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September 30. While the new event is a statutory holiday for all federal work ers and most First Nations, not all prov inces are willing to deal with having to reflect on the atrocities Canada commit ted against its Indigenous population.
Schools, banks, post offices and fed eral government workers get the day off. Private companies have the choice whether to give employees the day off or not.
Not everyone has agreed that Indigenous history needs to be honoured.
British Columbia does not observe it as a holiday, but the province marked it as a day of commemoration with some government employees working a shorter day. BC says they need to talk to more residential school survivors and their “Indigenous partners and communities” to really understand everything before understanding the impacts and mitigation needed.
Alberta observes it as an optional holiday like Easter Monday. No surprise there given their past way of dealing with First Nations. Saskatchewan followed suit, but its three largest cities – Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert – ignored the province and made it a holiday.
Perhaps the history of Louis Riel played a part in Manitoba, which closes schools and gives provincial workers the day off. It’s not official but it might be next year according to those who think they would have a role to play in truth and reconciliation.
Ontario says no to honouring Indigenous people even as a government spokesperson insists the province “is
working in collaboration with Indigenous partners, survivors and affected families to ensure the respectful commemoration of this day within the province, similar to Remembrance Day.”
News Brunswick declined to observe the day even while its cities have gotten on board with the truth. Nova Scotia has joined the make-your-choice crowd with no paid holiday, but we want you all to think about what you have done to the First Nations.
Quebec says no holiday but that’s what we expect from a government that has no desire to acknowledge the value of Indigenous language and culture.
Prince Edward Island stepped up to the plate and recognized the holiday. It may be that the smaller places are more likely to know the value of friendship and community than elsewhere.
Newfoundland and Labrador have said sort of yes adding there are ongoing consultations. The Yukon seems to be saying the same thing.
The Northwest Territories has gotten on board with a resounding yes but in a
surprising move Nunavut is still appar ently deciding whether it should be one or not.
Given the way the people respond ed to Orange Shirt Day versus the non-gender, politically correct, govern mentally acceptable Day of Truth and Reconciliation, this is not a surprising moment.
Taking over a grass-roots movement like Orange Shirt Day to turn it into a day that does not even come close to mak ing anyone think of the meaning behind Orange Shirt Day is 1984 government doublespeak in which you say words like Truth and Reconciliation without saying who or why.
In the end, it shows that one person can affect the perception of social, moral and cultural standards of any society, can overcome what they have been subject to. A simple symbol could be all that was needed. While there is not a holiday for everyone, in the future we might see the truth and wonder of our life together.
The Cree Nation Government launched an initiative this summer to raise awareness among young peo ple about the effects of climate change.
The Environment and Remedial Works department is behind the Eco-Eeyou Istchee campaign to educate about cli mate-change threats to traditional ways of life that may also provide opportunities.
Pernilla Talec, an environmental ana lyst and climate change coordinator who runs the program for the CNG, told the Nation that the idea came from discus sions with two students doing a summer internship on how to raise awareness about climate change with youth in the Cree communities.
“We came up with this idea of a social media campaign. The students worked on it throughout the summer to create posts. The idea is to raise awareness of climate change and how it’s impacting Eeyou Istchee, to help people take action in how they can adapt and maybe if they can mitigate climate change by being more eco-friendly and reducing their ecological footprint,” Talec said.
Talec and her team hope to engage community members about climate change by asking them questions about what they’d like to know, while posting relevant information on the group’s social
media accounts. While the initiative was initially intended for young people, she said it’s open to all ages, since “we’re all being impacted by climate change.”
Talec said some concerns about cli mate change are related to increased extreme weather events such as intense wildfires or unusual floods.
“Forest fires are naturally occurring, but when it’s bigger and due to a chang ing climate, it’s called a wildfire. There’s expected to be more wildfires. But at the same time, for northern Quebec it’s not sure because they’re expected to receive more precipitation,” she added.
The Eco-Eeyou Istchee team is trying to share good news and highlight other opportunities that climate change may bring, conscious that negative posts can foster eco-anxiety. “In the Cree communi ties there’s a growing interest in gardens and greenhouses, and you can see this as an opportunity that comes with a warm er climate and a longer summer,” Talec explained.
Recent posts on the group’s Facebook page highlight how ice breakage has become more unreliable across Eeyou Istchee, including quotes from Elders voicing their concerns about travelling on rivers. Another post highlights how animal populations have declined, includ
ing the caribou, geese and rabbits – even as others have increased in some areas, including bears, wolves and bugs. Mining is treated as both a positive for the econ omy and a threat to local environments.
The group has announced several giveaways and contests to increase the visibility of the initiative. Talec acknowl edged that since the initiative was only launched in July, they’re still working to get followers and traction online. When a contest to design a poster didn’t receive any applicants, the group decided to focus on giveaways to spread the word.
“So far it’s really mouth-to-mouth, talking to my contacts in the communities and asking them to share it,” she said. They’ve asked youth councils and envi ronmental administrators to help, and an intern put up posters around Chisasibi.
The department held a well-received climate change forum in 2016 in Eastmain, and people have asked for another one. While no date has been set, Talec hopes to host another forum soon.
Now that the summer interns have left, Talec hopes to keep the accounts active, and to add a presence on TikTok. “For the coming year I’ll stay with the safe territories of Facebook and Instagram,” she added with a laugh, encouraging peo ple to follow and “ask questions.”
Our Wîchihîwâuwin Helpline Team is ready to support you 24/7. This service is confidential and adapted to your needs, with Cree speakers and traditional healers available.
Waswanipi First Nation has chosen new leadership with the election of Chief Irene Neeposh and Deputy Chief Rhonda Oblin Cooper; both won on their first ballot with 54% and 57.7% of the vote respectively. In doing so, Waswanipi became the latest Cree Nation with an all-woman head office, after Chisasibi elected Chief Daisy House and Deputy Paula Napash in 2020.
Mandy Gull-Masty, who was born in Waswanipi and became the Crees’ first female Grand Chief last year, con gratulated Neeposh in a Facebook post. “I am excited to see what will come from my community and to welcome Chief Irene to the CNG Council Board table in a new role,” she stated. She also applauded outgoing Chief Marcel Happyjack for his contributions.
Neeposh told the Nation that she was “humbled and honoured” by the election results and that her focus was set on establishing a connected community.
“We have always existed as a society of balance, and we need to maintain this,” she explained. “Balance is about making sure that I, as a leader, am not pulling in one direction all by myself. It is about ensuring that community members are informed and involved in the things that impact them.”
She says that establishing social networks between her self, community leaders, businesses and youth will help her initiate new projects to help Waswanipi members “become informed, educated and engaged.”
One priority is to organize public events that include for question/recom mendation periods, discussions, or group planning and problem solving.
“I believe that the ‘inform, educate and engage’ process will create real change,” Neeposh stated. “Informing is about tell ing people what the problems are and who is affected. To educate is to show the community what the possible options and solutions are. Engaging is making ways for the right people to actively participate in the things they care about and have knowledge in.”
With almost half of Waswanipi popu lation aged 30 years or younger, involving the next generation in today’s politics is a force that should be embraced, Deputy Chief Oblin Cooper told the Nation
“Our youth need to know that their vote made a difference and that they have a large and real impact in the communi ty,” she said, recalling how her political journey started at a young age when she joined the Cree Nation Youth Council.
“Everyone is at a different stage in life, and everyone gets involved in their own
unique way. My advice to the youth is to get connected and take action, however you feel you can. You might feel like you are not ready, but you just got to be brave and trust yourself.”
Oblin Cooper said that the election campaign wouldn’t have been possible without the support of her four children. Aged 14 to 24, they were responsible for the campaign’s social media presence, helped with organization and planning, distributed stickers and set up posters.
The campaign poster, which features a hand-prepared moosehide surrounded by flowers with a blue paddle crossing the centre, references Oblin Cooper’s early motivations and current goals in Cree politics.
“The moosehide symbolizes my strug gle to regain the Cree culture and lan guage that I lost as a child. Just like preparing the moosehide – it was a tough job requiring a lot of mental strength. Both are a long process, something you do over several seasons… and in the end, both are perfect in their imperfection.”
Oblin Cooper left Eeyou Istchee at age eight, when her mother found a job in Montreal. She returned in her early 20s, feeling isolated from her culture but motivated to reclaim it by relearning the language and reconnecting with Cree tra ditions.
“The paddle, which was made by my daughter, represents the way my journey is interconnected with my children’s. As we pass on the passion for Cree cul ture and learning Eeyou iitwun and Eeyou kaashuwin to the next generation, we must remember that we are giving these tools to the community’s future leaders.”
Both Oblin Cooper and Neeposh said that they feel like Waswanipi is a place where people are motivated and ready to make a difference.
“People want to be involved in commu nity decision-making,” said Oblin Cooper. “I am looking forward to that connection and promoting an inclusive government style by reaching out and nourishing our grassroots communities.”
The National Gathering is a place where educators and partners can share their voices and work together to improve the educational outcomes of K-12 Indigenous students.
Learn more and purchase tickets at indspire.ca/national-gathering
On September 21, the Centre d’études collégiales à Chibougamau (CECC) will host a debate on environ mental issues with 2022 pro vincial election candidates from the Ungava riding. It will take place 6:30-9:30pm in the CECC’s Exil student lounge.
“The debate offers vot ers an opportunity to get to know the individuals vying to represent them, to hear their proposals concerning the environment with a view to improving the quality of life in their electoral division, and how they propose to solve the climate and biodiversity crises,” the school said in a statement.
Candidates invited to participate are Maïtée Labrecque-Saganash (Québec solidaire), Tunu Napartuk (Quebec Liberal Party), Denis Lamothe (Coalition Avenir Québec), Christine Moore (Parti Québécois), and Nancy Lalancette (Parti Conservateur du Québec). Québec solidaire, the PQ and the Liberals have confirmed their participation.
The evening is part of the Vire au vert series, which is supported by 26 environ mental organizations and will host debates across Quebec September 18-25. Vire au vert is a non-partisan citizen
mobilization initiative to focus attention on local environmen tal concerns during the elec tion campaign.
“The initiative is the result of a coalition of citizen groups and organizations that care about the environment… meant for voters who want to hear their local candidates voice their best proposals for improving the environment, adapting Quebec to climate change, and speeding up the ecological transition,” the statement explained.
that there is no political will to extradite French nationals.”
There are multiple counts of sexual assault against him involving Inuit children begin ning in the 1960s. The RCMP laid three sex-related charges against Rivoire in 1998, but he had already left for France five years earlier. Now 93, Rivoire worked with the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in the Nunavut communities of Igloolik, Naujaat and Arviat in the 1960s and 1970s.
An Inuit delegation from Nunavut travelled to France in early September, seeking to convince former priest Johannes Rivoire to return to Canada to face sexual assault charges. While pressure has mounted from several fronts to have him extradited to Canada, French government officials say the statute of limitations has expired.
“Although the common line was that France does not extradite French nation als, there were words that expressed how much they understood our plight,” said Aluki Kotierk, the president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc (NTI). “But ultimately, it was clear
On September 14, Steve Mapsalak and siblings Tanya and Jesse Tungilik confronted Rivoire face-to-face in Lyon about the abuse they claim has ruined their lives. The sib lings’ father Marius Tungilik never recovered from the abuse he suffered as a boy and committed suicide in 2012, aged 55.
Rivoire refused to return to Canada with the delegation. While some charges against him were stayed in 2017, the RCMP confirmed in March that more charges have been laid and they had issued a Canada-wide warrant for his arrest.
“He completely denies it, at moments he pretends to forget everything,” said Kilikvak Kabloona, NTI’s chief executive officer. “He doesn’t remember anything, but 10 seconds earlier he did remem ber and was quite pleased about the memory.”
The NTI-sponsored dele gation spent the week appeal ing to French politicians, church officials and the pub lic through the media. The French head of the Oblates said they succeeded in getting Rivoire before the accusers and would now seek further guidance from the Vatican in Rome.
With well over $100 million in oil and gas revenues at stake, the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara (MHA) Nation is fighting the state of North Dakota over mineral rights to the Missouri Riverbed.
For nearly two centu ries, federal treaties and legal orders have repeated ly affirmed the MHA Nation’s property rights to the Missouri Riverbed, on which their res ervation is located.
After the Trump adminis tration, at the urging of North Dakota, reversed decades of administrative decisions and concluded that the state was the owner, the MHA Nation filed suit in 2020. A ruling earlier this year by the Biden administration reaffirmed the Indigenous Nation’s rights.
“The Missouri River and the minerals below it on the Fort Berthold Reservation are the rightful property of the Mandan, Hidatsa and Arikara Nation,” stated MHA Nation chairman Mark Fox. “The state of North Dakota continues to show their lack of respect for the legal precedents and peo ple who have paid with their lives to preserve these frag ments of our ancestral lands and waters.”
Inuit delegation seeks ex-priest’s extradition
This year’s annual general assem bly, held in Waskaganish August 30 to September 1, was an occa sion to recognize the outstanding lifelong contributions of Cree Nation members while making space for the leaders of tomorrow.
After Robert Kanatewat was awarded the Lieutenant Governor’s First Peoples Medal in May, the Cree
Nation Government decided to make a similar acknowledgement. Bill Namagoose, Robbie Matthew and the late Alice Shecapio were honoured with Acts of Service medals, which were designed by local Cree artist Tim Whiskeychan.
“Since it was the first year, we wanted it to be a surprise,” explained Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty. “Next
year, it will be more ceremonial, likely part of an evening event, and open to Cree Nation members to nominate people.”
The AGA was relocated from Eastmain to Namagoose’s hometown of Waskaganish to accommodate his retirement dinner, celebrating 45 years of service to the Cree Nation. He told the Nation he really appreciat
ed this gesture and reflected on his efforts implementing the JBNQA after becoming the CNG’s executive director in 1988.
“Quebec was enjoying immense reve nues from the hydroelectric projects, but they walked away from their promises,” Namagoose recalled. “The Crees decided to take a stand and we focused on stopping the Great Whale project. That propelled the Crees into political activists and Quebec took us very seriously.”
With separatism a recurring election issue, it’s interesting to remember the Cree Nation’s influential role in the 1995 ref erendum. According to Namagoose, they told Quebec, “You can go if you want but Cree territory is staying here in Canada.” A subsequent CNG public opinion poll found that this position significantly altered the outcome.
“Sometimes I was in downtown Manhattan, thinking what the hell am I doing there, but then I’d think of my uni lingual Cree uncles making their living in the Broadback,” said Namagoose. “That gave me motivation because I didn’t want Hydro-Québec or others to disrupt their way of life.”
Former Chisasibi Chief and Cree Trappers’ Association president Robbie Matthew was also honoured for his dedi cation to protecting and strengthening the Cree way of life. With his wife Sally, he taught traditional skills and cultural pride to generations of youth while serving as advisor to numerous organizations.
“We wanted to choose somebody who gives back in a volunteerism role,” said Gull-Masty. “I was moved by tributes I’d heard about the late Alice Shecapio. She was heavily involved in her community, a long-time coach, and a person who had such an impact on so many young women. Her daughter Ardelle accepted the award on her behalf.”
Many AGA discussions focused on pre serving Cree traditions for an expanding and evolving population. It was resolved to assess the current trapline system and the changing role of the tallyman to ensure there are adequate wildlife protections and youth can have greater access to tradition al activities.
“Traplines are not growing any bigger, but families are getting larger,” Gull-Masty
said. “How are we going to teach today’s youth to be sustainable and respectful in their activities? The tallyman has an obli gation to pass along Cree knowledge but is also facing pressure as a steward and asked to participate in consultations.”
With the growing cost of living, an urgency to maintain moose habitats and a need for internal evaluation, new funding of $572,346 was announced for the CTA. This will contribute to moose manage ment, special language initiatives and the hosting of regional forums to share expertise and traditional knowledge from the coastal and inland communities.
“The funds will go towards our local projects and programs where it is the trappers who will benefit,” stated CTA president Arden Visitor. “Building action plans for language and wildlife preserva tion continues to be very important for our members and we look forward to offering this.”
The Cree Nation Youth Council (CNYC) will also receive $670,270 to expand their programming, such as an upcom ing cultural exchange initiative with the Inuit. With youth forming 60% of the Cree Nation, Gull-Masty wants to shift from per capita to needs-based funding while con sidering the provision of a youth depart ment head office.
“This year I was so moved by the youth participation,” said Gull-Masty. “Their voice was loud and clear on what their expectations were. They’re making the CNYC what they believe it needs to be. These youth are so vibrant and deter mined, I think the future of our leaders is very exciting.”
With 2022 declared the Cree year of special needs, videos sharing some fam ilies’ challenges were a revelation for many. Ahead of the special-needs sympo sium in November, resolutions supported infrastructure and housing that is better adapted for these community members.
“Every Cree has their rights, and we have a duty to support their needs so they can stay as much as possible in the com munity,” Gull-Masty asserted. “Building partnerships as Cree entities is the key to unlocking a unified approach to issues on the territory. Breaking down those silos is so important.”
As the economic security program for Cree hunters hasn’t kept pace with rising costs and demands, it was resolved to nego tiate with Quebec for increased benefits and availability to Cree Nation members.
Despite inflation-related construction delays, Waskaganish CMC will be complet ed two years earlier than planned. It was also resolved to expand the private housing program for Cree entrepreneurs and enable Whapmagoostui to access fuel subsidies available in Nunavik.
The Cree Native Arts and Crafts Association announced a new bursary of $500 for graduating high school students and plans to develop the online Wachiya store to help open new markets for Cree artists.
Washaw Sibi announced promising developments for their future village, with each community supporting the transfer of Category I lands to meet this goal. Other discussions included the potential decentral ization of policing services and preventing conflicts of interest between entrepreneurial and elected duties.
“Most importantly, communities are learning about one another,” concluded GullMasty. “Unity amongst Cree communities is the foundation of what brought us together to fight many battles in the past and it continues to hold up our Nation. Harmony in the Cree Nation is what protects the things that are important to us.”
“Most importantly, communities are learning about one another”
- Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty
Ahead of Quebec’s election October 3, the northernmost rid ing of Ungava is again shaping as one of the most competitive races in the province. In 2018, Coalition Avenir Québec candidate Denis Lamothe won by just 46 votes over the Parti Québécois candidate, with the Liberals and Québec solidaire not far behind.
Ungava represents almost half of Quebec’s total area, including all of Eeyou Istchee, the 14 Inuit communities of Nunavik, and the seven primarily non-Indigenous Jamesian towns.
It’s also the only Quebec riding with an Indigenous majority, but has never elected an Indigenous member of the National Assembly. That could change this year with the candidacies of Maïtée Labrecque-Saganash (Québec solid aire) and Tunu Napartuk (Liberal), who are both well known in their respective Cree and Inuit communities.
Both candidates spoke at the Cree Nation’s recent Annual General Assembly hoping to reverse the region’s traditionally low voter turnout – which was half the provincial average in 2018. They discussed the challenges of campaigning across the vast territory, where Nunavik’s communities can only be reached by costly flights.
“That’s keeping a lot of communi ties on the margins of democracy and public debate in Quebec and that’s just wrong,” asserted Labrecque-Saganash (who writes a column for the Nation).
Candidates Tunu (left), Maïtée (above)“People are mostly telling me about healthcare, housing and opportunities for people to come back and live in their communities. We were already in a housing crisis but now it’s impacting nearby towns.”
Labrecque-Saganash is opposed to the CAQ’s “divisive ideologies” – point ing to Bill 96, which restricts the use of languages other than French – and intends to fight to protect Indigenous languages. While Québec solidaire’s platform expands French-language protections, it also proposes increased funding for Indigenous-language initia tives and offers arguably the strongest support for self-determination of any party.
“[Québec solidaire] has this con cept of territorial equity, so at least all the regions equally would have basic public services,” explained LabrecqueSaganash. “We plan on bringing back the government workforce within the region – most of the people working for Plan Nord are in Quebec [City], which makes no sense. The North is not a free for all. We want to establish a new social contract with companies that extract resources.”
Working with the Cree Health Board in Waswanipi gave her a better grasp of problems with healthcare resources and access in the North. In Nunavik, some communities have recently gone without emergency services, which both Labrecque-Saganash and Napartuk blame on neglect by the CAQ government.
“We have clinics that are clos ing, even for emergency situations, because there are not enough resourc es,” Napartuk told the Nation. “The health of our people in this riding is being put at risk, only because of the lack of support from the current gov ernment. Providing that meaningful representation is going to be crucial.”
As the former mayor of Kuujjuaq, Napartuk has extensive experience with key issues like food security and the high cost of northern living. With Nunavik often feeling ignored by pro vincial politicians, Napartuk wants to be that direct link between government and northern communities.
“One of the biggest complaints is [Lamothe] hardly visits our regions to see what our reality is,” said Napartuk. “I will be much better connected, reporting back what is happening at the government level. From the visit I had in Waskaganish, our concerns and challenges are very similar between the Inuit and the Cree.”
Napartuk said he chose the Liberals partly because he doesn’t want his region to separate from Canada. While the independence question has dom inated Quebec politics for over 50 years, the rise of newer parties like the CAQ and Québec solidaire suggest Quebecers are less interested in this issue.
It remains the raison-d’être for the Parti Québécois, however. The PQ held the Ungava riding for 40 consecutive years before being unseated by the Liberals in 2014. Local PQ candidate Christine Moore believes building a new country would better address northern issues and encourage greater Indigenous involvement in politics.
“We will build that country together that answers our different needs, that understands the reality of the North, instead of having a Canada that ignored you for more than 100 years,” Moore told the Nation. “I think it’s exciting to say we’ll build something togeth er instead of trying to correct all the errors made in the past.”
The former NDP MP for AbitibiTémiscamingue worked as an oncolo gy nurse after leaving federal politics in 2019 to focus on her four children. Moore is motivated to return to politics
by healthcare staffing issues, asserting “we won’t be able to survive four more years in that situation.”
“Healthcare is also related to a lot of other issues,” said Moore. “Twelve in the same house would certainly have an impact on health. All nature is important. I’m fighting for people but also moose and all the other life in Ungava that do not vote.”
The two other candidates in the Ungava riding, incumbent MNA Denis Lamothe and the Conservative Party of Quebec’s Nancy Lalancette, did not respond to interview requests.
Lalancette is a 52-year-old nurs ing assistant from Chibougamau, who is primarily campaigning on the issue of healthcare system reform. Although currently holding only one seat at the National Assembly, the Conservatives has gained popularity by leveraging pandemic discontent and proposing to repeal Bill 96.
While polls suggest the CAQ is lead ing across the province by a large mar gin, much could change before October 3. The results of the Ungava riding will largely depend on whether the two Indigenous candidates can inspire more people to cast ballots.
Lamothe was criticized by the Cree Nation Government this summer after unilaterally announcing the closure of the moose sports hunt while placing blame on the community of Waswanipi. Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty alleged he had never participated in the Cree dialogue and blasted his “colonialist behaviour.”
Gull-Masty hopes to see a representative who understands the unique realities of the Cree, Inuit and Jamesian people in the region. She named the protection of the environment, the fight against racism and domestic violence, and the improvement of mental health support services as issues close to her heart.
The results of the Ungava riding will largely depend on whether the two Indigenous candidates can inspire more people to cast ballots
Each year, September 30th marks the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, an important day for all Canadians. It is a day where we acknowledge and remember the harm caused by aggressive assimilative policies against Indigenous Peoples in this country. The Canadian Government was the architect of this era that led to Indigenous children being harmed, and whose impacts we continue to feel to this day.
We together mourn for those lost, and for the intergenerational repercussions of these acts. We also together take steps together towards reconciliation and to entrench rights and protective measures to ensure this is never repeated on Indigenous children and communities. With the resilience of our Peoples and wisdom of our traditional teachings, we move closer to a place of healing as families, as communities and as a Nation. Together we can build a future that is brighter, healthier and more prosperous for our Peoples. It is with respect and love we acknowledge those who have experienced the impacts of residential schools, and with hope we move forward.
Can we live and survive the same way our ancestors did in this modern world?
by Johnny Dixon | Photo provided by CSBIlove languages and each language is unique. I may be a bit prejudiced, but I believe the Cree language is one of the most beautiful and descriptive languages. It is said that it is one of the more romantic First Nation languages, but each language group can probably claim that about their own.
That being said, what do we mean when we say Deb-eenou? Translated, it means the “true Indian” or “complete Indian”. Is there such a thing? Were our ancestors 50 years ago deb-eenou? Or 100 years ago? Or 500 years ago? What do Deb-eenou look like and how do they live?
In my humble opinion, there is no such thing as Deb-eenou. Do I believe in the Native culture, or the language, or the way of life? Of course, but that’s not the question.
I love our Elders and have a deep respect for them and their knowledge. Unlike other cultures that put away their Elders and deem them useless, we uphold and recognize ours with deep respect. They are the treasures of the Cree culture. They safeguard the wealth of our language and culture and our traditional way of living. We cannot say this to any age group, only to our Elders who have experienced the old way of living. They survived and thrived without our modern hunting and camping equip ment and technologies.
The question is, how far will you go to be a Deb-eenou? As one friend stated,
“A Deb-eenou would be a full-blooded Cree who lives a traditional lifestyle… and doesn’t want to have anything to do with Facebook.” I thought that was a pretty good nutshell definition.
You want to be called a Deb-eenou? How will you live and what will you sac rifice? What does Deb-eenou look like? Do you know the culture 50 years ago or 200 years ago? Can you call yourself a Deb-eenou and have a generator for your electricity at your camp, satellite dish for your TV programs or your truck parked outside?
Cultures and languages change and will continue to change. Our ancestors who lived 100 years ago would not have recognized their culture if they saw our lifestyle. I think we would stand embar rassed as we tried to explain away our differences to them. Our language is constantly changing as are all other languages.
Our language is colourful. I love playing with our language and using its flexibility. For example, in Cree I can say I’m going to the store forwards or backwards. I can say, “I am going to the store”, or, “To the store, I am going.” (Just like Jar Jar Binks, the Star Wars character.)
It’s a descriptive language. For example, in English we say “church” but in Cree, we say “house of prayer”; “school” becomes “house of teaching”, while “bathroom” is “sh*t house”. The latter description may be vulgar to nonCrees, but it’s everyday language for us.
Another way we depart from the tra ditional language is how we speak and write it. Elders did not speak with the F, V, PH sounds nor did they have the R sound. Someone named Philip would be called “Bilib”. Robert became “Lobut”. When they asked for ribbon, it would be “libbon”.
Because of our European schooling, we now speak “prop erly” and pronounce the words as they should be. We say Ph(f)ilip or Rrroberrrt. Our modern Cree syllabics have proper spelling with the F, V, PH, and the R sounds, as well.
But if you want to be a Deb-eenou, how will you talk?
We cannot say we speak Deb-eenou because our language and vocabulary are not the same as they were 25 or 50 years ago. We had to come up with new words to keep up with the trends in technology and medicine. We have the modern, hi-tech Cree and words will continue to evolve with the times. This is normal.
You see, our language and culture grew up in the land, not in a school or town setting, and that is where we need to get it back. Our students – thank goodness they are learning Cree language and culture in school – can only learn the language on the land so it will stay with them. Sitting behind a desk will never suffice to learn deeper Cree language or the culture.
How are we losing our language? It’s by living in an urban setting and getting bombarded by social media. Will there be Cree syllabics on Facebook or social media? I think not, and even if there was, how many would use it?
This comes back to the question, what is Deb-eenou? If I can answer that question, Deb-eenou is who you are now. God made you who you are in the culture he placed you. We try to go back to our way of living as it was 50 or 100 years ago, but we can never emulate our ancestors because we live in a different time and so much has changed. This does not mean we will not try to emulate our ancestors to the best of our knowledge as to how they dress, how they lived, how they hunted.
What is the conclusion? You are a Deb-eenou even if you are hooked on Facebook, but your language will change, and your culture will slip through your fingers like sand. I encourage all to go to the land to get the language and the culture back. I encourage programs and projects to continue to promote our Deb-eenouism. I encourage parents to com municate with their children in Cree. I congratulate schools and encourage their teaching our language and culture. I encourage the involvement of our Elders as much as possible in every sector of the community life.
The good news is we still have our language and live our culture. Other First Nations have sadly lost their languages, though many who have seen their language slip away are retrieving it through the teaching of their Elders. I do not believe this is a losing battle if we cherish our language, cul ture and Cree identity.
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Tunu was born and raised in Nunavik. After moving to di erent communities, he settled down in Kuujjuaq, one of the 14 Inuit communities. He is married to his wife of 15 years and they have 6 children and 1 grandson. Tunu is very proud of his Inuit culture and traditions and is always thrilled to meet other First Peoples’ communities. He truly appreciated his experience as Mayor of Kuujjuaq from 2012 to 2018 and is now ready to give back to all of the constituents of Ungava.
The Cégep Heritage College community recognizes and commemorates the legacy of residential schools. We are committed to working together with First Nations, Métis and Inuit students to include the richness of their cultures and traditions. We are working collaboratively to integrate Indigenous knowledge and teaching methods into classrooms.
Ayouth healing retreat in Eastmain opened a powerful gateway to traditional teachings and cer emonies August 30 to September 2. Nearly 200 Cree youth aged primarily between 13 and 35 came from across Eeyou Istchee to this inaugural event organized by the Cree Health Board’s Nishiiyuu Miyupimaatisiiun department.
“The idea first came partly from a dream,” shared CHB chairperson Bertie Wapachee. “I saw a gathering. My wife kept pushing me during the pandemic to do something for mental health. What if we introduced an alternative to healing for our young people using traditional methods?”
Symbolizing the four directions, the four-day event began with a sacred fire and featured sweat lodges, sunrise and naming ceremonies, one-on-one ses sions and traditional medicine teach ings. Attendees slept in 10 teepees and at breakfast gatherings each morning, one of the traditional healers would share teachings.
“I think it was the first time we saw all those traditional healers in one place,” Wapachee told the Nation. “One of our Elders who knows a lot about tra ditional medicine was able to counsel youth about different conditions, what they could do to change their diet. Some experienced things they never thought they would.”
While the CHB offers mental health services found in other parts of the country, Wapachee has personal expe rience that the unique spiritual guid ance found in the Cree culture can pro vide an important pathway to healthier living that can help overcome trauma and addictions.
“When I was 22, I had my first experience with ceremony,” recalled Wapachee. “Growing up, I was taught that they were just used to put a curse
on families. When I first saw the sunrise ceremony, it heightened my curiosity and drew me in. In a sweat-lodge cere mony, something woke up for me and I decided to never turn back.”
Although Wapachee believes the lingering influence of Christian mission aries creates a stigma around ceremo nies for some Crees, he’s determined to expand traditional healing methods at the CHB while emphasizing they’re not trying to “recruit or assimilate” any one. He asserted that ceremonies are a place you can’t lie to yourself or others, making them a potent force for breaking destructive cycles.
Among the 15 traditional healers at the retreat were six couples and special guests David and Sheryl Blacksmith from Pimicikamak Cree Nation, near Winnipeg. Before the participants arrived, the coordinating committee arranged a schedule with the healers to ensure there was always somebody available for one-on-one sessions.
“One of the highlights was creat ing space for the youth to share their stories, because we’re all feeling the effects of intergenerational trauma,” said Lisa Petagumskum, interim assis tant executive director for Nishiyuu Miyupimaatisiiun. “To create spaces for them to identify which areas of their life they want to work on. It’s a blessing to do that for them, to hear their stories.”
Nishiiyuu’s mandate is to uphold tra ditional pathways to healing, including through ceremonies. Local Nishiiyuu staff collaborated with Youth Chiefs to help identify participants, resulting in
attendance from eight communities. Intense planning and implementation happened throughout the summer, arranging the teepees, firewood and delicious meals.
“There was more in-depth discus sion on the teachings of the different ceremonies,” Petagumskum explained. “They also had fun games like Cree soft ball – you only have two bases, almost like mousey-mousey but with a ball, you have to catch the other one. We feel for the first event it was a success. We’ve asked the youth to identify how we could make it even better for next year.”
While participants generally hid behind hoodies and masks at the begin ning, organizers were delighted to see how they opened up throughout the week, asking tough questions of the traditional healers and learning how to make traditional medicines that can remedy addiction withdrawal symptoms.
“At the beginning of the retreat, one youth wanted to go home,” shared Diane George, Nishiiyuu coordinator of complementary services. “By Friday evening she was crying because she didn’t want to go home. She said, ‘This is the first time I can feel part of some thing, the first time I can feel my own feelings.’ She had numbed her pain for so long.”
Ceremonies are a big part of life for George, who coordinated the event with colleague Jeremiah Mianscum. She understands the power of these rituals and the importance of making them accessible to Cree youth.
“Many times I look back on my own teenage years, wishing I had this type of help to help me understand who I am as a Cree,” George said. “With these ceremonies, when I started walking in my journey, that’s what saved me, and I know it can help others. Not just youth, but adults too.”
Although most participants were around 30 years old, George remembers a boy who went to the sweat ceremony every day. One afternoon, she saw him enthusiastically running there with his hand drum, which touched her heart imagining him paving the way for future generations.
“One of the biggest highlights of the week was when we had eight shake tents at once,” George said. “That was awesome to see and so amazing. There were 180 people who attended – people came from other communities to be there that night. We made history that night. That was the first time it was done in the Cree Nation.”
In a sweat-lodge ceremony, something woke up for me and I decided to never turn back
- Bertie Wapachee, CHB chairperson
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many strategies, hints and tips, visit www.sudokuwiki.org
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by Margie E. BurkeAlong time ago, we had to stand up in class every morning for the “Oh Canada” national anthem, followed by a round of “God Save the Queen”. Over a half century later, the new chant of “Long live the King” resounded quick ly and somewhat quietly, as the United Kingdom announced that Queen Elizabeth II had passed on to the afterlife. Now, the Queen was someone who seemed to be around everywhere and was quite notice able in my pre-teen years.
In fact, one of my sisters was born in the Queen Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert and was named Margaret Grace. In those day, the telegram was the fastest and most expensive way to send a mes sage. My dad, being a cost-cutting type of guy, sent a telegram with just the location, name of town, name of daughter and time of arrival to his sister in Zambia, Africa.
The recipient, some guy who under stood all the dots and dashes and could decipher the most complex message from around the world, somehow got the message that the Queen, Prince Albert, Princess Grace and Queen Mother were all showing up and thus laid out the red carpet for my aunt. She was transported by military helicopter to the main base where she received the telegram on a red pillow with gold embroidery. When she read the message, she burst out laughing telling the turned-out troops, it was just the announcement of her new niece in far-away Canada.
There are no issues with me and the late Queen, as I like to carry her photo
around with me, especially on a $20 bill. Today, it’s electronic money and e-trans fers with absolutely no character at all, much less an image of the world’s richest woman. Now, that role has been passed on to her son, who is really a grandfather a few times over and I’m not sure if I want his picture in my wallet. Maybe a baby picture might do when the King was a little cuter.
However, monarchy does come with its pitfalls, like how to look absolutely spic and span practically every moment of your life and to keep up the image of a grand family with no skeletons in the clos et. However, with a family history that has been recorded for the last 1,000 years, things might be a little hard to keep pri vate. Some kings weren’t exactly the type of guys you wanted to marry if you were a princess in waiting, as some newlywed queens lost their heads when the King grew tired of them and needed a new model. King Henry VIII was someone who spiced up the history books with all kinds of shenanigans. If he behaved that way today, he would end up in a never-ending court drama.
But many small countries, having felt the need to express their present-day annoyance dealing with a foreign power that plundered much of their riches, had a
few comments that are not as cheery as (I would say) 10% of the caring population.
I didn’t even notice the ceremony of declaring the new king, for example, and it didn’t seem to be splashed all over the news like the late Queen’s 1953 coro nation, which was recorded on film and broadcast all over the world. Not even a little hint of that on social media, so I guess most of those on my friends list aren’t monarch watchers...not that I am.
My only real brush with royalty was when I was introduced to a young prince, and I was told to show him how to use a firearm. So, we went off to shoot ground hogs, which were considered pests and a risk of breaking a horse’s leg if one were to step into one of the many holes found around the farm. After several minutes of trying to understand this foreigner, who I discovered was English, although I couldn’t decipher what he was saying.
To make a long story shorter, the prince ended up missing a lot of shots and somehow ended up flying a helicopter gunship when he grew up. I guess some of my teachings rubbed off on him. So, tallyho everyone, enjoy the new crisp bills that will soon emerge from a wallet near you.
What is it with all the hate circulat ing these days? If anyone knows anything about being oppressed or hated it has to be Indigenous people like me. I grew up feeling discriminated against, and I had to push myself to leave my remote First Nation and venture out into the greater world for school at first and then later to work at writing.
My father, Marius Kataquapit, left the North when he was a teenager in the 1950s in search of work in the South, but he realized he couldn’t survive in the outside world on his own at the time. He never liked to talk about it, but he often mentioned being taunted, intimidat ed, excluded and generally looked down upon as a brown-skinned Indigenous man who was not welcome in the cities and towns where he tried to find work.
I decided to write to give a voice to my people, inform others about my traditions and culture, the issues we face, how our communities work and who we are. It sur prised me that there was an interest in the views of an Indigenous person, and I have enjoyed more than 20 years of writing for Native media, tribal councils, First Nation communities and mainstream news.
Happily, I have met many wonder ful people on this journey. I have been encouraged and supported by Indigenous leaders, media producers, editors and journalists and a lot of good people.
These days I am shocked at how the culture and politics of the world is taking a turn to the right and more fascist ways of seeing things. I see so much hate and intolerance promoted in the media, on
social media, and by people I would think were more open, loving and hopeful about the world. There is a huge movement that is well financed and equipped to promote hate and fear these days. It is ending up with right-wing governments gaining power around the world, even in peaceful and socially democratic Canada.
I love to study history and I have come to understand that the movements on the right in the past were always about the very rich and powerful pushing back on any interest in the public sharing wealth, having democratic elections, providing unions for workers, making education accessible and affordable and providing public health. Wars and far-right political movements are always a strategy of the very wealthy to ensure that they are mak ing profits in armament sales, grabbing resources, weakening any challenge to power and sending young people off to die. This seems so terrible and evil, yet history proves that this has happened time and time again.
Hate, conspiracy theories, fear and misinformation can be marketed like Coca-Cola or Tide laundry detergent. All that is needed is a lot of money, bright people to initiate the messages, corpo rately controlled media that will never question the narrative of those in power, and a public that can be targeted and convinced of just about anything.
I like to believe that more and more people are figuring out that a world of war, hate, fear and right-wing political movements are not something that just happens randomly but are orchestrat
ed by the very wealthy. The partnership between war, the military and big busi ness is what US President Ike Eisenhower warned against in this 1961 farewell speech – what he famously referred to as the military-industrial complex. He real ized how dangerous the world would become if the power ended up in the hands of those who were only concerned with money and might.
Ask an Indigenous person what rac ism and hate are all about and they will tell you how it feels to be discriminated against and marginalized. We need to become activists and do our best to pro tect our democracies. If we fail to do this in the next few years our young people and future generations will be inheriting a very unfair, intolerant and oppressive environment.
I don’t think most of us realize just how much our democracy is in danger. We have to do our best to become involved with more social-democratic political movements or at the very least make our voices heard when we see or hear hateful speech or ideas.
Indigenous people across Canada are doing better these days because our leaders, our Elders and our people fought against discrimination, colonial oppres sion and racism. This goes to show that it is possible to overcome hate and fear. We all have a responsibility to protect and promote our social democracy here in Canada and if we miss this opportunity future generations of both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people will be living in a very dark and dangerous world.
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On this September 30th, let us mark the Truth and Reconciliation Day. This day exists to remind us of the truth about residential schools. This year one of the themes is returning the children to their homes.
FNEE WOULD LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE HOPE OF HEALING, FOR A BRIGHTER AND MORE EQUITABLE FUTURE … BECAUSE EVERY CHILD MATTERS.
TO APPLY
US
Monday, October 3
Tuesday, October 4 Wednesday, October 5 Thursday, October 6 Friday, October 7
1 Whapmagoostui Chisasibi Wemindji Eastmain Waskaganish
Monday, October 17
Tuesday, October 18
Wednesday, October 19 Thursday, October 20
2 Nemaska Waswanipi Oujé-Bougoumou Mistissini
After two years of pandemic disruptions, we look forward to this opportunity to visit your communities and schools.