The Nation | Vol. 29, No. 14

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Eeyou Companee

CONTENTS EDITORIAL Rocky roads

4

Eeyou Istchee rides sixth wave

5

Greenwashing energy exports

6

NEWS

BRIEFS FEATURES

10 Demanding caribou protection

The buck stops where?

10

A call to meet

18

Temp cops

22

PUZZLES REZ NOTES

24

Last chance for spring

UTNS A spring mourning

Preventing an inestimable cultural loss

Politics

ᐅᕙᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᕕᒃ ᐅᕙᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᐳᖅ Nunavik Startsᓄᓇᕕᒃ Here Staff Starts Here 22 Nunavik shortages

Photo by: Markus Mauthe / Greenpeace

18

Indigenous festival returns to Quebec

ᐅᕙᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᕕᒃ ᐅᕙᓂ ᐱᒋᐊᕐᐳᖅ ᓄᓇᕕᒃ Nunavik Starts Here Nunavik Starts Here

ᐃᓂᓕᐅᕐᓃᑦ RESERVATIONS 1 800 361-2965 ᐃᓂᓕᐅᕐᓃᑦ RESERVATIONS

9

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25 26

Editorial

Rocky roads

by Will Nicholls

E

ver since the existence of hidden gravesites at some former residential schools were discovered, other First Nations have expressed a desire to check for unmarked graves at residential schools their members attended. Using ground-penetrating radar, more sites have been located but there are concerns about the costs.

It goes beyond the cost of the radar and taking care of the many volunteers.

Some First Nations pay for mental health support workers because of the trauma triggered by these discoveries. Without additional funds the money is taken from other departments and projects run by band councils. With already tight budgets, sacrifices mean services suffer. One community has spent $100,000 so far and estimates it will take 10 years to complete their search. Federal funding for the searches is only for five years.

Hopefully the feds will step up to the plate and extend the funding limit and provide support beyond the search itself.

On another topic, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) was seen by many First Nations people as a financial lifeline that would make their lives a little easier during the pandemic.

However, for many people it appears to be a trap. The Canadian Revenue Agency (CRA) has sent what it calls “education letters” to 441,599 people who received this aid to say they may not be eligible and might have to pay the money back.

The Canadian Press looked at where the letters were going, and it appears that a disproportionate number of them went to residents of First Nations communities.

Two of the largest Indigenous communities in Manitoba targeted for these letters have high rates of poverty, with annual

The road to equality is a rocky one incomes averaging about $11,900. The national average is $51,000.

These two communities received almost 5,000 letters from the CRA, and many are worried they will have to repay the CERB benefits. NDP MP Niki Ashton said that it showed a “lack of fairness from the federal government that is extending significant resources and tracking folks down in one of the poorest parts of Canada.”

The CRA argues it must address untaxed income of on-reserve residents.

First Nations people were hit the hardest by the pandemic, losing mostly low-paying jobs and their employment rates have not returned to pre-pandemic levels.

Looking for assistance from the federal government is an iffy proposition, apparently.

It’s no wonder the National Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations asked the United Nations to investigate Canada’s actions. Unfortunately, the chief is only asking them to investigate Canada’s role in the residential schools.

One wonders why it took so long to do this and why just residential schools?

What about the lack of implementation from the various commissions and reports the feds and provinces have done over the past few decades? Canada said it would cooperate with any UN probe.

We can all assume it will be of the nature that they cooperated with the investigations into the residential schools.

And in the end will it really make any difference, beyond a bit of embarrassment for Canada? Indigenous children will still receive less in services than the average Canadian child. Murdered and missing women will still be left in the dark. The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples will still be unimplemented. And a host of other injustices will continue as usual.

The road to equality is a rocky one with government bureaucrats and lawyers tossing more sharp rocks that tear at the moccasins of a First Nations person daring to tread that way…

the Nation is published every two weeks by Beesum Communications EDITORIAL BOARD L. Stewart, W. Nicholls, M. Siberok, Mr. N. Diamond, E. Webb EDITOR IN CHIEF Will Nicholls DIRECTOR OF FINANCES Linda Ludwick EDITORS Lyle Stewart, Martin Siberok PRODUCTION COORDINATOR AND MANAGING EDITOR Randy Mayer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS X. Kataquapit, S. Orr, P. Quinn, B. Powless DESIGN Matthew Dessner SALES AND ADVERTISING Danielle Valade, Donna Malthouse THANKS TO: Air Creebec CONTACT US: The Nation, 4529 CLARK, #403, Montreal, QC., H2T 2T3 EDITORIAL & ADS: Tel.: 514-272-3077, Fax: 514-278-9914 HEAD OFFICE: P.O. Box 151, Chisasibi, QC. J0M 1E0 www. nationnews.ca EDITORIAL: will@nationnews.ca news@nationnews.ca ADS: Danielle Valade: ads@nationnews.ca; Donna Malthouse: donna@beesum.com SUBSCRIPTIONS: $60 plus taxes, US: $90, Abroad: $110, Payable to beesum communications, all rights reserved, publication mail #40015005, issn #1206-2642 The Nation is a member of: The James Bay Cree Communications Society, Circle Of Aboriginal Controlled Publishers, Magazines Canada Quebec Community Newspaper Assn. Canadian Newspapers Assn. Les Hebdos Sélect Du Québec. Funded [in part] by the Government of Canada. | www.nationnews.ca | facebook.com/NATIONnewsmagazine | Twitter: @creenation_news

4 the Nation May 6, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

CMCA AUDITED

C O V I D - 1 9 U P D AT E

by Ben Powless, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Eeyou Istchee rides sixth wave Covid virus appears less severe even as it becomes more contagious

E

eyou Istchee, along with much of Canada, appears to be in a sixth wave of Covid infections. Cree health authorities reported 623 active cases April 11, close to a 70% increase over the previous two weeks, when 369 cases were reported.

Hospitalizations stood at 41 after a total of 4,856 cases were counted since the pandemic began, representing around a quarter of the population. However, the latest Covid variants appear to be less severe thanks to high vaccination rates.

Eeyou Istchee remained in Step 3 of the deconfinement plan, meaning only mandatory testing is required from people returning from areas of risk, either the day before or the day of their return. Rapid tests are also required on days three and five after their return.

Vaccination measures continued across the Cree communities, with all individuals 12 and older now eligible for booster shots, and children under 12 able to get a second dose. Quebec announced that those aged 60 and above are now eligible for a fourth dose.

Employees absent because of Covid infections led Waswanipi CMC-Awash and Waswanipi Robin’s Nestfrcide to

Quebec’s Health Ministry approved the release of the Pfizer antiviral Paxlovid to symptomatic patients at risk of developing complications from the virus

restrict access to both centres, with clients advised to call ahead.

The rising infection rate hasn’t spared politicians, with Premier François Legault and Deputy Premier Geneviève Guilbault joining seven other members of the National Assembly in testing positive in recent weeks.

However, despite rising cases, the Quebec government signalled there would be no new restrictions introduced. The Institut national d’excellence en santé et en services sociaux of Quebec said it expected to see over 250 new hospitalizations a day within another week, and growing numbers in intensive care units, but that it wasn’t expecting there to be significant pressure on the health system.

Despite that, the Quebec government did push back the planned ending of mask mandates until the end of April, from the original date of April 15. Officials said they would reassess before May whether the mask mandate needed to be extended again.

Quebec’s Health Ministry approved the release of the Pfizer antiviral Paxlovid to symptomatic patients at risk of developing complications from the virus. Patients will be able to access the drug from the 1,900 pharmacies across the province, which is intended to reduce symptoms and shorten the period of illness, thereby reducing hospitalizations and deaths from the disease.

Mother’s love is bliss, is peace, it need not be acquired, it need not be deserved. If it is there; it is a blessing!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms!

Robert Baribeau Président, CEO - Cree Construction and Development Company ccdc.ca

www.nationnews.ca May 6, 2022

the Nation 5

Department of Justice and Correctional Services ᐧᐃᔮᔅᑯᓂᒑᐧᐃᓐ ᑭᔮ ᑯᔨᔅᑯᓂᐧᐋᐧᐃᓐ ᐋᐱᑎᓰᐧᐃᓐ ᐋ ᐅᐦᒋ ᓈᓈᑭᒋᐦᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ

ᐃᔨᔨᐤ CAVAC ᐋ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ (ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᐦᑑᑎᐧᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐊᐧᐋᓂᒌ ᐋ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ) ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᐦᑑᑎᐧᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐊᐧᐋᓂᒌ ᐋ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᒌ ᐅᔑᐦᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᐤ ᒑᒌ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐊᓂᒌ ᐊᐧᐋᓂᒌ ᐋᒌ ᐧᐃᓂᑑᐧᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐅᔮᐧᐋᐦᒡ, ᐅᒥᑐᓈᔨᒋᑭᓂᐧᐋᐦᒡ ᑭᔮ ᐅᐱᒫᑎᓯᐧᐃᓂᐧᐋᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᔨᐤ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐋᒌ ᐲᑯᓂᑭᓂᐧᐃᔨᒡ ᐧᐃᔨᔑᐧᐋᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤ ᑭᔮ ᒫᒃ ᐋ ᐊᔨᒦᔥᑎᐧᒫᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐋ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᒑᒌ ᐱᑯᐦᑖᒡ ᒑᐧᑳᔨᐤ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐋᒌ ᐋᐦᑯᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ᙮ ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᑑᑖᑯᔨᓈ ᓈᔥᑦ ᐋᒌ ᐧᐋᐱᐦᑎᒥᓐ ᐋ ᐲᑯᓂᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐧᐃᔨᔑᐧᐋᐧᐃᓐ, ᓃᔑᓐᐦ ᐃᔨᔨᐤ CAVAC ᐋ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐋᐱᑎᓰᔥᑎᐧᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐃᔨᔨᐧᐃᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐃᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌᐦᒡ᙮ ᓂᓈᐦᑭᐤ ᐃᔑ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᐧᐃᒡ ᐊᐧᐋᔨᐤᐦ ᐊᓂᒌ CAVAC ᐋᐱᑎᓰᓯᐧᐃ, ᒋᒡ: ᐋᐦᐧᑳᒡ ᐋᒌ ᐃᔅᐱᔨᑦ ᐊᐧᐋᓐ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐹᒋ ᑭᔮ ᒥᑐᓈᔨᐦᒋᑭᓐ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᑯᓯᐧᐃᓐ ᐋ ᓂᑎᐧᐃᒋᔅᒑᔨᒫᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐋ ᐃᔑ ᓂᑎᐧᐋᔑᐦᑎᐦᒡ ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᑑᐧᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐋ ᒋᔅᒑᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᐄᐧᐋᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐋ ᐃᔑ ᐃᔮᒡ ᑭᔅᒋᐦᐆᐧᐃᓐᐦ ᑳ ᐧᐃᓇᑑᐧᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᑭᔮ ᑖᓐ ᒑᒌ ᐃᔑ ᐧᐋᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐋᐧᐃᒄ ᑭᔮ ᐅᔥᑭᒡ ᐋ ᐊᑎ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᒡ ᐋ ᑎᐹᔅᑯᓂᒑᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᓂᓈᐦᑭᐤ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᐧᐋᐧᐃᓐ ᒑᒌ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᑑᐧᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᒑᒌ ᐃᐦᑑᑎᐦᒃ ᐋ ᐃᔑ ᓂᑎᐧᐋᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᔨᒡ ᒥᓯᓂᐄᑭᓐᐦ ᐋ ᐧᐄᐦᑎᒧᐧᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᑑᐧᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᑖᓂᑖ ᒑᒌ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐱᑯᓂᒑ ᑯᔨᔅᒃ ᒑᒌ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᑑᐧᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐧᐃᔮᑯᓂᒑᐧᐃᓂᐦᒡ ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᐋᐱᑎᓰᐧᐃᓂᐦᒡ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐤᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᑯᓯᐧᐃᓂᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐋ ᐃᐦᑎᑯᓂᔨᒡ ᒑᐧᑳᔨᐤ ᒑ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᑯᑦ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐃᐦᑖᐧᐃᓂᐦᒡ ᒫᐧᑳᒡ ᐋ ᐃᔑ ᓂᒋᔥᑭᐦᒃ ᒑᐧᑳᔨᐤ ᐧᐋᔥᑖᐱᔨᐦᐄᑯᑦ ᐋ ᐧᐄᒑᐧᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᑦ ᑳ ᐧᐃᓂᑑᐧᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᒫᐧᑳᒡ ᐋ ᓂᒋᔥᑭᐦᒡ ᓂᑐᐦᑯᔨᓐ ᐋᐱᑎᓰᐧᐃᓂᔨᐤ ᑭᔮ ᐋ ᐃᐦᑎᑯᓂᔨᒡ ᒑᐧᑳᔨᐤ ᒑ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᑯᑦ ᐊᓂᑖ ᐃᐦᑖᐧᐃᓂᐦᒡ ᑭᔮ ᒑ ᔒᑐᔥᑯᐧᐋᑭᓂᐧᐃᒡ ᒫᐧᑳᒡ ᐋ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᔨᒡ ᐋ ᑎᐹᔅᑯᓂᒑᓂᐧᐃᔨᒡ ᐃᔥᑯᑎᒃ ᐋ ᒋᐦᒋᐱᔨᔨᒡ ᓂᒧᔨ ᑎᐱᐦᐄᒑᓂᐧᐃᐤ ᑭᔮ ᒥᓯᐧᐋ ᒑᐧᑳᓐ ᒋᑭ ᑯᔨᔅᒃ ᑭᓂᐧᐋᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐧᐃᐤ ᑖᓐ ᒑ ᐃᔑ ᐧᐄᒋᐦᐄᑯᔨᓐ᙮

CREE CAVAC SERVICES

(Crime Victims Assistance Centre) CAVAC or crime victims assistance centre, have been created to help victims overcome the physical, psychological and social consequences of a crime, and to advocate on their behalf to help them obtain compensation for the harm suffered. If you are a victim or witness to a crime, then there are three Cree CAVAC offices that have been established to serve you in the Cree Nation.

CAVAC officers provide a wide range of assistance services, including: POST-TRAUMA AND PSYCHOLOGICAL INTERVENTION, to assess the needs of victims of crime INFORMATION ON THE RIGHTS CRIME VICTIMS HAVE AND THE REMEDIES AVAILABLE TO THEM, which encompasses the main stages of judicial process TECHNICAL SERVICES, to assist crime victims in filling out required forms REFERRING VICTIMS TO SPECIALIZED SERVICES, such as appropriate legal, medical, social and community resources capable of assisting victims as they attempt to deal with problems they face ACCOMPANYING CRIME VICTIMS, through their dealings with medical and community resources, and providing sustained support throughout je judicial process as the case proceeds Our front-line services are free of charge and strictly confidential with you.

Community

Toll Free Number

Whapmagoostui, Wemindji / ᐧᐋᐱᒫᑯᔥᑐᐃ, ᐧᐄᒥᓂᒌ Chisasibi / ᒋᓵᓰᐲ Waskaganish, Eastmain, Nemaska / ᐧᐋᔅᑳᐦᐃᑭᓂᔥ,

855-603-6136 855-603-0009 855-603-6168

Mistissini / ᒥᔅᑎᓯᓃ Ouje-Bougoumou, Waswanipi / ᐅᒋᐳᑭᒨ, ᐧᐋᐧᓵᓂᐲ

855-603-6137 855-603-0044

ᐄᐦᑖᐧᐃᓐᐦ

ᓇᒧᔨ ᑎᐸᐦᐄᑲᓂᐧᐃᐤ

ᐄᓯᒫᓐ, ᓂᒫᔅᑳᐤ

cavacinfo@creejustice.ca

www.creejustice.ca

6 the Nation May 6, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

D

espite Hydro-Québec’s history of environmental devastation and exploitation of Indigenous communities, the crown utility is promoting its growing collaboration with First Nations to promote expansion into markets in the United States.

Hydro-Québec received final approval April 14 to supply about 20% of New York City’s annual electricity needs via the Champlain Hudson Power Express (CHPE) transmission line that would travel 545 km underground from Quebec to the borough of Queens. The Quebec portion of the CHPE will be jointly owned by the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, securing the community economic benefits for 40 years.

“The Champlain Hudson Power Express is a game changer,” Mohawk Council Grand Chief Kahsennenhawe Sky-Deer stated in a press release. “We are ensuring Indigenous people have a seat at the table as business partners and have a voice in the overall economy moving forward.”

With the city under pressure to reduce its reliance on fossil fuels, which have provided nearly 90% of its power since a nearby nuclear plant was closed last year, New York is touting hydropower as a clean energy alternative. With permits in place and the support of city and state leaders, the $4 billion CHPE project is seen as the most readily available solution.

However, the project faces stiff resistance from environmental groups and Canadian Indigenous leaders.

Organizations like Sierra Club and Riverkeeper argue the CHPE will squeeze out more energy-efficient local options, dredge up pollutants in the Hudson River and further damage Indigenous communities.

A coalition of five First Nations – Lac Simon, Kitcisakik and Abitiwinni (Anishnabeg Nation), Wemotaci (Atikamekw Nation) and Pessamit (Innu Nation) – that opposed similar export schemes to Maine and Massachusetts, wrote to New

Editorial News

Greenwashing energy exports Hydro-Québec’s plans to power New York City reignites historic concerns

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

York deputy mayor Dean Fuleihan last May denouncing the project.

“There is a direct relation between the increased demand for electricity and their impact on our traditional activities and rights,” read their letter. “Not a single impact assessment has been carried out for the construction of 33 power stations in our traditional territories, which generate 36% of Hydro-Québec’s total capacity.”

Activists accuse the power giant of “greenwashing” its environmental impact.

Decaying vegetation from dammed rivers causes methane, disrupting the natural carbon cycle, and the harmful neurotoxin methylmercury, which builds up in fish and other wildlife, disproportionately affecting Indigenous people up the food chain.

“In our eyes, it’s not all that clean,” said one of the coalition’s signatories, Lucien Wabanonik of Lac Simon. “It has major impacts on climate change that they don’t say when they speak to people in the States. We’ve been struggling for some time to at least have some agreements or compensation to help our people live on the land.”

Decades ago, the former Anishnabeg Grand Chief witnessed Lac Simon and other First Nations lands exploited by the corporation without consent or compen-

sation, depriving members of their territory and way of life. While his community continues to rely on diesel generators, the nearby hydro reservoir that flooded their land sends power to consumers in southern Quebec and the United States.

“They never consulted us first, we were never compensated and don’t have any agreement yet to find solutions,” Wabanonik told the Nation. “There are a lot of things we need to talk about if they want to have an agreement with us. We’re open to real, long-term solutions because at this time we have nothing.”

While the Lac Simon community hasn’t benefited from hydro expansion, the coalition’s “Hydro-Québec Clash” website has stopped being updated because Wemotaci is currently in negotiations with the company. There’s also been less criticism from the Innu Nation since the 200 MW “Apuiat” wind-farm joint project was announced on their territory last year.

Although recently wind projects are presented as win-win for the planet and Indigenous communities, they represent a relatively small proportion of the power necessary to appease the Northeast’s growing energy demands.

Champlain Hudson’s opponents in New York worry that Hydro-Québec’s contract doesn’t commit it to delivering power during winter months, when electricity

is most needed for Canadian consumers. This past winter, the company asked people to voluntarily use less electricity during the coldest days when demand was highest.

With Quebec’s hydro demand expected to grow by 20 TWh by 2029 and 100 TWh by 2050 – half of today’s output – the province isn’t likely to be able to meet peak demand by 2027. Hydro-Québec CEO Sophie Brochu recently admitted that the company hasn’t ruled out building new dams and is already evaluating potential sites.

“They’ll probably have to make dams or increase capacity of old dams,” speculated Wabanonik. “They asked people to diminish their hydro consumption this winter and now they say they have capacity to sell to the States. Hydro-Québec says two things at the same time – which one is reality?”

Although the New York City contract stipulates that electricity can’t come from new dams and includes provisions requiring consultations with Indigenous communities for construction of new transmission lines or refurbishments that might cause environmental impacts, questions remain about how Hydro-Québec can meet demand without increasing capacity.

www.nationnews.ca May 6, 2022

the Nation 7

APPOINTMENT MR. ALEXANDRE RICHARD IS NAMED DIRECTOR GENERAL OF THE EEYOU ISTCHEE JAMES BAY REGIONAL GOVERNMENT

The Council of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Alexandre Richard as Director General. Through his qualifications and professional experience, Mr. Richard will be instrumental in the implementation of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government objectives and priority matters.

As the new Director General, he will lead the team at the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government in providing quality services to the citizens of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory.

Mr. Richard officially started his new responsibilities at the head office of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government in Matagami on April 19, 2022.

Having served in various capacities for fifteen years in the fields of construction, urban infrastructure development, transportation systems and energy innovation fields, including ten years in project management, Mr. Richard has a diverse experience with knowledge within the private and municipal sectors.

In addition to a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science, Mr. Richard holds a Master’s Degree in Urban Planning from the Université de Montréal.

The Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government extends its warmest congratulations to Mr. Richard and wishes him every success in his new position.

P.O. BOX 819, MATAGAMI QC J0Y 2A0 T : 819-739-2030 | GREIBJ-EIJBRG.CA

In Brief Crees celebrates first goose The Cree Nation is warning goose hunters to be wary of avian flu in geese they harvest during Goose Break, though leaders emphasize the risk of catching it is low.

“We hope that the people of Eeyou Istchee take this time to rejuvenate, restore and nourish,” said the Cree School Board. “Goose Break gives us time to reconnect with family and friends while taking part in activities that bring us closer together. This spring, we celebrate our culture while we remain vigilant to ensure the safety and health of those around us.”

Willie Shecapio Blacksmith harvested the first goose of the season in Ouje-Bougoumou April 7.

He was followed by Bertie Small in Waskaganish April 11 and Greg Mark-Stewart in Eastmain April 15. Roland Tomatuk got Wemindji’s first goose on April 25.

For the second year in a row, Louise Margaret MacLeod shot the first goose in Mistissini. She hunts from the point in front of her house, sometimes along with her uncle and cousins, and had seen some geese flying the previous week but the blinds hadn’t yet been set up.

“Early in Goose Break, it’s usually just a few people but then it gets busier down there,” MacLeod told the Nation. “It was really windy that day. There were four of them in the middle of the water. I got into my blind and waited for them to get closer. I ran out of bullets, so my uncle got the last one.”

With blowing snow and lake ice starting to break up,

MacLeod said the most chalMcGill lenging partUniversity was retrieving the birds by pulling a canoe along the shore.

For MacLeod, Goose Break has always been a time for bonding with family.

“I’m following in my dad’s footsteps” she said. “It used to be one of my mom’s favourite times of year – she used to love to watch all the geese come in. A lot of memories with my mom plucking and my dad hunting. She passed away a few years ago so it’s been different since then. Now my dad’s older and he can’t get down to the blind.”

While her father used to be her primary hunting partner, now MacLeod mostly hunts alone. Although she said she doesn’t usually see many other female hunters, maybe that will change now that her sister has moved back to town.

“The first geese we usually give to family to share for the first taste,” said MacLeod.

“That’s what my dad always taught me to do. It’s a good feeling to be able to provide for my dad and my family. We were able to give to quite a few family members.”

Crees form alliance with Inuit and Naskapis Eeyou Istchee, along with much of the rest of Canada,

Louise MacLeod

appears to be in a sixth wave of Covid infections. Cree health authorities reported 623 active cases April 11, nearly a 70% increase over the previous two weeks. The number of hospitalizations had climbed to 41.

An historic memorandum-of-understanding (MOU) to establish a “permanent forum” between the Cree Nation Government, the Makivik Corporation and the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach was signed April 22 in Gatineau.

The forum aims to promote cooperation on Indigenous self-determination and treaty rights. The MOU establishes informal meetings, either in-person or virtually, at least once a quarter to discuss shared issues.

“Although we have always had connections with our

neighbours to the north and to the east, having a permanent forum where common issues are exchanged can only be positive for the well-being of our communities,” said Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty.

“Together, we can ensure the best tools are in place for the future and that representation of our nations in the region, province and nationally is fair and inclusive.”

The discussions have already led to progress on protecting caribou herds.

“We are three separate nations but bound together by so many things that are common amongst us,” Gull-Masty explained. “What began with discussions of wildlife and protecting our areas led us to believe in the initiatives of managing our caribou.”

www.nationnews.ca May 6, 2022

the Nation 9

Features

10 the Nation April 22, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

Photos provided Quinn Photoby

by Patrick Bernd Roemmelt

THE BUCK STOPS WHERE? First Nations demand caribou protection as feds and Quebec argue over jurisdiction

by Ben Powless, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter | Photos provided by Greenpeace

W

hen the Cree Nation recently established a permanent forum with the Inuit of Nunavik and the Naskapis of Nuchimiyuschiiy to collaborate on common challenges, a key issue was caribou management.

“Our relationships with the caribou are quite similar culturally,” said Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty, adding that all three nations believe the caribou file should be better managed by Quebec and Canada. “We’re

seeking to bring our voices together and bring forward that pressure and that support as nations to fight for what we need.”

Quebec’s so-called “independent commission” regarding the fate of woodland and mountain caribou appears to have been the last straw for First Nations and environmentalists. Headed by forest economics expert Nancy Gélinas, consultations are gauging opinions on only two proposed scenarios – one which may

restore habitat while threatening forestry jobs and a second in which forestry would continue unabated.

“This commission is a ploy that legitimizes the Government of Quebec’s inaction in protecting and restoring caribou and their habitat,” according to the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL).

“The preservation of precarious jobs is proposed at the expense of a species of cultural importance.”

www.nationnews.ca May 6, 2022

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12 the Nation April May 6, 22, 2022 2022www.nationnews.ca www.nationnews.ca

With “what has become a recurring feeling of disbelief and anger”, the AFNQL deplored Quebec’s lack of consultations with First Nations and the denial of their caribou expertise. It stated that the scenario of “no impact on the forest industry” is a plan to abandon the three caribou herds of Val-d’Or, Charlevoix and the Gaspé Peninsula.

“The MFFP [Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs] consultations are a joke,” added Chief Lance Haymond of Kebaowek First Nation. “Almost everything is decided unilaterally by Quebec, after which we are invited to share our concerns, and our concerns are never fully taken into account.”

In an editorial for The Narwhal, Lac Simon Chief Adrienne Jérôme and Greenpeace executive director Christy Ferguson labelled Quebec’s caribou inaction as “environmental racism”.

“The consequence of this is the oppression and impoverishment of Indigenous Peoples, forcing them to change their diet and lifestyle, resulting in communities that suffer physically, mentally and spiritually,” wrote Jérôme and Ferguson.

“It’s not just the caribou that are endangered in the boreal forest, it’s the delicate balance that is essential to life.”

Caribou are an important “umbrella species” that indicate a forest’s ability to support biodiversity. Herds have declined dramatically in the past few decades, particularly in their southern ranges. Quebec’s continued approval of logging in caribou habitats while refusing to negotiate solutions has incited Indigenous communities to act.

In February, the Essipit and Mashteuiatsh Nations accused the www.nationnews.ca April 22, 2022 the Nation 13

Photo by Bernd Roemmelt

province of failing to respect its duty to adequately consult with Indigenous Peoples on caribou protection in Quebec Superior Court. The Innu Council of Pessamit is also preparing to sue the government, suggesting it was willing to work with the federal government to create a protected area proposed in 2020.

“We are ready to go to court for the protection of the caribou and to prevent us from suffering irreparable harm,” said Pessamit Chief Jean-Marie Vollant. “The caribou is of fundamental importance. Its decline generates inestimable cultural loss that directly threatens our identity.”

Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault now says he will recommend unilaterally imposing protection measures for woodland caribou under the Species at Risk Act unless

Quebec MFFP minister Pierre Dufour provided an adequate plan by April 20.

When this deadline came and went, Guilbeault said he was proceeding with this decree that would cover 35,000 square kilometres of habitat, dismissing Quebec Premier Francois Legault’s assertion that caribou protection was uniquely provincial jurisdiction as “erroneous”. The Federal Court of Appeal has confirmed Ottawa’s right to intervene to protect an endangered species.

The MFFP protection strategy involves fencing in endangered herds and killing approaching wolves or other predators. In Charlevoix, the remaining 16 caribou were captured, tranquilized and transported to an enclosure where they are fed and observed from a distance.

A herd of just seven animals in Val-d’Or, enclosed in 2020, was given a

14 the Nation May 6, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

bigger pen this winter. Plans to capture pregnant females in Gaspésie until they gave birth were postponed until next year.

Reacting to the federal initiative, Dufour attacked the traditional activities of the Nutashkuan Innu, which he said “went to destroy no less than 10% of a herd where there were about 500 woodland caribou.”

Nutashkuan Chief Réal Tettaut explained that its council gives authorization for an annual hunt and that several Innu had moved their hunting territory to protect the herd. He urged Dufour to sit down with the Innu if he truly wants to find solutions.

Facing dwindling numbers of the George River herd, the Cree and Innu nations reached a mutual understanding in January that enabled Innu hunters to harvest caribou in Eeyou Istchee according to certain protocols.

According to all involved, the resulting hunting expedition was a great success, renewing traditional exchanges and opening doors for future discussions.

As Quebec indicates it may return to the negotiating table with Ottawa, Indigenous and environmental groups called Dufour’s comments “brazen gaslighting” while signalling the need for Indigenous-led conservation solutions.

“The federal and provincial governments are throwing the ball back and forth on the jurisdiction around the caribou file, but where is the room for listening to the First Nations?” asked Ronald Brazeau, natural resources director of the Anishinaabe Nation of Lac Simon. “Indigenous leadership must be prioritized rather than blaming First Nations to divert attention from the inactions and failures of the MFFP.”

“The caribou is of fundamental importance.

Its decline generates inestimable cultural loss that directly threatens our identity” - Jean-Marie Vollant, Pessamit Chief

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A TRUSTED PROVIDER OF NEWS TO THE CREES OF EEYOU ISTCHEE SINCE 1993

If you need more information or have additional questions, contact our office in Val-d”Or. By phone: 819-874-2600 By email: justicevaldor@cngov.ca

16 the Nation March 11, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

A Call to Meet

by Patrick Quinn

T What can I do as a Quebecer to improve the situation of the First Nations?...

A very simple thing is to come and meet us.

- Dr. Stanley Vollant, KWE!’s official spokesperson

18 the Nation

he KWE! Meet with Indigenous Peoples event is bringing its fullsized program back to Quebec City for its fifth edition June 17-21.

Place Jean-Béliveau will host a variety of exciting musical performances, immersive exhibitions and culinary activities representing the cultural richness of the province’s 11 First Nations.

“We have all shown resilience over the past two years and with the onset of spring, it is time to give recovery its full meaning,” said event president Ghislain Picard, Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of QuebecLabrador.

Picard said the KWE team worked hard to develop this year’s program, which the AFNQL and the HuronWendat Nation have spearheaded since 2017, drawing 30,000 visitors before the pandemic.

“Progress towards reconciliation with Indigenous peoples has often been made in small

steps, but KWE provides an exceptional leverage to make greater ones,” said Rémy Vincent, Grand Chief of the Huron-Wendat Nation. “Coming to the KWE! festival is an action that helps move us towards the reconciliation we want to achieve.”

An exhibition of traditional Indigenous dwellings will help visitors better understand the architecture, construction and cultural practices associated with the Inuit tupiq, Wendat longhouse, Innu shaputuan, Anishinaabe wigwam, Innu teepee and Atikamekw Pikokan.

Indigenous Tourism Quebec will showcase First Nations’ culinary expertise in the wooded park next to Quebec City’s Grand Marché.

Indigenous chefs will share traditional dishes and offering cooking demonstrations over a wood fire.

“Discovery boxes”, Indigenous meal boxes for two, were so popular in previous years that they were snapped up in a day. This year, 600 will be available based on themes of

Indigenous festival KWE! returns to Quebec City in June hunting, fishing and gathering. A food truck offering bannock-themed meals will also be on hand.

Innu cosmetics company Akua Nature will feature a boxed set containing the “Savoirs des Pekuakamiulnuatsh” book on medicinal plants, a bag of raspberry leaf tea, a mamu soy candle with white sage and materials for making your own dreamcatcher.

The Cree Nation will be represented musically by Miigwin, the pride of Nemaska, who will open for Innu acts Dan-Georges McKenzie and Ninan June 19. Hip-hop is the focus on opening night, with Dan L’Initié, Anachnid and Q052. The following night will feature Atikamekw talent Régis Niquay with Pascal Ottawa and Laura Niquay.

On June 20, Innu musician Mike Paul will hit the stage ahead of the acclaimed Béatrice Deer Band and “Le Cabaret du Trickster”. On National Indigenous Peoples Day, June 21, Innu artist Kathia Rock will be launching her new album before the main event

featuring Scott Pien Picard with guests Florent Vollant and Émile Bilodeau.

Dancing, drumming and throat singing performances will pop up each afternoon. Evenings will see Indigenous films and documentaries presented in collaboration with Wapikoni Mobile.

Indigenous literary organization Kwahiatonhk gives authors an unusual showcase for their work at Literary Bingo June 19, when the public can discover First Nations literature from the past 50 years. Wendake bookstore La Librairie Hannenorak will feature Indigenous books and children’s literature.

One of the event’s key activities is a discussion space called “Myths and Realities”, an opportunity for Indigenous leaders to directly address current issues and answer questions from the public. Visitors can learn more about each of the province’s First Nations on the “11 Nations Trail” and on a giant interactive map displaying each community’s location.

Along with an artisans’ boutique providing a marketplace for Indigenous sewing, beading and other art, artisans will demonstrate their creative process and explain the historical significance of their work. Kids will enjoy the accompanying makeup activity.

The event’s official spokesperson, Innu surgeon Dr. Stanley Vollant, the first Indigenous surgeon to be trained in Quebec, will once again be leading the Puamun Meshkenu Walk. In 2016, he founded his non-profit organization of the same name to inspire Indigenous peoples to adopt healthy lifestyles.

“People often ask me, ‘What can I do as a Quebecer to improve the situation of the First Nations?’” said Vollant.

“A very simple thing is to come and meet us. Kwe means I hold out my hand to you. Kwe is a call to meet, to shake hands, to learn to know, to respect each other and to build together. Kwe is an action for reconciliation.”

The complete schedule can be found online at kwefest.com and on its Facebook page.

www.nationnews.ca May 6, 2022

the Nation 19

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Politics

Temp cops Provincial police back up Eeyou Eenou force amid staff shortages

by Ben Powless, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

S

ixteen police officers from the Sûreté du Québec are being “loaned” to four Cree communities as the Eeyou Eenou Police Force (EEPF) says it is operating with staffing levels of only 40%.

Four officers per community were assigned to Chisasibi, Mistissini, Waskaganish and Waswanipi throughout April. EEPF Interim Director Sherman Masty said they could remain in place for months until new recruits are trained and hired. Several officers from those communities were also relocated to smaller communities, he added.

“Police services across the country are having a difficult time with manpower shortages. The Eeyou Eenou Police Force is facing that exact challenge.

At the beginning of March 2022, letters were sent to Chiefs and Councils to notify them of the situation. We ensured them that basic policing services were provided throughout Eeyou Istchee,” Masty said in a statement.

Under the Quebec Police Act, the Cree Nation can request additional services from the SQ if the “regional police force is unable to provide the services under its jurisdiction in all or part of the territory.”

Masty emphasized that this would not change policing services in the communities. Any interventions would be taken over by EEPF, except in the case of major incidents. He added that the EEPF has biweekly meetings with the SQ to assess how things are going with the new officers Cree Nation Government Executive Director Bill Namagoose stressed that the SQ staff are present for night-time patrols only – at the request of the EEPF

– and must be accompanied by a Cree officer.

“All policing institutions and academies are operating at 50% capacity because of Covid,” Namagoose said, noting that police academies are producing graduates at half their normal rates. That means policing graduates are going to the highest bidder, and that pay rates had to be increased to entice them to stay or join.

Namagoose also encouraged young people to consider a career in policing. “We don’t seem to have enough Cree police officers, Cree young people interested in police services, that’s why we have non-Cree in on a contractual basis. I encourage all our young people

22 the Nation May 6, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

thinking of becoming police. The benefits are good, there’s an early pension plan, early retirement, all the benefits are there,” he said.

Masty said the decline in recruits is another casualty of the pandemic, while some officers employed in Cree communities chose to move south to be closer to family and friends.

He added that five new Cree police officers would be “in uniform” by the end of April, while 18 recruits began the new First Nations Police Technology program in March and could be in place

by November. The program allows for two cohorts per year for the next four years, which she called a “great improvement.”

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Puzzles Crossword

PREVIOUS SOLUTION:

Solution to Crossword: D A D S

A C R E

N O O N

L O T S

A U R A

R A B I D

O N I C E

G R O U N D C R E W

C R I S P S O N Y E D D Y

E E A N S U D T S T E S A N O R R A P I R E A P E R A A F T T E H A I R S T O R O N U M A L S L E

STR8TS

No. 599

R E A R A D M I R A L

S T R U E M A G L C E O M S I N C A S C E K W S

O P A L N O R M E T H A N

R E V O L U T I O N

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S E W E D

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S K E W

N O T E

A S I A

P E E K

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3

6 9 7 8 7

4

3 5 4 6

2 4 5 3 4 2 1 5 3 2 4 3 1 6 5 8 8 9 6 7 9 8 1 7 6 7 8 9 5 7 8 9

6

2

4 4

You can find more help, tips and hints at www.str8ts.com

© 2022 Syndicated Puzzles

8

7 6 8 7 6 9 8 2 7 3 4 1 2 5 2 4 4 3 5 6 3

7 8

3 2 4

4

5

6 15

17

18

20

7

28 32

34

4

8 9

29

30

49

50

36

38

40

13

33

35

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24

27

31

39 42

41 43

45

11

22

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26

10

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23 25

9

16

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47

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48 53

52

54

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56

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58

59

Copyright 2022 by The Puzzle Syndicate

56 57 58 59

Skater's figure "Hamlet" has five Checked out Derby prize

DOWN 1 Type of cake 2 Bench wear 3 "I had no ___!"

4 "Mystic River" actor 5 With "Beach," a Florida city 6 "Rolling In the Deep" singer 7 ____ and take 8 Genesis name 9 Hopeful 10 Lucky charm

11 Spitting image 12 Romantic night out 13 Musher's transport 19 Metallicsounding 21 ___ Glory (U.S. flag) 24 Neighbor of Fiji 25 Environs 26 Elevator passage 27 Get around 28 Home to the Louvre 29 "The Prince of Tides" star 30 Like Gatsby

Very Hard

5 1 6 9 4 2 3 6 8 5 5 3 2 1 7 1 2 8 1 7 4 2

How to beat Str8ts – Like Sudoku, no single number can repeat in any row or column. But... rows and columns are divided by black squares into compartments. These need to be filled in with numbers that complete a ‘straight’. A straight is a set of numbers with no gaps but can be in any order, eg [4,2,3,5]. Clues in black cells remove that number as an option in that row and column, and are not part of any straight. Glance at the solution to The solutions will be published here in the next issue. see how ‘straights’ are formed.

24 the Nation May 6, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

8

32 Pool measure 35 Prison term 36 Musical composition 38 Feel 39 Crafter's supply 41 Social activities 42 Preserve, in a way 44 Tested the waters 45 Tomato variety 46 Majestic 47 Allocate 48 Coffee cups 49 Advil target 50 NJ hoopsters 52 Costner film, "Draft ___"

Previous solution - Tough

8 9 7 5 6 1 2 3 4

4 3

3

1

3

No. 599

Previous solution - Easy

9 6

2 3

2

14

SUDOKU

Medium

5

1

© 2022 Syndicated Puzzles

H

ere’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.

ACROSS 1 Like new dollar bills 6 Mellows, maybe 10 Finds a sum 14 Sport featured in "8 Seconds" 15 Aria singer 16 Diner offering 17 At right angles to the keel 18 Come to pass 20 Thin fellow 22 ____ Age (late 1800's in U.S.) 23 White as a sheet 24 Piano man?

25 Rise up 28 Indicating 31 Horned mammal 32 Glover of Hollywood 33 Neither partner 34 Make, as money 35 Suit cloth 36 Leer at 37 Texans' org.

38 Old photo color 39 Environmental activist Thunberg 40 Campus group 42 Dry red wine 43 Calendar page 44 Hang around 45 Hone, as a draft 47 Like a fatherson talk, maybe 51 Like some questions 53 Peaceful pause 54 Chinese dynasty 55 Blanchett of "Don't Look Up"

by Margie E. Burke

4 3 1 8 2 9 7 5 6

6 2 5 7 3 4 8 9 1

2 8 4 1 5 6 3 7 9

3 1 9 2 4 7 5 6 8

7 5 6 3 9 8 4 1 2

9 7 8 4 1 5 6 2 3

5 6 2 9 8 3 1 4 7

1 4 3 6 7 2 9 8 5

To complete Sudoku, fill the board by entering numbers 1 to 9 such that each row, column and 3x3 box contains every number uniquely.

For many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org If you like Str8ts check out our books, iPhone/iPad Apps and much more on our store.

Rez Notes

Last chance for spring

by Sonny Orr

I

was getting prepared for the Goose Break hunt. Watching primer videos and photos of hunts down south put an itch in my twitchy trigger finger. I figured it was time to clean the gunk from last year’s hunt off my trusty shotgun and scrounge for loose shells from pockets and drawers so I could say that at least I had enough ammo.

Next, the search for the thermos, long johns, and camouflage anything and everything. The invaluable foldable seat for old bones and the tarp to hide the ATV or snowmobile composed the other essentials along with, of course, enough gas to leave town.

All ready and anticipating spring to show up, we woke to a wet snow blizzard, making shoveling a heavy task with the dirty, slippery slush clinging to everything – a no show for spring.

I debated whether I should keep my studded snow tires on my vehicle for my next southern foray. I messaged an expert – a buddy who knows everything about the law and four wheels. He left me with a decision to make. I whipped out the weather app to see if I should or shouldn’t and finally decided to change them in case spring turned into summer overnight. You never know these days, with all this topsy-turvy Mother Nature stuff.

Then a quick call from someone who wants a license to pilot a boat and I wonder if there’s online training simulators we could use, in case the thick ice this year hangs around all summer. I made a note to myself to check this out. You

I can see the auctions for fried chicken easily increasing, with roadside searches for bootleg chicken never know, the second coming of the Titanic might need help from those who know both ice and water.

Travel is allowed everywhere except to the places that we like on the globe.

So, planning a trip south might have to be combined with a quick stop at the pharmacy to get spot checked for any new variant that will dictate where, when and for how long we can dare expose ourselves without fear of any contamination.

After two years of washing and disinfecting, I long for the days when a little dirt on our hands looks so much better.

Sometimes, showing that dirt still has its rightful place on our epidermis can be a good thing.

Now, given that some waterfowl are getting the avian flu, I wonder how that will affect us? Will there be a test done on the bird before touching it? Will we have to handle it with latex gloves? So many confusing questions.

There isn’t that much to fear as we’ve gone through all this before, but conservancy might be the key word here. Kill to eat for the need to eat but remember that the domestic culinary delight, the chicken, is getting a pounding with hundreds of thousands little cluckers dumped daily because of the flu. I can see the auctions

for fried chicken easily increasing, with roadside searches for bootleg chicken becoming a normal thing, instead of the usual contraband suspects.

It’s illegal, but the smell of fried chicken is just too much for those in authority, who must exercise their right to confiscate your greasy goods at the next checkpoint. The chicken will be processed in a guard’s stomach as apparently, it’s hard to keep those guys full of protein. Kind of like another type of security system that depends on doughnuts to keep those long, lonely night shifts bearable.

Luckily, I know how to cook the best fried chicken that doesn’t taste like any other, simply because I don’t use anything that looks like a pancake-mix filler, and I don’t fry them. I use a simple air fryer, which to my knowledge doesn’t fry anything. It just bakes it using a powerful fan to push air around so fast that the friction alone will char any exposed chicken skin. I just know that if you don’t keep a close eye on it, the heat will air dry it completely.

So, I remain out of the chicken drama fray that will soon outpace any drama everywhere. Yes, we are doomed without chicken – damn you, avian flu!

LET’S DRIVE!!!

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the Nation 25

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UTNS

Under the Northern Sky

A spring mourning

by Xavier Kataquapit

T

his month has been a sad period for my family and friends as several Elders have passed on. It is sad to lose someone we love and so difficult to imagine all the stories, history and knowledge lost when these special people pass.

My uncle Greg Koostachin was larger than life in our community as he was a well-respected and prominent Elder in Attawapiskat. He grew up on the land on the James Bay coast and he was deeply connected to the history and families of our home community. He married my mother Susan’s sister Mary and together they raised their children Margaret, Rita, Mario, Edward, Jackie, Claire, Sylvia, Joyce and Kathy.

Uncle Greg was a great example for all of us as he showed us that our people could be capable of surviving and thriving in the modern world while still holding to the values and culture of our ancestors.

He was the first in our community to grow several successful businesses. Early on he built his successes with his wife Mary by establishing their family general store and later with his children and grandchildren he created other ventures. Through all their hard work and dedication, they gave many in the community an opportunity to gain employment and motivated others to start their own businesses.

Uncle Greg gave me my first paying job as a stock boy and cashier at the family store and gas bar. It was a great training ground as he and my Aunt Mary taught so many young people like me through kindness and encouragement.

Uncle Greg’s life lessons always stuck because he made sure to leave anyone he met with a laugh or a fun story to remember.

We shared in their family grief when they tragically lost their daughter Rita Koostachin in summer of 1988 to a sudden vehicle accident. She was a bright young woman who was ready to do great things.

At the time, my sister Jackie was pregnant with her first born and when their baby girl was born, they named her Rita in honour of our late cousin. Uncle Greg and Aunt Mary were always happy to see her name live on in this way.

All of Greg’s children became successful in their own way and they all became role models for others in our community. Their youngest daughter Katherine Koostachin accomplished years of education and built an impressive career in Indigenous law. She now holds the position of Senior Policy Advisor at the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada. Every time I met Uncle Greg, he was happy to say how proud he was of everything his children and grandchildren had accomplished.

In his later years, he became a respected Elder who served in advisory roles for our community and at the regional level with Nishnawbe-Aski Nation and Muskegowuk Council.

At the same time as losing my uncle, our family also lost our cousin Irene Edwards, the wife of our current Deputy Chief of Attawapiskat Louis Edwards. She was one of the eldest of our generation and she held a strong connection to our

Elders who shared with her so many stories and history. Irene was fully fluent in our Cree language. My memories with her are filled with laughter and fun as she shared stories with our large extended family. Her kind way and sense of humour carries on in her children Larry and Pauline.

These past days have been difficult as I was saddened also at the recent loss of Norma Bradley at Iroquois Lodge in Ohsweken. I had come to know her and her family through my partner Mike and his sister Patty. Norma was a well-loved and respected Elder of her community in Six Nations who held so many stories and knew so much history of her people.

She and her late husband John Bradley Sr were similar to the Elders I knew up North. They headed a grand family of children and grandchildren who all shared the same culture of love and devotion to each other and those around them.

The Indigenous families I am part of and the ones I’ve come to know all share a common connection. The most important life lessons are always rooted in openness, kindness and love, even in the face of adversity, negativity and hard times. They always shared a powerful example of love and kindness towards everyone and an awareness that we all share this time and this life together as one. These are the memories and legacy that Elders like my Uncle Greg, my cousin Irene and my friend Norma Bradley leave with all of us, and this is how I will always remember them. Kee-sah-kee-eh-tee-nan mee-see-way. (We love you all.)

We have been present since 1939. All members of the large Deshaies' family are by your side today and will also be for the better days to come.

26 the Nation May 6, 2022 www.nationnews.ca

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