between Christian teachings and long-outlawed Indigenous spirituality indicates the depth of unresolved historical traumas that land-based programs seek to address. Mianscum emphasized that learning both the ancestral teachings and colonizing forces in Cree history is a key to unravelling the root causes of addictions.

“A lot of the teachings come from those ceremonies,” asserted Mianscum. “We learn how to honour life; it brings a sense of belonging. People are going through an identity crisis – I think what’s missing in our communities is an understanding of who we are.”

Mianscum knows the power of ceremony from personal experience. He described himself as a heavy cocaine user when he and his partner lost a baby 16 years ago. Quitting everything cold turkey the day of the funeral, he credits a friend’s invitation to a sweat lodge with helping turn his life around.

“I went to ceremonies every chance I got,” Mianscum recalled. “I never went through withdrawals, fortunately – traditional medicines and ceremonies, especially the sweat lodge, detoxified my body. I thought about my friends going through the same thing and wanted to move my sweat lodge home.”

Since the controversy, Mianscum has coordinated several powwows in OujeBougoumou and healing retreats are increasingly held at nearby Maamuu Lodge. In November, he participated in an ambitious youth and traditional healers gathering at Mirage, which included ceremonies, traditional activities and drum making.

He has witnessed land-based detox programs bring calmness to participants, nearly eliminating substance withdrawal symptoms, sometimes with the help of a traditional medicine made from tamarack and black spruce. While he believes there will always be some resistance, he sees people change their opinions once they participate.

“When they come out of the sweat lodges, they feel lighter and they just want to go back in again,” said Mianscum. “It changes their perspective of what ceremony really is. People need to reconnect with their roots. Land is medicine – there’s a lot of peace out there.”

Water worries

Concerns persist around toxic spill from disposal facility near Ottawa River

by Natalia Fedosieieva

Photo by Bob McElroy

The failure of a toxicity test at the Chalk River nuclear facility near Ottawa is raising concerns about environmental damage and poor communication with Indigenous communities.

According to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC), Canadian Nuclear Laboratories (CNL) was granted a licence to construct a near surface disposal facility (NSDF) at the Chalk River site in May 2016, with the purpose to dispose radioactive waste and “isolate it from people and the environment.”

However, the disposal facility reached non-compliance in sewage effluent which raised a number of questions, claims Ottawa Riverkeeper, a citizen-based action group which promotes ecological health for the Ottawa River watershed.

“The proposed NSDF project at Chalk River poses immediate and severe environmental, health and cultural risks to the communities living east of the Ottawa River, including both First Nations and Québécois,” reads an open letter from Indigenous leaders to Quebec Environment Minister Benoit Charette.

Looking into the failure, Environment Canada issued a directive last April, saying it “takes pollution incidents and threats to the environment seriously.” However, CNL reported it is “confident

that the non-compliant discharge from the sewage treatment facility does not pose a threat to the environment or the public.”

Ottawa Riverkeeper became aware of this issue as part of its participation in Chalk River’s Environmental Stewardship Council.

At Council meeting in March, the Riverkeeper’s team requested additional information about the NSDP non-compliance report.

“The facts we know at this time are that, back in February 2024, the effluent from Chalk River’s sanitary plant failed an acute toxicity test, which automatically triggers a type of investigation that happens,” said Larissa Holman, Director of Science and Policy at Ottawa Riverkeeper.

She believes there is a variety of waste stored at the site that poses a danger to the river. There is a waste mound located a few hundred metres from the river, and the effluent from the plant will be discharged into Perch Lake, which drains into the Ottawa River.

In response to concerns, CNL reported that “the criteria for what waste is allowed at the site has been narrowed to only low-level radioactive waste as opposed to low- and intermediate-level waste in the initial proposal,” an Ottawa

Riverkeeper report of toxic sewage from Chalk River reads.

CNL Media Relations told The Nation in an email statement that with its “very modern” sewage plant, CNL “remains confident that the sewage treatment plant effluent at Chalk River Laboratories has had no detrimental impact on fish in the Ottawa River.”

Yet CNL has never released information about the reasons for the failure, and many questions remain, Holman said.

“They didn’t have a lot of info at that time,” she stated. “Our concern is that despite the fact that they were providing information, they were not providing specific details.

“In this particular case they were not passing the compliance test,” she added. “There was something malfunctioning in the treatment process and we hope that this incident will impel CNL to report failures more quickly and more transparently.”

In her opinion, the Canadian government is responsible for regulating this facility. “All the licenses at the Chalk River Laboratories are made through the Canadian initiative commission, and CNL is funded by the government,” she explained. “But in this case with the non-compliance of the

wastewater treatment facility, Environment Canada stepped in… it can potentially cause harm to fish and sea habitants.”

Although the CNL announcement on December 4 says it “achieved emissions reduction of 51% from 2005 levels at the Chalk River site,” Holman still questions whether they are keeping the waste out of the municipal landfills.

“And what about an experimental reactor that is on site and came offline because there was a number of issues with it?” she asked. “And how much is this going to be very open in steps taken to keep the environment safe?”

Holman aims to draw attention to what is happening at these facilities and along the Ottawa River, which is over 1,200 km long. “There needs to be a strong voice that speaks on behalf of the river and the organisms that live in that diverse system,” she said.

The Algonquin community of Kebaowek and local groups are challenging a CNSC decision in court to protect the Ottawa River from a nuclear waste disposal facility.

However, industry and the government are evading seeking the consent of Indigenous nations for projects that destroy their territory, said Kebaowek councillor and economic development director Justin Roy.

He says the government is not only disrespecting the environment but also violating the principles of reconciliation outlined in the United Nations Declaration

on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“Kebaowek members were not able to go on site during our own Indigenousled environmental assessment,” he said. “No other community has had access to this site.”

In July, Kebaowek filed for a judicial review against CNL in Federal Court in Ottawa, yet no judgment has been received.

Roy pointed out the location would receive over a million cubic metres of nuclear waste. This would have a direct impact on water quality, animals and plants in the watershed, while threatening a source of drinking water for millions of people in Quebec and Ontario.

“They talk about the mound lasting 300 or 500 years, but whatever is left in the amount after that time is still going be there,” he said. “So, what happens to the mound at that point in time?”

Roy says communities were not consulted on the project early enough, and that CNSC should bring all the stakeholders to the table to create a better and long-lasting solution.

For the last five years, dozens of letters expressing concern have been sent to the federal and provincial governments, numerous ministries, and even to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Roy said.

Although federal environment minister Steven Guilbeault is open to improvements after Indigenous leaders raised concerns, there has been no action, and “it seems worse,” Roy said.

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HSocial calamity recognized

Feds apologize to Nunavik Inuit for sled dog slaughter

ere’s another edition of the Nation’s puzzle page. Try your hand at Sudoku or Str8ts or our Crossword, or bet ter yet, solve all three and send us a photo!* As always, the answers from last issue are here for you to check your work. Happy hunting.

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Tears flowed and a standing ovation followed the Canadian government’s long-awaited apology for the slaughter of sled dogs in Nunavik during the 1950s and 1960s. On November 23, Crown-Indigenous Relations Minister Gary Anandasangaree asked Inuit in a crowded community centre in Kangiqsujuaq for forgiveness.

PREVIOUS SOLUTION: Solution to Crossword:

“Words are not enough to express the sorrow and regret we feel,” said Anandasangaree. “The actions and inactions that led to the mass killing inflicted deep pain and hardship on Inuit families that none should have had to endure.”

Canada also committed $45 million to promote reconciliation efforts in Nunavik communities. Ahead of the announcement, conversations with Elders helped the federal minister better understand the significance of this carnage. He acknowledged that dogs were killed in the 1950s under federal authority, which later failed to intervene when provincial police continued the slaughter.

“It was a relief to hear a formal apology for the atrocious acts and apathy,” said Lucy Grey from Makivvik, which represents Quebec’s Inuit. “Makivvik has been working for an apology since 1999. It was quite bittersweet because a lot of the Elders, the last of the nomads, are gone.”

Growing up, Grey knew that Inuit had a tradition of dog teams but, like residential schools, the slaughter was something that Elders never spoke about. She first heard about it as an information agent for Makivvik 25 years ago, when a woman in Kangiqsualujjuaq brought up concerns during a community tour.

Learning that this woman’s husband “became a mere window watcher” after his dogs were killed, Grey was tasked by Makivvik president Pita Aatami to discover if this had happened in other communities. After 200 interviews revealed a similar pattern throughout the region, Makivvik asked provincial and federal governments for an apology and compensation.

An RCMP report in 2006 denied wrongdoing, contradicting Elder testimony and exacerbating community tensions with police. However, Quebec gave retired judge Jean-Jacques Croteau a mandate the following year

to investigate more thoroughly. After extensive research and visits to all 14 Nunavik communities, Croteau’s 2010 report validated the allegations and clarified governmental fiduciary obligations.

While determining there was no “conspiracy” for systemic dog slaughter, the conditions were established by the residential school system and resulting forced relocation into communities. Under pressure from non-Inuit, untied dogs were deemed a safety hazard. Around the same time, a disease outbreak contributed to decimating the canine population.

“Imagine there are 10 families moving to a community and each family has 10 dogs in a little square kilometre,” explained Grey. “The dogs had to be tied up, which made them even more dangerous because they’re not social anymore and didn’t have the space they had. There were a lot of domino effects.”

No. 731

Croteau found that Quebec provincial police officers killed more than 1,000 dogs in Nunavik “without any consideration for their importance to Inuit families.” Although Quebec offered an apology in 2011 alongside $3 million in compensation, Grey said this felt incomplete without federal recognition and fell far short of mental health and social service needs.

One of the highest number of killings occurred in Kangiqsujuaq, where the federal apology took place. Over 200 dogs were reportedly killed there in a three-day period during the mid1960s, their carcasses were piled on the ice and burned.

Aatami explained that dogs historically weren’t tied because they needed constant exercise to stay strong enough to pull sleds and lamented that the “issue was handled as though it were a municipal by-law violation.” Louisa Cookie’s experience in Kuujjuarapik was one of the most haunting stories he heard.

“I saw RCMP coming towards me, shooting all the dogs,” Cookie told CBC. “I panicked and went in front of the lead dog, and [an officer] almost shot me. He was so angry, he picked me up and threw me quite hard. I was yelling but so in trauma I lost my feelings.”

By that time in 1964, Cookie had been taught to care for her father’s and grandfather’s dogs, some of which fearlessly pursued polar bears and wolves. Capable of returning home through blizzard whiteouts and detecting seals or unsafe ice, qimmiit (sled dogs) were indispensable for Inuit hunters.

Cookie’s father retreated beneath blankets while the officer killed their 14 dogs and remained immobilized for days. While she convinced him to drink some water on the fourth day and tried to achieve closure by burying their dogs’ names, he was forever changed and became an abusive gambler and womanizer.

“He didn’t say anything much, but I could see he was emptied of his dignity, self-esteem, manlihood and love,” recalled Cookie. “Of course, all our neighbours changed as well. My grandfather’s teaching made me survive: don’t have grudges over anything – let god do the revenge.”

Qimmiit have slowly returned to Nunavik with huskies imported from Greenland and the annual Ivakkak dogsled competition, launched by Makivvik in 2001 to lift people’s spirits. However, community member Helen Atkinson said it couldn’t return last year because of dangerous ice con-

ditions along the coast due to climate change.

Dog sledding was once fairly common in Cree coastal areas and the animals remain a valuable resource for many hunters. Waswanipi tallyman Paul Dixon recalled seeing dogs transport a whole camp across the ice in the 1960s and remembers his late father saying, “A great hunter owes half of what he killed to the dogs.”

The newly announced funding will contribute towards revitalizing the culture of dog team ownership in the region. Aatami said some will also go toward direct compensation, but that’s yet to be determined.

However, Grey said the funding isn’t nearly enough to achieve “social net-zero,” so that Nunavik isn’t constantly in crisis mode. She said some communities don’t have snowmobile repair shops or veterinary clinics that support animal wellbeing and humane population control.

“We were left on our own and Makivvik has been carrying that burden to replace the things taken away when the dogs were slaughtered,” Grey told the Nation. “Because we were resilient, we were able to survive that terrible era. We are ready to accept that apology so we can start healing.”

Here’s another edition of the Nation’s puzzle page. Try your hand at Sudoku or Str8ts or our Crossword, or better yet, solve all three and send us a photo!* As always, the answers from last issue are here for you to check your work. Happy hunting.

PREVIOUS SOLUTION: Solution to Crossword:

What Spock is not

Spot for grilling?

Unreactive

Netflix series, "Never Have I ____"

Have, as surgery

Style of blouse

Really like

Reiner or Lowe

Sunday paper extra

Golden years

Summer hrs. in 62 On an even

It's what's for St. Paul ___;

Roofing material 63 Become

Prepared to

Church topper narrower propose

Kitchen set 64 College

Got the better of

Kirstie's

Kind of ''hole'' "Cheers" role

Feudal land or ''holder''

Snacks in shells DOWN

Like Lenin and 1 "Dancing

Law on the

laugh books

Kind of fin Lincoln Queen"

Mad Hatter prop

In a _____; with-

Use your noodle out delay

'90s trade pact region

Garden bloom

Teacher, e.g.

One of a 1492

Tiny, as a town

"See ya!"

Extreme, as pain 8 Stiffly

Conclusion

Condor's home

Oscar winner

Disorderly for "The Cider

House Rules"

Gravy container

TWinner loser

by Sonny Orr

he jingle of coins as they were placed on the kitchen table clashed with the growing mound of money. The cards clicking and the rapid shuffling of the deck and the sounds of air whooshing out of pursed lips were all strong indicators of a good hand. The dealer, an expert from years of handling a deck of 52 cards, and the players, regular Friday night participants, either threw down their rotten hands or stayed on for the growing pot.

This sounds like Vegas on a good night, but no, it was my mother’s night with the other ladies and grannies, gambling until the wee hours of the morning, until only the winner took all. Of course, throughout the whole evening, the talking never stopped unless a big bet was made. The cigarettes, which were still allowed and socially acceptable, made the atmosphere at the table serious. All of this usually happened after a bingo game, which was around once a week back then. Yes, gambling was an acceptable social risk back then.

The parish hall, which seemed huge, fit a lot of players on bingo night. It was most certainly the social event of the week. Weddings, parties, other holidays and celebrations, were celebrated on that day or days. Halloween lasted 24 hours maximum, Christmas was a 48-hour affair, the same for New Year’s, so gambling and

socializing was a more common fare of entertainment. In other words, having fun at home was the only solution.

I, too, took up gambling for serious money at the local restaurant in Fort George, where just about everything was acceptable. Many a day of Acey Deucey, 7 Come 11, Hearts Wild and all the variants of poker were played. These games’ rules were strictly adhered to, as anyone who guessed wrong, well, they lost.

Once, I was the second last guy standing, facing a formidable foe on the poker table. The classic Five Card Stud was the game, and I went all in with my last 35 cents, and won on a lucky flush of clubs. I was going to grab my claim when my wily foe uttered the dreaded Double or Nothing game. I quickly refused, saying that I had to buy a pack of smokes and head out somewhere else. I made a quick getaway with my winnings intact.

Then radio bingo started offering larger prizes like snowmobiles, airline tickets, large jackpots, and became the king of gambling games. This large-scale bingo event grew flush with cash. Literally, large garbage bags of cash had to be handled, counted and deposited into the bank.

After just one night of managing a large live bingo, I was exhausted from double counting and confirming every bill and coin. Then calling the police to escort

me to the bank down on the main floor before rousting the bank manager out of bed to come accept the deposit at 5am.

This swayed onto the other side of gambling to just being the player and not the house. I could not imagine myself counting millions of dollars of cash for the rest of my life. Thus, I realized that being just the player put me in the class of people called losers, and I just didn’t like the idea of gambling, even though I still play.

As the experts say, it’s all in the chemicals in your body that produce the effect called happiness and pleasure. We get addicted to that feeling, wanting more and more of it. Yes, happiness can be addictive. This is achieved by producing a man-made object that is supposed to create your own happiness, called money. This money, when lost, creates a stronger desire to be happier and another bill slips into the machine and some ringing and dinging go off, relieving you of all pressures and creating a chemically induced happiness.

Thus, the game of gambling is no longer a game, it’s an addiction and obsession, relieved only by the sound of winning. Give me back the smoke-filled family room where the stakes are affordable, and the stimulations are few and far apart.

Under the Northern Sky

Live to drive another day

by Xavier Kataquapit

When I was a teenager attending high school in Timmins in the early 1990s, people from the James Bay coast were just starting to get accustomed to the modern way of life in the south. There were not many people who had drivers’ licenses and even fewer who owned vehicles. It was a special thing to see someone from the James Bay coast driving a vehicle and even more so if they owned the car or truck they were in.

My dad Marius was an entrepreneur who was constantly searching for ways to build a business wherever he could. Although English was his second language and his skills mostly had to do with how to survive on the land, he was bright and confident enough to search for opportunities in the big city.

He was never afraid to manage a construction project, find heavy machinery or gather the materials needed for his next big project in the North. He usually arrived in Timmins in November or December to prepare ahead of the winter season. That way he could transport everything he needed to the rail service in Cochrane and then over the winter road back to Attawapiskat.

As soon as he arrived in Timmins, he was always happy to see his sons who were attending secondary school –my older brothers Philip, Antoine, Mario and myself. I also remember that it was always difficult. Dad couldn’t rent a vehicle because neither he nor his sons had drivers’ licenses.

So, dad spent a good portion of the money he had raised on taxis and hiring

This winter has just started and almost daily there are reports of serious accidents

other people to move about town to get to where he needed. I can still remember him constantly moaning in Cree of how much more he could do if he had his own vehicle.

Since then, things have changed a lot for people on the James Bay coast. More are attending post-secondary school in the south, and have better jobs and opportunities. More people have acquired drivers’ licenses and own vehicles. Many, like me, are driving around on the highways now. Dad would be amazed to see so many of his grandchildren driving and owning their own trucks and cars.

As happy as I am seeing these changes, I am also worried about the dangers of the highway, especially during the winter. The combination of fast highway driving at this time of year when temperatures fluctuate between freezing and thawing makes for a dangerous mixture of icy roads and misplaced confidence.

Over the past two decades, I’ve known several people who have been in minor mishaps and a few who have died from major accidents on Highways 11 and 101 in northern Ontario. There are too many transport trucks on the highway and training requirements for drivers don’t seem adequate. This winter has just started and

almost daily there are reports of serious accidents.

According to Ontario Provincial Police statistics, there were just over 350 highway fatalities in the province in 2022 and that statistic increased to 411 in 2023.

I’ve been driving on Ontario highways since the late 1990s. Back then the roads were busy but manageable. I’ve also been riding a motorcycle every summer for the same number of years. Riding on an open seat on top of two wheels and an engine with nothing to protect you in an accident makes you very aware of what is on the road. I can definitely say that there is a lot more traffic on the highway than there was 20 years ago.

In his final years dad was able to see his sons and daughters and grandchildren driving their own vehicles, which made him very happy. However, he saw the same dangers I do now and he was always quick to warn everyone to watch their driving, especially this time of year.

So, I caution everyone out there to be careful on our icy roads. Please slow your speed and check weather updates. If the roads are dangerous and a storm is happening, then stay put. Personally, I would prefer if you were more cautious and live to drive another day.