The Nation | Vol. 30, No. 08

Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

On wood harvesting and forestry activities in the Nord-du-Québec region

From January 23 to February 16, 2023, the ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts (MRNF) is inviting the public to express their views on the forestry activities listed in the Integrated Forest Management Plans - Operational (PAFIOs) for management units (MU) 026-61, 026-62, 026-63, 026-64, 026-65, 026-66, 085-51, 086-52, 086-63, 086-64, 086-65, 086-66, 087-51, 087-62, 087-63 and 087-64.

During this period, the public is invited to comment on potential new forest operation zones, specifically regarding:

1. Potential forest operation zones (secteurs d’intervention potentiels - SIPs) for commercial and non-commercial silvicultural work (timber harvesting, field preparation, reforestation, plantation maintenance and pre-commercial thinning).

INFORMATION SESSIONS

The Department will hold information sessions during which regional representatives will present a summary of the content of these management plans and be available to answer questions.

026-61, 026-62, 026-63, 026-64, 026-65 et 026-66

085-51

086-52, 086-63, 086-64, 086-65 et 086-66

087-51, 087-62, 087-63 et 087-64

CONTACT INFORMATION

Tuesday, February 7, 2023, starting at 12:00 p.m.

Thursday, February 2, 2023, starting at 7:00 p.m.

Wednesday, February 1, 2023, starting at 6:00 p.m.

Monday, February 6, 2023, starting at 12:00 p.m.

Chibougamau: City Hall Room (650, 3e Rue)

Beaucanton: Municipal Building Room A (2709, boulevard du Curé-McDuff)

Matagami: EIJBRG Head Office – Large Hall (2, rue des Rapides)

Lebel-sur-Quévillon : salle no 6 de l’Hôtel de ville (500, place Quévillon)

People who do not have access to an Internet service or who want more information are invited to contact the Department by telephone, using the following information:

Unité de gestion de Chibougamau

624, 3e Rue

Chibougamau (Québec) G8P 1P1

Téléphone : 418 748-2647

HOW TO PARTICIPATE

Unité de gestion de Quévillon

1121, boulevard Industriel, C. P. 159

Lebel-sur-Quévillon (Québec) J0Y 1X0

Téléphone : 819 755-4838

Unité de gestion de Mont-Plamondon

645, 1re Rue Est

La Sarre (Québec) J9Z 3P3

Téléphone : 819 339-7623

Unité de gestion de l’Harricana-Nord

1122, route 111 Est

Amos (Québec) J9T 1N1

Téléphone : 819 444-5238

Interested parties have until 11:59 p.m. on February 16, 2023, to view the documents and provide their comments on the plans being consulted by completing the form available on our website: Quebec.ca/consultations-foret-nord-du-québec

IMPORTANT: To be informed of the Department’s upcoming public consultations in the Nord-du-Québec region, please send a request to nord-du-quebec.foret@mffp.gouv.qc.ca with “Demande d’inscription sur la liste de diffusion” in the subject line of your email.

Human rights

by Will Nicholls

In a scathing report, the US-based group Human Rights Watch is denouncing Canada’s failures to meet its fiduciary responsibility toward First Nations and Inuit peoples.

At the top of the list is the continuing water advisories for 33 First Nation communities.

“Inadequate access to clean, safe drinking water continues to pose a major public health crisis in many Indigenous communities and impede efforts to advance Indigenous rights in Canada, one of the world’s most water-rich countries,” says the report.

The Trudeau government promised to end all drinking water advisories in First Nations communities by 2021. Two years later, it’s nice to see international attention on the problem.

The HRW highlights the violence against First Nations and Inuit women. According to the group, more than 80% of Indigenous women in Canada who were in foster care as children have suffered sexual abuse.

It’s not surprising that the Native Women’s Association of Canada (NWAC) has said the federal government’s performance on the issue of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls is a failure. In Indigenous circles we have always suspected there were serial killers out there. Just look at BC pig farmer Robert Pickton who claimed he murdered 49 women, many of whom were Indigenous. It helped lead to the MMIWG inquiry, but as NWAC asks, what has really been done since then?

But hell, Saskatchewan is where you can legally kill a First Nations person for trespassing on your land. The courts

might have said the shooting of Colten Boushie in 2016 was an accident, but a weapons expert said the farmer’s story was impossible. Boushie was shot execution style in the back of the head, but that was somehow an accident despite real proof that this was not possible with that type of weapon. Information the police would have known.

“Decades of structural and systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples has led to widespread abuses that persist across Canada,” states the HRW in its annual study.

Then there’s Canada’s climate change policy that the HRW criticized. The report censures Ottawa for financing fossil-fuel projects.

“Canada is the top public financier of fossil fuels among G20 nations and projects increased oil and gas production through 2050,” says the report. “Canadian oil sands are among the most carbon-intensive and polluting oil production methods globally. The government continues to permit oil and gas pipeline expansions, including on First Nations’ lands.

Fossil-fuel production disregards the government’s human rights obligation.

“Federal and provincial climate change policies have failed to put in

place adequate measures to support First Nations in adapting to current and anticipated impacts of climate change and have largely ignored the impacts of climate change on First Nations’ right to food,” says the report.

HRW criticizes “inadequate” government response to the issue, and calls for stronger climate targets. Warming temperatures are affecting food sources for northern Indigenous peoples and other inhabitants. It’s making it difficult for people to live with the land when it is changing so quickly.

Despite the increased food insecurity that exacerbates pre-existing health issues, the feds don’t appear to care, said the HRW.

The warming climate is reducing traditional food sources and making it difficult for communities to live off the land – forcing many to supplement their diets with expensive or unhealthy food imported from other parts of Canada and worsening pre-existing economic and health issues, says the report.

So, disregard the syrupy smiles in Justin Trudeau’s selfies with Indigenous leaders. Don’t trust his sweet words about reconciliation. Check his actions. They’re the same as his predecessors.

news@nationnews.ca ADS: Danielle Valade: ads@nationnews.ca; Donna Malthouse: donna@beesum.com

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“Decades of structural and systemic discrimination against Indigenous peoples has led to widespread abuses that persist across Canada”

- The HRW

Pretendians

Cindy Blackstock condemns Indigenous identity fraud in wake of Turpel-Lafond’s downfall

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

ACBC investigation disproving Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond’s claims of Indigenous descent is stirring controversy about the extent of Indigenous identity fraud in the highest levels of Canadian legal, political and academic institutions.

Until the revelations, the lawyer, former judge and legislative advocate of children’s rights had been celebrated as among Canada’s most accomplished scholars. Turpel-Lafond was believed to be the first treaty Indian to be appointed a judge in Saskatchewan in 1998 and was a 2021 recipient of the Order of Canada.

After serving many years as British Columbia’s first Representative for Children and Youth, in 2018 she became the inaugural director of the Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre at the University of British Columbia.

While UBC first said Turpel-Lafond was not hired because of her Indigenous ancestry claims, a statement on January 17 clarified that “it would have also been understood that it was an implicit expectation.” According to the statement, UBC regretted their silence was interpreted as continued support, admitting engagement with their Indigenous community has been inadequate and promising to do better.

“To see UBC come out in quick defence, then bury its head in the sand is a real disappointment,” observed Cindy Blackstock, executive director of First Nations Child and Family Caring Society.

Blackstock, a UBC alumna and member of the Gitxsan First Nation, initially reserved judgment on the issue but was convinced when Turpel-Lafond’s father’s birth certificate was uncovered, showing he was the natural-born child of British parents and not an adopted boy from the

Norway House Cree Nation of undetermined parentage as previously claimed.

“I think she owes an apology to Norway House in particular,” Blackstock told the Nation. “Making claims to that community put community members in a very awkward space when that all came to light. When you’re defeating colonialism, you become aware of the sacredness of a First Nations, Métis or Inuit identity.”

In CBC journalist Geoff Leo’s initial exposé, evidence suggested TurpelLafond was likely born in Niagara Falls, where her parents were on voting lists, although her grandfather was a doctor at Norway House in the 1920s and 1930s. Her father’s appearance and behaviour led some of her cousins to suspect he was Indigenous through some family secret. In the late 1980s Turpel-Lafond told sisters that her research showed he was Cree.

Similarly murky claims to Indigenous ancestry, often relating to distant relations centuries ago or shifting between First Nations over the years, have resulted in controversies involving author Joseph Boyden, filmmaker Michelle Latimer and Canada’s former “leading Indigenous health scientist” Carrie Bourassa.

Bourassa was suspended and eventually resigned from the University of Saskatchewan, which released an independent report last October authored by Métis lawyer Jean Teillet. She writes that well-intentioned initiatives to allocate spaces for Indigenous people have naively relied on self-identification, often as simple as ticking a box.

“The academy seriously underestimated the fact that so many individuals would seek to exploit that ignorance for their personal gain,” wrote Teillet in her 84-page report. “As a consequence, there were few checks and balances

to detect or deter Indigenous identity fraud.”

Teillet recommended that employment or scholarships for Indigenous people require documented proof of ancestry or oral evidence. The 28-person Indigenous task force appointed by the University of Saskatchewan stated that federally issued Indian status cards are a simple method for verifying at least one parent is a treaty Indian.

Turpel-Lafond’s misrepresentation extends to her academic and job credentials. In her 2018 UBC CV personally submitted as evidence to the MMIWG inquiry, she listed a Harvard doctorate in 1990 that was in fact awarded in 1997 and a master’s degree from Cambridge that was a substantially different diploma.

Blackstock believes these inconsistencies combined with a non-existent book and honorary doctorate justify reviewing Turpel-Lafond’s work in critical areas impacting Indigenous peoples, such as Bill C-92 regarding Indigenous child welfare.

“She clearly took up space where others could have had an opportunity,” said Blackstock. “This is a contemporary form of colonialism. Instead of taking up land, it is taking up resources and opportunity based on false credentials. Where opportunities were gained and financial revenue received, I’d like there be some kind of criminal penalty for this fraud.”

After a group called the Indigenous Women’s Collective called on universities to rescind Turpel-Lafond’s 10 honorary degrees, several Indigenous women said if that they don’t, they’ll return theirs.

On December 13, Senator Mary Jane McCallum denounced so-called “pretendians” in Parliament, arguing the issue particularly harms Indigenous women by stealing “our voice, our power and our hard-earned places in society.”

The fight is over

Beloved NHL enforcer

Gino Odjick dies at 52

by

Gino Odjick, a former NHL player from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg First Nation near Maniwaki, passed away January 15 at the age of 52, his family announced in a social media post.

“Our hearts are broken. My brother Gino Odjick has left us for the spirit world,” his sister Dina Odjick posted on Facebook. “We are saddened to announce the passing of my brother Gino Odjick on Jan. 15. A life so beautifully lived deserves to be beautifully remembered,” wrote another sister, Janique Odjick.

Odjick became famous as an enforcer with the Vancouver Canucks, playing with them for eight years. He then spent time with the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers before finishing his career with the Montreal Canadiens – for whom he scored his last NHL goal during the 2002 playoffs.

“Gino was a fan-favourite from the moment he joined the organization, putting his heart and soul into every shift on and off the ice,” Vancouver Canucks Chairman and Governor Francesco Aquilini commented.

Throughout his NHL career, Odjick wore the number 29 on his jersey in honour of his father Joseph, who was given that number when he was registered at the Spanish Indian Residential School in Ontario.

In 2014, Odjick was diagnosed with amyloidosis, which affects organ function. Odjick shared a message through his best friend, Peter Leech, which explained that when he was first diagnosed, “We thought it was going to be the end of Gino’s life.”

Indeed, doctors told Odjick he may have only months or weeks to live, but he survived nearly a decade with the incurable disease.

“He always thought of himself with the quote we would share with the Indigenous youth in our workshops together, ‘We are two little old Indian boys who grew up on the rez, if we can do it, why can’t you do it?’ He never forgot where he came from, and who he was,” Leech said in the statement.

Ben Powless Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Photo provided by Norm Odjick

Used sparingly, Odjick still managed to rack up 64 goals and 73 assists in 605 professional games and was part of the Canucks’ Stanley Cup finals team in 1994. That was also his best offensive season, scoring 16 goals. However, he was best known for his physicality, incurring 2,567 penalty minutes during his 15-year career.

“In the early days of his career, he visited the youth, he donated hockey equipment, and he helped our youth pursue their dreams. Finally, he provided advice to aspiring hockey players and was a strong advocate for First Nations education,” Kitigan Zibi Chief Dylan Whiteduck said in a statement.

“Mr. Odjick was a proud Algonquin Anishinabe and the community is very proud of his accomplishments. Gino was a hero and a community legend. It’s a tremendous loss for the community and the Algonquin Nation.”

His cousin Norm Odjick told the Nation that Gino only decided to pursue hockey in his teenage years. “He wasn’t the most dedicated student,” Norm remembered with a laugh.

When a teacher asked what he wanted to do in life, Gino said he was going to play in the NHL. “The teacher said good luck with that,” Norm chuckled.

He would later play as a junior with the Hawkesbury Hawks where he would earn the name “The Algonquin Assassin” for his skills as a fighter, before joining the Laval Titans in the Quebec Major Junior league. It was then that he was called up to the big leagues, being drafted in the fifth round by the Canucks in 1990.

“We were pretty excited when he got drafted by the Canucks. Coming from the rez, the odds are against you. It was amazing he got the chance and stayed there for so long,” Norm added. He said that Gino was a major source of pride for the community. “It gave people a chance to see that if you work hard enough, you can live your dream.”

It was a big change moving to Vancouver from a small reserve. But Gino fell in love with Vancouver and the local First Nations, eventually moving back there after he retired.

Norm credited Gino’s longevity to his ability to protect his teammates. In his first game, he fought with two established heavyweights, which earned him the respect and admiration of Vancouver fans. “That impressed people a lot, never backing down from anyone,” Norm said.

However, his biggest impact would come when he used his celebrity to visit

Indigenous communities to speak with youth and conduct workshops, Norm said. “His legacy to me is his kindness and willingness to help everyone, especially the youth – and his big message wasn’t about sports, but education: the key to success in the future lies in education.”

Off the ice, “He liked to joke around a lot, one of those guys who loved life.” After he retired, Norm said, people would frequently approach him for a photo or autograph, which he never shied away from. That Gino always took the time to talk to fans was part of his humility, Norm added.

“It was the hockey that made him famous, but it was everything he did for First Nations and First Nations youth that kept him being so loved by everyone,” Norm emphasized.

Flags at City of Vancouver buildings were lowered to half-mast in his remembrance, while the Canucks held a pre-game ceremony and moment of silence on January 18. In Maniwaki, a “Hometown Celebration of Life” was held January 29 at the local arena, Le Centre Gino-Odjick.

Cree and Innu launch dialogue

The Cree Nation Government and the Innu Nation met January 25 at MatimekushLac John to “coordinate and harmonize certain activities of our respective nations,” both groups announced.

They hope to resolve common issues identified by tallymen, community members and leadership, and establish effective communication channels between the two entities.

“For many generations, our nations have held relations with one another as well as with the land,” Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty said in a statement. “The Cree and Innu have historic family ties that bind us still today. We are hopeful that these discussions can lead us to a revival of our long-standing relationship guided by the mutual respect of our distinct traditions and customs.”

Both nations hope to develop a mutually beneficial relationship that will help both advance their political goals.

“This type of dialogue is not only a symbol of the autonomy and sovereignty of our peoples, it is also the best way to manage our territory and its resources according to our values and traditions,” said Mike Mckenzie, Chief of the Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam Innu Nation. “We are grateful to the

Cree Nation for their openness and collaboration. United, we can go further to protect our rights and cultures.”

Cree join residential school settlement

The Grand Council of the Crees, the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the shíshálh (also known as the Sechelt First Nation) announced they had reached a $2.8 billion settlement with Canada in recognition of the harms suffered by Indigenous communities from the residential school system.

The class action was brought forward by representatives of the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the shíshálh with support from the Cree in 2013, with 325 First Nations bands joining the lawsuit as class members.

The settlement, which still must be approved in Federal Court, would establish a trust to distribute the funds to all 325 bands to support revitalization of Indigenous languages and culture, wellness programs and heritage protection.

Each band would also be eligible to receive a share of the annual investment income from the remaining funds over a period of 20 years, before remaining money would be turned over to the bands. Nine Eeyou Istchee communities are listed as members of this class.

The former Chief of Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc, Shane Gottfriedson, is the representative plaintiff.

“Our Nations started this lawsuit because we saw the devastating impacts that residential schools had on our Nations as a whole. The residential school system decimated our languages, profoundly damaged our cultures, and left a legacy of social harms,”

Gottfriedson said in a statement.

“The effects go beyond my generation. It will take many generations for us to heal. This settlement is about taking steps towards undoing the damage that was done to our Nations.”

Added former Grand Chief Matthew Coon-Come: “This settlement agreement shows that Canada is taking responsibility for past actions and is resolving to do better on this journey of reconciliation. This court case has been a long fight, but the truth is, it is just the beginning.”

“This type of dialogue is not only a symbol of the autonomy and sovereignty of our peoples, it is also the best way to manage our territory and its resources according to our values and traditions”

- Mike Mckenzie, Chief, Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam Innu Nation

SPACE WALKER

First Indigenous woman in space soars into history

by Ben Powless, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Photo provided by NASA

Nicole Aunapu Mann, who became the first Native American woman in space last fall, set another landmark January 20 becoming the first Indigenous person to complete a spacewalk.

Born in Petaluma, California, Mann is a registered member of the Wailacki of the Round Valley Indian Tribes. She blasted off October 5 as the head of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station (ISS), where she will stay for another few weeks.

She spent seven hours outside the space station working with Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency to install brackets and struts that will be used for solar panels and will be attached later this year.

NASA said she will do another spacewalk February 2 with Wakata

to finish the installation of hardware for the solar array. Aboard the ISS, they are joined by colleagues from Canada, the US, Russia, Europe and Japan.

“I feel very proud,” Mann told the Guardian newspaper in an interview before she departed in October. “It’s important that we celebrate our diversity and really communicate that specifically to the younger generation.”

Before her career as an astronaut, Mann was a decorated colonel with the U.S. Marines, where she flew thousands of hours in 25 types of aircraft, including 47 combat missions in Iraq and Afghanistan. Then in 2013 she was selected as one of eight members of NASA’s 21st astronaut class, which she completed in 2015.

She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering

from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1999 before completing a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University in 2001. When she’s not flying hundreds of kilometres above Earth, she lives in Houston with her husband and son.

In an interview with her hometown newspaper, the Petaluma Argus-Courier, Judy Coffey said she knew Mann since she was a child. “What I can remember is she always loved the sky,” she said. “She would always talk about the stars and the moon. I can remember that so clearly. She was intrigued by the sky and space when she was 10, 12, 13 years old. It didn’t always make sense to me at the time, but it sure does today.”

Prior to Mann, the only other Native American to fly in space was John Herrington, who flew on a shuttle mission in 2002.

NEW WHEELS

Montreal auto show returns with an expanded electric-vehicle options

he 2023 Montreal International Auto Show was the first public automobile event in Canada since the Covid pandemic began in 2020. It was no surprise to see car companies competing to make a bold statement in their electric technology advancement and future vision

This year the venue was packed with North American and Asian car brands. At the entrance, Buick debuted the stunning electric-car concept. Apart from its all-electric features, it boasts the inclusion of advanced artificial intelligence and biometric technology. You’ll have to wait to find out the selling price when the model hits the market. On the other hand, the gas car line-up showed the 2023 Encore small SUV with a starting price at $28,192 to the seven-seater Enclave Avenir midsize SUV starting

Chevrolet continues its effort to transition from gas to electric in all segments, including cars, SUVs and trucks. The all-electric Equinox and Blazer SUVs are in the preproduction stage and are expected to reach the market in 2024. They will have a range of approximately 515 kilometres on full charge with an acceleration of 0-96 km/h in 4 seconds; this will surely excite many fast-lane and off-road drivers.

Chevrolet’s electric vehicle propulsion warranty covers an eight-year period or 160,000 kms. In the car line-up, both the electric Bolt EV and Bolt EUV came without many changes from the previous year models with a price tag of around $40,000 and a driving range of approximately 400 kms on full charge.

In its truck lineup, the new Silverado EV is an all-electric truck, built on its Ultium battery platform, which focuses on electric propulsion, torque and zero emissions. It is expected to arrive at dealerships in fall 2023. It has a range of 640 kms on full charge with up to 754 HP and can hit from 0-96 km/h under 4.5 seconds. The regular gas version of Colorado, Silverado HD and Silverado 1500 were displayed with few changes from last year. Although the bottom level Colorado starts at $32,142, the fully loaded Silverado 1500 has a price tag of $87,092.

The new GMC Hummer EV is something that goes beyond our imagination in the electric truck and SUV category. This off-roader comes with a 1000 HP electric powertrain and can reach 0-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds. Interestingly, it has a rearwheel steering system and can be driven sideways, what they call “Crabwalk mode” to move diagonally. Ruggedness is the signature design cue of Hummer vehicles; certainly, the look and specs of this vehicle have taken it to the next level of off-road driving imagination.

Photos and story by Prem Lee Prasannam

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two options, either a 2.0L Turbo 4-cylinder or 3.6L V6; both are 9-speed and have a host of options for shoppers to add on. If you are into American gas trim cars, this is something to check out.

In the luxury section, the all-electric Cadillac Lyriq midsize SUV caught a lot of attention this year for its modern styling and comfortable interior packed with advanced electronics. It offers rear-wheel and dual-motor options with a range of approximately 500 kms. The 33-inch diagonal display panel and its LED taillights make it unique among other contenders.

The Korean car brands, Hyundai and Kia, brought excitement to visitors with their new concept cars and all-electric models. The futuristic design styling, improved product quality and their price

directly with Tesla in the small-car seg ment. It may offer a similar or lesser price, advanced utility and a better design cue comparable to Porsche. Ioniq 6 comes with dual motors – front and rear – which provide the all-wheel drive function. It will get an approximate range of 540 kms on full charge. To get maximum value for your investment, it offers a powertrain and battery warranty for 10 years.

Hyundai is focused on shifting 90% of its current fleet either to fully electric or hybrid electric by 2025. There is surely a renewed enthusiasm to revive the brand image to compete with the big players. Check out the current production models – Ioniq 5, Tucson, Santa Fe, Elantra, Kona – all offer either electric, plug-in-hybrid or pure hybrid versions along with its gas variants. Interestingly, the price gap

The Kia EV6 is the answer for pure per formance SUV seekers. It offers options with motors on rear wheels, dual, or a GT version. The GT version produces 576 horsepower and 545 lb. -ft. of torque and takes the car from 0-100 km/h in 3.5 seconds with a top speed of 260 km/h. With all these capabilities, it gives a decent electric driving range of 332 kms. The price starts at $50,000 and the fully loaded GT version goes for around $80,000. The other KIA electric and hybrid vehicles models – Niro, Sportage, Soul, Sorento – are currently available on the market along with their gas variants.

The newly arrived Vietnamese contingent VinFast is planning to launch its all-electric fleet, manufactured in Vietnam and shipped to North America. The parent company, Vingroup, is gearing up to bring

approximate range of 500 kms in one full change. It is still not known what the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) ratings will be for these cars in the harsh North American conditions. The product lineup is expected to reach North American dealerships in late 2023.

In Japanese cars, Toyota debuted its battery-electric SUV bZ4X with a 400 kms range. The exterior design is much sharper than the Prius and RAV4, but the interior styling looked average and didn’t quite stand up to its Korean competition. Its iconic Camry to Corolla, Venza, Highlander, Sequoia, Sienna and Tundra trucks all come with a hybrid variant. It is a clear sign from Toyota about their longterm strategy and ambition to move away from the gas-engine era.

than the previous year model. On a single tank of hydrogen, it can run 647 kms while emitting only water when driving. It is yet to be seen how government agencies will help scale up more hydrogen filling stations across North America for a larger adoption of this technology.

The concept RZ is the first attempt Lexus is making to launch a fully electric car. It seems to have inherited design elements from Toyota’s bZ4X, a slightly scaled-up version for certain buyers. It has a standard all-wheel drive system, exotic interior lighting, and soft leather materials. The NX 450e is the only plug-in hybrid electric on the market and the company seems to be struggling to change its existing hybrid technology models like ESh, LCh and LSh.

million, which comes with a V12 engine, and generates 796 HP to hit 0 to 100 in 2.9 seconds. If you are sitting on your flying yacht and wondering where the next small investment should go, this could be the one. As in previous years, Lamborghini Huracán had a quiet spot in the venue with a price tag of $469,900.

Over the last few years, electric vehicles zoomed in the fast lane but now can conquer rugged terrains. GMC’s Hummer and Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 are all making a big statement in how they envision the future of the auto industry. The electric initiative can only be successful when EV vehicles reach households at an affordable price along with radical improvements in battery technology, performance, driving range, improved charging time and undisruptive power grid.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIY

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE AND TREASURER

The Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government (EIJBRG) represents an historical initiative aiming to harmonise the relations between Jamesians and Cree for the governance of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory located north of the 49th parallel. This modern approach allows both communities to contribute meaningfully to the prosperity of this promising territory by exercising the municipal management and land management authority over the largest territory in Quebec.

It is in this context that the EIJBRG is looking for a dynamic, dedicated and motivated person to fill the position of Director of Finance and Treasurer in Matagami.

MAIN DUTIES

Under the supervision of the Director General, the Director of Finance and Treasurer is responsible for managing the finances and the treasury of the EIJBRG. This includes:

• Planning, organising, controlling and assessing the financial and accounting services operations. He/she will develop and implement the financial systems of the organisation. He/she will establish the performance standards and prepare various reports for the Executive Management.

• More specifically, he/she is responsible for the activities related to the operating and capital budgets, the preparation of financial statements and their audit, the planning of the financial needs of the Regional Government and the control of current operations: assessment, taxation, collection, accounting, payroll, purchasing, accounts payable, information technology and general insurance.

WORK CONDITIONS

Permanent full-time position (37.5 hours per week)

Salary between $98,592 et $124,894 based on experience and skills

Competitive benefits, including an annual isolation allowance of $7,000, a defined benefit pension plan and a group insurance plan.

NECESSARY EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Relevant experience in accounting, auditing, budgeting, planning and financial analysis or any other operation of a financial nature, preferably in the municipal, public or semipublic sector

• Good knowledge of the laws and the main standards related to the field of operation. An in-depth knowledge of the treasury management rules is essential

• University education in accounting, administration with a specialisation in finance or the equivalent

• Any combination of training and experience will be evaluated based on merit

• Knowledge of the usual computer applications and accounting systems

• Excellent communication skills in both languages (French and English) is an asset.

Obituaries

Tribute to Peter William Hutchins

(1945 – 2023)

On January 13, 2023, Peter William Hutchins passed away in Montreal.

Over the past fifty years, I worked with Peter W. Hutchins for the recognition, protection and continuity of the rights of the Eeyou Istchee.

As a lawyer, Peter W. Hutchins was dedicated and passionate with strengths of judgment, perspective, fairness and perseverance. And I know Peter had compassion for his Cree clients.

As an individual, Peter was much more than a lawyer to me. He was a close friend and confidante. I had many wonderful times and I cherish my memories of our friendship.

In 1971, upon learning about a new, gigantic hydroelectric development project scheduled for construction in the Cree territories, the Cree Chiefs and leaders of James Bay held their first-ever meeting in Mistissini to discuss the proposed project. We needed to organize to face this new challenge as the Eeyou had not been consulted about this project.

The planned project would pose serious environmental and social impacts for us. The governments of Canada and Quebec and Hydro-Québec ignored us and denied our rights. We decided to oppose the gigantic $6 billion hydroelectric development project which would flood valuable hunting territories of the Cree people. Hence, in 1971, we commenced our journey for social justice.

It was very difficult to find suitable and willing legal counsel at the beginning of our journey. In the early 1970s, Peter W. Hutchins was a young lawyer, who with James O’Reilly, Jacques

Beaudoin and Monique Caron, was willing to act as legal counsel in our court cases and subsequent negotiations to protect our land, rights and way of life.

The initial court case resulted with the Malouf decision, which recognized our rights to our land: Eeyou Istchee.

Peter served as legal counsel in the subsequent negotiations regarding hunting and fishing rights, social and environmental protection, land rights and regime, governance and the Cree Hunters Income Security Program.

On November 11, 1975, the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, a modern treaty that recognizes and protects our rights, was signed by the Government of Canada, Government of Quebec and Native representatives. I am one of the Cree signatories.

Then Peter assisted in the pursuit of the proper implementation of the treaty.

From 1975 to 1984, Peter and I were involved in the discussions and negotiations with the Government of Canada for the Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act which provides for and recognizes the right of Cree self-government. In addition, the Cree-Naskapi (of Quebec) Act terminated the application of the Indian Act for the Cree and Naskapi First Nations in the territory.

From 1975 to 1999, Peter and I took part in discussions and negotiations with Canada and the United States in amending the 1916 Migratory Birds

Convention which prohibited the harvesting of migratory birds in the spring and summer. The negotiations successfully resulted in the 1999 Protocol to Amend the 1916 Migratory Birds Convention, which was signed by Canada and the US. The amendment recognizes the right of Aboriginal people to harvest migratory birds throughout the year.

I know that Peter W. Hutchins was involved in other litigations and negotiations for other Aboriginal peoples as well.

The Cree people of Eeyou Istchee have been through many difficult times and challenges and emerged from them stronger as individuals, families, communities, and as a people and nation.

We have restored our cultural integrity, historical identity and self-governing status. And we have determined and taken our rightful place in Canadian society as Eeyou/Eenou of Eeyou Istchee.

I thank Peter William Hutchins for his invaluable contributions to the Cree people and Nation of Eeyou Istchee during this amazing journey over the past 50 years.

Dr. PhiliP AwAshish Mistissini EEnou ElDEr

Start early

Preserving the language protects our identity and cultural strength

by Joshua Loon

When I was eight years old, I remember waking up before dawn at our bush camp. I can still hear the crackling sound from the wood burning stove. I rose slowly from my bed and thought to myself, why are we up so early? Then my grandfather said ‘Wins-chga’, which means wake up in Cree.

“I got dressed, ate and just before the sunrise, we headed out on the James Bay with our boat. The bay was so calm, it was like riding on a huge mirror glass. As the sun touched the bay, my grandfather shouted from the back of the boat, ‘When you are out on the bay, you start early, so you won’t get caught up with low tides and high winds’.”

Suddenly, a phone rang, and Jamie Moses came out of his daydream about this time spent with his grandfather 35 years ago.

Moses is the recently appointed Cree Language Commissioner. A Cree from Eastmain, his mission is to keep the Cree language strong and vibrant. Moses was always exposed to traditional culture by his grandparents and Cree was their primary language. Today, he is thankful for the chance he had to practice his culture and now to share it.

He believes knowing Cree helps keeps the community united. “It is

important to keep the language because it is part of our identity,” Moses insisted.

In 2019, the Cree Nation Government adopted the first bill to preserve the Cree language. For years there has been concerns that young children and teens are losing their first language. Language and cultural programs were developed for the youth but there are few teachers because it is largely seasonal work. This is a challenge for Moses’ office.

But he has a plan as Cree Language Commissioner. First, he wants to see local representatives from each community who can monitor and encourage the youth to participate in the language programs. He’s also looking for traditional knowledge keepers to engage the people who want to learn Cree. Finally, he intends to design year-round programs.

Parental participation is very important in his vision. Keeping an Indigenous language alive starts at home and determines whether the child speaks and understands their first language. “My office will not make an impact if

the community does not collaborate,” Moses observed.

Joshua Iserhoff, from Nemaska, recently moved to Montreal for educational purposes. A father of children aged 6 and 4, he speaks to them in both Cree and English because many words – such as laptop, remote, satellite –have not yet been created in Cree.

“It is a challenge for us to teach our kids Cree when our terminology is not updated fast enough,” said Iserhoff.

The digital world that we live in today is changing the way people communicate. English is the primary language for Cree people because not everyone is capable to read or write in Cree syllabics.

“If I’m texting my parents, I am writing in English because we don’t have the capacity to write in Cree syllabics,” noted Iserhoff.

He believes internet is a hugely beneficial for our daily lives but can be distracting if we don’t use it wisely. He suggested a television channel devoted to Cree programming for Eeyou Istchee would benefit the Cree language. It

could air anything from news, events, sports to children’s shows.

Contributing your skills and talent to your community can have a huge impact says Kahnawake’s Konwatsitsawi Phillips. He is a culture and language officer as well as a production assistant and puppeteer for a children’s show in Kahnawake.

Phillips learned from her grandmother, someone who believed in the importance of speaking the Kanien’kehá language. Helping her people was her passion and had a big influence on her granddaughter’s life. Phillips now helps her community by working with a puppet show for kids called Granny Bear. Broadcast on YouTube, it’s been running for 19 years.

Her dream is to see the language become strong enough that it would be commonly spoken in public.

“I would love to see a time where my native language is used as much as English,” said Phillips. “It will take time and effort from everyone, but I do believe that it will get there some day.”

Nicolas Renaud, a First Peoples Studies professor at Concordia University, stated that the last fluent Wendat speakers were in the late 19th century. Hardship during the 1800s, intermarriage with French Canadians, and proximity of Wendake to Quebec City were central factors in the decline of the language. Through determination and hard work, they have managed to revive the Wendat language, “People used to say this language is extinct. Now we want to say dormant since we’re trying to speak it again,” said Renaud, a member of the HuronWendat First Nation of Wendake.

The Wendat language was documented by French colonists and clergy to further the fur trade, military alliances, and religious conversion.

With anthropologists and linguists at Université Laval, Wendake researched the language to understand it and bring it back. People felt the call to learn it and teach it to others, and it grew from there. They later started offering classes to adults, programs in elementary school in the community, resources

online to translate into pronouns and courses offered outside the community.

“We made the effort, we learned the structure, we learned the words, but we don’t have enough opportunity to speak,” noted Renaud.

He said it’s an advantage that the Cree, Mohawk and Innu have fluent speakers in their communities.

“Hopefully they don’t let it get to the point where you have to go to old recordings like the Wendat,” said Renaud.

Despite the relative strength of the Cree language, there is still a long road ahead to ensure its survival, Moses insists. “We understand the issue and how critical it is to lose something important to us,” he said.

Just as Moses’ grandfather was wise to wake up before the high winds picked up on James Bay, speakers of Indigenous languages need to rise early to keep their languages alive. The earlier they start early, the better.

The beat goes on

Low Budget Rock Star mourns the loss of drummer Richie Cudmore

by Ben Powless, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

It starts with a simple, pensive guitar riff, before the baseline kicks in like thunder. Then the vocals jump in: “I need you more than ever / baby don’t you ever go, don’t go.”

But while it begins like a love song, “More Than Ever” by Low Budget Rock Star reveals itself as a love letter to drummer Richie Cudmore, who was diagnosed with cancer and passed away last July at the age of 58.

The band – comprised of Cudmore, singer-guitarist Kennie Henderson and bassist Harley Whitehead – released their first self-titled single in 2019. However, Henderson and Whitehead had been playing together for about 10 years.

“Harley and I grew up on a small reserve in northern Manitoba. There’s

not many musicians to interact with,” Henderson recalled of his early days. “And so, when I was 13, I started my first rock band. One day, Harley showed up on my doorstep and wanted to show me one of his songs.”

A bond – and a band – was formed immediately.

“I said, ‘You’re pretty talented, I think you should come play for me.’ Two weeks later I gave him a 40-song playlist to learn, and we went to play our first New Year’s Eve show, two hours from the community.”

The two formed Trio Boulevard, with drummer Terry Constant, and played together for years. However, when Constant had to step away in 2017 just as the band was set to go on tour, Henderson remembered that Cudmore

had approached him two weeks earlier to say he was available if the band ever needed a drummer.

Henderson phoned Cudmore and told him that he had only six hours to decide whether he wanted to join, as the band had a show that night before heading out to Saskatchewan and then British Columbia. Cudmore accepted, and history was born.

“On that tour, Richie kept singing this song to me: ‘I’m a low budget rock star, playing in these crazy bars.’ It captured my spirit. I said, ‘That’s really good, you should keep that’,” Henderson said. “I told him we needed a song, and we ended up writing our first one together. Shortly after, we changed the name of our band.”

are

That tour in 2017 happened while Cudmore was in remission from his first bout with cancer. Then in January 2022, the band learned that he was diagnosed with cancer again. It was after this news that the band wrote “More Than Ever,” focusing on what would happen if they lost Cudmore. Sadly, he passed just before the song was released.

“With courage and faith in the higher power, the band slowly dig their way out of a dark place by realizing that life is a gift – and their journey from grief to joy is shown via the song’s lyrics and imagery in the video,” the band said of the song in a release.

“He didn’t make it. He passed on in July. However, he did get to see some part of his dreams come true,” Henderson added. “It was cut short, but I feel like the Creator gave him a chance to redeem himself in a lot of ways by contributing to what Low Budget Rock Star is today and giving us a chance to benefit from what Low Budget Rock Star is doing today.”

Cudmore was of Ukrainian and English heritage and grew up in The Pas, Manitoba, across from the Opaskwayak Cree Nation where Henderson and Whitehead hail from.

In an obituary posted by Cudmore’s children, they talk about his passion being everything to do with music and had played in numerous bands before joining Low Budget Rock Star.

“Although dad had his health issues, he never let it stop him from doing music. He never sat around and dwelled on it. He always made something out of nothing. His dream to always come true was to top all the charts across the world, or at least some. In our eyes he was always on top of the charts. Dad loved all of his children, his bandmates,” they added.

Henderson said that Cudmore was “a talented and gifted man with words and had the ability to come up with a catchphrase and it would be catchy”.

“He was a very gifted and special guy and I’m very lucky to have met him and have that time together. We were like Lennon and McCartney writing songs together,” he added.

They ended up writing 10 songs together, but have only released three so far, partly because of the band’s commitment to releasing one song at a time. “Each song is like our baby,” Henderson explained. “If we give them time and nurture them and help them grow, they become special and take a life of their own.”

He’s still hoping to release a 10-track album “in time,” with help from another drummer they’ve brought in. “We hope that our music will help others – whether they’re going through hardship in their lives or if they’re dealing with emotions that they don’t understand. We hope it helps them in ways that bring positive impacts,” he added.

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

PREVIOUS SOLUTION: Solution

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 see how ‘straights’ are formed.

SUDOKU

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. The solutions will be published here in the next issue.

The cold of old Rez Notes

by Sonny Orr

It’s 40 below as I try to start my car early in the morning. The cold, cold crisp air burns my lungs as I enter my vehicle to sit on a rock-hard frozen seat. The engine churns slowly before it sputters alive and spews out white vapour.

I’m hoping that it’s not oil that’s smoking but it’s just the beginning of what could have been a sad day for this commuter. I head back inside to warm up my nose and fingers and wait for the four-cylinder motor to warm up.

A half hour later I venture back out and see if the windshield is defrosted. Yep, it has cleared up enough to peer outside. Slowly, I back out of my driveway worried that the car won’t achieve forward motion, given how stiff the gear shift feels.

The streets are quiet save for the occasional vehicle that must have been plugged in overnight. The exhaust leaves a contrail low to the ground and slowly, the haze clouds up the street. Damn polar vortex, making the North the True North of days of old, when cold weather would last all winter and well into the spring.

It’s time to get the grandchildren off to school and daycare. The youngest one is cold and shivering and as I pick her up to put her in the car, she stiffens up like a board and makes it a little difficult to place her on the car seat. No one says much as it’s too cold to complain.

Eventually, after dropping everyone off at school, the daycare and work, I head to my secluded office to start anoth-

er day of this new year. The office is comfortably warm, and I settle into my plush leather chair. Another day and another 75 cents – this crazy inflation rate eats away at everyone’s budget. We’re making barely what we need to keep fuel in the vehicle long enough to warm up.

Yes, it’s that time of the year when life keeps grinding away. You can see it on some people’s frozen faces: the faint hope that one day the sun will stay out long enough to warm up the northern regions of the planet.

On another note, it seems that the rotation of the earth’s core is slowing down. What that means for the planet and humanity, only the future knows. What more could we ask for in terms of what could next go wrong. Maybe the sun will cool down, and we will head totally unprepared into the next ice age. Perhaps the return of a mastodon or a sabretoothed tiger? The end of the warming world as we know it?

I head to the gas station, grasp the frozen pump handle, and it churns out some bubbly stuff before the liquid of global warming streams out as it should. I wonder if my fuel injectors can take this

punishment. But the car turns over normally with barely a complaint, and I head home to warm up my tootsies again.

Lunch is hurriedly concocted; a simple sandwich and hot soup does the trick. And it brings me back to the days when every lunch hour was a bologna sandwich with cheese and a dribble of mayo, and soup was just a dried package of flavour stirred into a bowl of warm water.

I’m glad that, these days, I can afford real soup in a can and bread that hasn’t gone stale. In fact, foodstuffs on grocery store shelves don’t last long enough to go bad. I have to fight for the last loaf, grab the remaining brick of butter before driving my shopping cart like a maniac to get to the till, enduring grocery aisle road rage from other rabid shoppers.

At least we aren’t lining up outside in the minus-40 cold, waiting for our turn to enter the supermarket.

Perhaps this year will be a promising one. The official start of spring is only seven weeks away, though it’s very hard to imagine right now. So, keep warm and don’t freeze any exposed appendages, folks!

This crazy inflation rate eats away at everyone’s budget. We’re making barely what we need to keep fuel in the vehicle long enough to warm up.

What is the first thing you look at in the morning? What is the last thing you see before you go to sleep at night? Many of us would hesitate in answering and probably not want to admit that the answer is the smartphone. We use it constantly to scroll through our favourite social-media feed to look at memes, funny videos about cats, news stories, fake stories, true stories, questionable stories, gaming videos, movie clips or a quick five-second video by some stranger we’ve never seen before and will never see again.

The internet has changed a lot since we first started using it. At the start, we enjoyed our ability to access whatever we wanted and there was a sense of freedom. It felt like the wild west, a frontier in our homes and at our office desk. It was not always that easy to navigate but generally we could find the content we were looking for, provided by people who were as enthusiastic about this new frontier as we were.

The internet we now use is largely curated and fed to us in streams of information that are designed to keep us engaged and addicted. Most of the content is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful social-media corporations that carefully control what we can access. They monitor just about every aspect of our online activity, which is why what we see or read appears so repetitive.

In other words, they develop a profile of us using algorithms that reinforce our biases and cut us off from other sources of information. Studies show that

The brave new world

by Xavier Kataquapit

these systems constantly make people feel anger, fear and anxiety. The more negative that people feel, the more they will engage with others of like mind, while creating more page clicks that translate into greater advertising revenue. That’s money that used to go to our local media – newspapers, radio and television – that is now concentrated in the hands of a few multi-billionaires. And that’s why we don’t know as much about what is happening in our society as we used to.

Almost all content on the internet these days consists of short snippets of information. Twenty years ago, it was blogs and written content that people shared with one another. Now the content is sized down to shorter posts and more often into image-captioned memes. Services like Twitter started regulating the size of posts to a mere 140 characters so people could read something quickly and respond instantly.

In the beginning, it was not so easy to share videos online. Now, anyone can instantly share a video on a wide variety of platforms. Now many people think they are the star of their own TV show, and they constantly post their every move, meal or thought on Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok or Snapchat. These posts are ever smaller and shorter, feeding into and causing our diminishing attention spans.

Numerous studies connect these instantly gratifying blasts to parts of our brain that create a positive feeling. It lasts just for a moment, but it is enough to briefly

make us feel good just as a drug would. Thus, the source of our addiction.

Now, with a phone in our hand, we repetitively reward our brains with this drug, constantly scrolling through endless feeds. This is having a terrible effect on our mental health and prevents us from engaging in creative thought and productive activity.

I grew up in the 1980s without internet. My siblings, friends and I did not have much exposure to the outside world, much less the latest trends in music, fashion, movies or TV shows. We were usually years and sometimes decades behind the rest of North America. The corporate world, governments and advertisers did not really get to us. We spent most of our time outside doing things, playing, working and on the land harvesting food.

We are no longer isolated. Technology has put us, in the space of a generation, within reach of governments, corporations and social media. We are constantly in touch with each other and the wider world. We expose the most intimate parts of ourselves in mindless and endless chatter that has eliminated any notion of privacy. People tell the world what they had for breakfast, what they did last night, who they are fighting with, who they hate, who they love and how hurt they are.

But all those thoughts and actions we post online eventually end up hurting us and our communities while creating huge profits and power for the social-media controllers of our personal content. Welcome to the Brave New World.