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Cree Nation supports Pink Shirt Day

Schools and organizations across the Cree Nation participated in Pink Shirt Day February 22 to encourage people to stand against bullying and instead express kindness to others. Besides wearing pink shirts, many posted positive messages on social media with the hashtag #eeyoueenoupinkshirtday.

Pink Shirt Day started after high school students in Nova Scotia saw a Grade 9 student being bullied for wearing a pink shirt on the first day of school in 2007. To demonstrate this behaviour was unacceptable, they bought a bunch of pink shirts for others to wear, a movement that soon spread across the school.

Last year, over 110 countries participated in Pink Shirt Day activities with proceeds from shirts sold distributed to youth anti-bullying programs. Bullying is defined as deliberately hurting someone else, often repeatedly, through words or actions. It can take verbal, physical or social forms and increasingly involves cyberbullying to threaten or embarrass someone.

Serious situations have resulted from bullying in Eeyou Istchee, resulting in school closures in some instances. The Cree School Board has organized parent assemblies, discussion groups and activi- ties to raise awareness about the issue.

This year, classrooms in Voyageur Elementary Memorial School in Mistissini shared pictures demonstrating pink is a sign of hope and spreading reminders to be kind and respectful.

Jully Black improves ‘O Canada’

Toronto-based singer Jully Black created a stir with her rendition of “O Canada” at the NBA all-star game in Salt Lake City February 19. While some focused on her soulful performance, her alteration of one word caused a media maelstrom.

In a nod to Indigenous rights after consulting with friends, Black sang the lyr- ics “our home on Native land” instead of “our home and native land.” While she received a wave of support for her decision, she also received racist hate mail which she quickly called out.

“I didn’t change the anthem, I spoke the truth,” Black told the Brandon Gonez Show. “It wasn’t written correctly, how about that?”

Black said she had quit singing the national anthem years ago with the discovery of unmarked graves in former residential schools. However, when asked to sing at the game, she took a closer look at the lyrics and made what she said was an obvious change.

“I knew this was the biggest stage to sing our anthem,” she said, adding she hoped this would start a conversation for a bigger cultural shift. “When I sang the word, the emotion, right away tears, hands on heart. If I have an opportunity to help you amplify a voice I’m going to, and so that’s why I made the decision.”

Black’s anthem change drew praise from Indigenous leaders.

“What Jully Black did was she shared her power and her opportunity to give us attention,” said Anishinaabe professor Niigaan Sinclair. “It should be a model for every Canadian. Fundamentally, the national anthem – like the flag, like our laws and policies –has been used to oppress us as Indigenous people and the more that we can challenge that the better.”

Nemaska elections

Nemaska Band Council Chief Clarence Joly, Deputy Chief Teddy Wapachee and band councillors Edna L. Neeposh, Edna Neeposh and Walter Jolly were all re-elected in local elections February 27. Two new councillors, Kristen Moar Salt and Peter Wapachee, were also elected.