The Nation | Vol. 30, No. 21

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE & INDUSTRY

Ways you can help maintain the accuracy of the list

Ways you can help maintain the accuracy of the list

Ways you can help maintain the accuracy of the list

REGISTER WITH YOUR LOCAL MEMBERSHIP CLERK!

REGISTER WITH YOUR LOCAL MEMBERSHIP CLERK!

REGISTER WITH YOUR LOCAL MEMBERSHIP CLERK!

Why It's Important

Why It's Important

The amount of federal subsidy for local government operations is dependent on the accuracy of the list

The amount of federal subsidy for local government operations is dependent on the accuracy of the list

The amount of federal subsidy for local government operations is dependent on the accuracy of the list

Population statistics

Population statistics

Population statistics

Planning for services such as schools, daycare, family services, etc.

Planning for services such as schools, daycare, family services, etc.

Why It's Important Are you moving?

Planning for services such as schools, daycare, family services, etc.

Are you moving?

Are you moving?

Inform your membership clerk to change your community of residence

Inform your membership clerk to change your community of residence

Inform your membership clerk to change your community of residence

Declaration of Birth

Declaration of Birth

Declaration of Birth

New parents are to complete the "Application for Simplified Access to Birth-Related Government Programs and Services" with the Declaration of Birth. The hospital sends the application to the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux (MSSS).

New parents are to complete the "Application for Simplified Access to Birth-Related Government Programs and Services" with the Declaration of Birth. The hospital sends the application to the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux (MSSS).

New parents are to complete the "Application for Simplified Access to Birth-Related Government Programs and Services" with the Declaration of Birth. The hospital sends the application to the Ministère de la santé et des services sociaux (MSSS).

The MSSS updates the JBNQA registry and attributes a beneficiary number to your new child.

The MSSS updates the JBNQA registry and attributes a beneficiary number to your new child.

The MSSS updates the JBNQA registry and attributes a beneficiary number to your new child.

Declaration of Death

Declaration of Death

Declaration of Death

Send the declaration of death to your local membership clerk.

Send the declaration of death to your local membership clerk.

Send the declaration of death to your local membership clerk.

To preserve and protect

by Christian-John Monias

The story that has captivated North America and the world around is the uneasy truth about Indigenous history and the relationship with the Canadian government, the church and the on-going efforts for reconciliation.

Since the uncovering of a mass gravesite of 215 Indigenous children at the Tk’emlúps Residential School in Kamloops, British Columbia, there has been a wave of consideration and debate within Indigenous communities about whether to conduct their own searches. Many speculate that information on the whereabouts of possible burial sites and graves may lie within the recorded testimonies of residential school survivors.

But the Ontario Superior Court of Justice recently ruled that sensitive records, archives and documents gathered between 2006 and 2012 during the Independent Assessment Process for the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement (IRSSA) are to be destroyed by September 2027 unless survivors request documents to be preserved.

So far, 38,000 documents are archived by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada and the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. To many, reliving the atrocities and recounting the tales of their upbringing in residential schools may be daunting. However, the preservation of those stories may help hundreds, if not thousands of Indigenous families receive answers and closure for family members and relatives who may have been lost due to the residential school system.

Of the existing documents, only about 30 survivors have requested their documents be preserved. Elder Geraldine Shingoose, who attended the Muscowequan Indian Residential School in Saskatchewan, fears that most survivors may be unaware of this ruling and the option to have their recorded documents archived.

“That’s history!” she said in a recent interview. “Those are sacred stories.”

Since their establishment in the 1880s, over 150,000 Indigenous children attended 140 residential schools, with the last one being shut down in 1997. Of those 140 institutions, only a handful have been searched with ground-penetrating radar. These searches have been conducted independently by their respective nations, and the count for unmarked graves may now be in the thousands.

The disposal of survivor testimonies and documents in 2027 may play a vital role in compromising search efforts for burial sites. Many survivors, advocates and the National Centre and Truth for Reconciliation are calling for more residential school victims to request that their documents be preserved and re-examined, though some Elders and survivors have actually opted to have their recounts be destroyed.

The chief adjudicator of the compensation process and 24 Catholic Church entities are in favour of destroying the documents. The Assembly of First Nations and former National Chief Phil Fontaine, who helped negotiate the settlement,

also say documents should be destroyed unless a survivor requests otherwise.

Fontaine used his own story as an example, arguing that detailed accounts of abuse are private, and that some Elders may not want to relive their trauma.

Advocates and researchers face challenges getting survivors to be comfortable with sharing their stories and wanting to archive their documents. There has been a backlash since the movement began in 2021, with many groups of deniers showing up to gravesites at the Kamloops Residential School with shovels to see if any bodies could be found.

While the Cree Nation in Eeyou Istchee has yet to conduct its own searches, a hearing and a Grand Assembly will be held in Fort George during their annual Mamoweedow Ceremony that will be open for community members, survivors and Elders to express their concerns about the possibility of a ground search at the former residential school.

Many Elders say that this search should not be conducted in respect for the grounds and history, while others are open to helping families find answers. The call to reexamine documents and search grounds may be controversial, but we hope for a silver lining in efforts for reconciliation, healing and the closure of an uneventful time in history.

A helpline has been established for Indian Residential School Survivors and Intergenerational Survivors to aid with mental health support, concern and counselling by calling 1-866-925-4419.

TO: Air Creebec

CONTACT US: The Nation News, 918-4200 St. Laurent, Montreal, QC., H2W 2R2 EDITORIAL & ADS: Tel.: 514-272-3077, Fax: 514-278-9914 HEAD OFFICE: P.O. Box 151, Chisasibi, QC. J0M 1E0 www.nationnews.ca EDITORIAL: will@nationnews.ca news@nationnews.ca ADS: Danielle Valade: ads@nationnews.ca; Donna Malthouse: donna@beesum.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS: $60 plus taxes, US: $90, Abroad: $110, Payable to beesum communications, all rights reserved, publication mail #40015005, issn #1206-2642 The Nation is a member of: The James Bay Cree Communications Society, Circle Of Aboriginal Controlled Publishers, Magazines Canada Quebec Community Newspaper Assn. Canadian Newspapers Assn. Les Hebdos Sélect Du Québec. Funded [in part] by the Government of Canada. | www.nationnews.ca | facebook.com/NATIONnewsmagazine | Twitter: @creenation_news

is published every two weeks by Beesum Communications

BOARD L. Stewart, W. Nicholls, M. Siberok, Mr. N. Diamond, E. Webb EDITOR IN CHIEF Will Nicholls DIRECTOR OF FINANCES Linda Ludwick EDITORS Lyle Stewart, Martin Siberok PRODUCTION COORDINATOR AND MANAGING EDITOR Randy Mayer CONTRIBUTING WRITERS S. Orr, M. Labrecque-Saganash, P. Quinn, C.J. Monias, A. Nambiar DESIGN Matthew Dessner SALES AND ADVERTISING Danielle Valade, Donna Malthouse THANKS

AGA postponed

Fires continue to have wide-ranging impacts on Cree life

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The situation across Eeyou Istchee remains precarious amidst an unprecedented forest fire season, forcing the Cree Nation Government to postpone the Annual General Assembly scheduled for August 29-31 in Eastmain to October 24-26.

“The priority is to get our communities back to normal,” stated a message from the Grand Council of the Crees. “We do not want the planning and preparation of an assembly to be a burden to a host community which will need considerable time to recover from evacuations and serious interruptions in supply chains.”

Although the region’s road networks hadn’t returned to normal status at the beginning of August, the Billy Diamond Highway, the Trans-Taiga Road and most community access roads opened for restricted use July 25, exclusively for essential services, humanitarian reasons and residents returning home.

After these roads had reopened the previous week, they were again closed the following weekend to allow SOPFEU to extinguish fires along the road. While community members were allowed to travel freely rather than in a slower convoy, it wasn’t always communicated where operations would be carried out, endangering vehicles passing by.

People planning to travel are asked to check for road closures and smoke conditions along intended routes before departure, and to keep watch for large animals taking refuge beside the highway. Travellers can access free N-95 masks from their local Public Security Officer and should carry proof of residence identification to cross community checkpoints.

Local PSOs are working with fire and police departments as the “eyes and boots on the ground,” patrolling access roads early in the morning to send daily reports to SOPFEU about fire and smoke conditions. SOPFEU typically gathers

these reports for a 10:30am meeting with the regional operational committee, then decisions at a 4pm meeting are made public by 6pm.

“We don’t want to open the roads really fast just in case it goes out of control,” said regional fire marshal LeeRoy Blacksmith. “We haven’t had enough rain to completely put out the fires. Food and gas deliveries are starting so they’re catching up with their supplies.”

While most people have returned home following evacuations in Eastmain and other communities, the Cree Health Board said that those evacuated from Chisasibi will remain in Montreal until further notice. Air transportation to appointments remained mandatory for clients and caregivers from coastal communities as Cree people who made their appointments independent of Wiihichiituwin were not being allowed to travel south by road.

Canada hired over 300 Indigenous firefighters and acquired specialized equipment to strengthen capacity this summer. Cree recruits have eagerly taken SOPFEU training as quickly as it becomes available. Auxiliary forest firefighters work under the supervision of SOPFEU staff to combat hotspots, small fires that reignite after a blaze has moved on.

“We’re limited based on the instructors for SOPFEU because they’re all out in the field working,” explained Blacksmith. “I keep asking SOPFEU if we can have another course, but the best reply I get is they’re low on staff. My intention is to get as much as I can.”

After 40 people from Waswanipi and Ouje-Bougoumou received their three days of training, 30 spots in Chisasibi were filled in under half an hour. Although blocked access roads previously prevented recruitment from other coastal communities, 19 candidates from Waskaganish recently completed train-

ing to be deployed on the community’s access road, and Blacksmith is working on adding another cohort from Wemindji.

As the fires and restrictions gradually diminish, some Cree in southern communities have been able to assess the damage in the bush. Blacksmith cautioned that there’s a risk these areas may rekindle and SOPFEU remains present. He’s advised the Cree Trappers’ Association not to enter restricted areas until given the go ahead.

“We’re still assessing the impacts of the forest fires,” said the CTA’s Thomas Stevens. “The local trappers anxious to check their camps had an open window – it’s a complete disaster for some of the tallymen. When we have the final numbers, I think it will be over 100 cabins that have burned in Eeyou Istchee.”

Each community gathered information about local impacts that will be compiled in a CTA report. Waswanipi has nearly completed its bleak assessment, revealing a total loss of some traplines and an estimated 26 cabins burned down. As coastal community members begin to inspect their camps, some have shared similar devastation. Stevens said 155 traplines overall have been impacted by this summer’s fires.

While there are about 900 camps and over 10,000 cabins in Eeyou Istchee, Stevens said only a little over 200 cabins were insured, including likely fewer than 10 of those that were destroyed. When the current policy comes up for renewal following this crisis, he’s worried how insurance companies may respond.

“The land users are concerned, especially in the remote areas that fly in and out,” said Stevens. “We have to come together as a Nation to help the hunters and trappers affected by these forest fires and the wildlife and culture that’s been lost.”

WE ARE HIRING

CCDC - AT THE HEART OF THE COMMUNITY

Founded in 1976, Cree Construction and Development Company, Ltd. is the first Canadian company owned by First Nations to earn and maintain ISO certification from the International Organization for Standardization.

Today, with more than 45 years of experience and expertise, Cree Construction and Development Company, Ltd. is the largest Cree-owned company in Canada. Operating primarily in northern Quebec, the company is fully owned by the Nine Cree Nations of James Bay.

JOB OPPORTUNITIES

To complete our team, we are looking for new members to fill certain positions:

Buyer

Construction estimator

Financial Director Project Manager

Office clerk

Surveyor

Foreman

Truck driver Employees for the concrete plant, asphalt plant, crushing plant

Electrician Plumber

For more information...

Call us: 450-661-1102, ext. 216 or 514-249-3539

Come visit us: 3, Aahppisaach in Chisasibi.

ccdc.qc.ca

Changes may soon be coming to the Cree constitution, which was enacted alongside a governance agreement with Canada in 2017 to advance Cree self-determination in Eeyou Istchee.

“We will be engaging with the communities in the fall to do a tour talking about the governance review we’re doing, asking for community participation in personalizing, enhancing and further developing the constitution,” Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty told the Nation

Former Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come signed the Agreement on Cree Nation Governance on July 18, 2017, and called it “reconciliation in action.” It provided jurisdiction to independently create laws and more efficiently govern Category 1A lands without being bound by the Cree-Naskapi Act, a federal statute adopted in 1984. It also provides the Cree power to collect their own taxes, although there is no obligation to use it.

While the governance agreement removed federal oversight on those lands and provided long-term stability by defining financial arrangements with Canada until 2040, rules regarding internal governance were moved from the CreeNaskapi Act into the Cree constitution.

“Our constitution sets out a basic framework of Cree values and procedures that will continue to evolve to incorporate distinctive Cree forms of governance,” Coon Come stated at the time. “This is a key development, for our constitution is not subject to the consent or approval of Canada or Quebec. It is a purely internal Cree document; one we can amend ourselves alone.”

The Cree constitution begins with an affirmation of Cree fundamental values and principles before outlining how laws, resolutions, meetings, elections and fiscal manage-

ment are to be administered. It states that provisions in the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, Governance Agreement and Act respecting the Cree Nation Government take precedence in the case of inconsistency or conflict.

Governance negotiations stemmed from the 2008 New Relationship Agreement and there were many differences to resolve over eight years. Coon Come said the approximately 80 major agreements signed with Canada, Quebec and industry since the JBNQA “tell the story of the long Cree struggle to make our vision of self-government and self-determination a reality.”

The constitution’s adoption was not without controversy. Community consultations often went long into the evening as people voiced their concerns and tried to understand the proposed changes. Women leaders such as Linda Shecapio and Irene Neeposh highlighted the panel leading consultations included no women.

Waskaganish Chief Darlene Cheechoo questioned why it was presented as a complete document and whether feedback would be taken into consideration. A petition with over 70 names asked for a delay, and Waskaganish was the last

Constitutional change

Amendments to Cree legal foundation on the horizon

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

community to vote on the proposed initiatives.

When the constitution was approved, Gull-Masty was deputy chief of Waswanipi and abstained from voting on the motion to approve the draft documents. Her comments at the time foreshadowed recent developments to reopen these discussions.

“As a leader you are there to build the consensus amongst the communities,” said Gull-Masty in 2017. “I’m almost a little bit ashamed to say, [there is] bullying at this table.”

The constitution states that amendments can be initiated by a resolution adopted by CNG council. Upon adoption of this resolution, an amendment can be drafted and widely publicized. Approval and ratification require consent from each Cree Nation community.

The process of creating Indigenous constitutions has gained momentum across Canada over the past 20 years as they are viewed federally as an important part of any negotiations around self-governance. Constitutions generally clarify governing structures, leadership selection processes, and accountability and transparency mechanisms.

As alternatives to the Indian Act, they sometimes serve the role of formaliz-

ing oral traditions, customs and laws. If developed under treaties, they may be shaped by preceding requirements that set basic standards for elected representatives, band membership and conflict of interest rules.

However, there remains legal debate about whether most of these constitutions have the same authority as federal legislation and raise the possibility of court battles if they come in conflict with Canadian laws. Some suggest their legitimacy could draw from an inherent Indigenous right to self-govern.

Other First Nations will be watching the Cree Nation’s proposed developments to its constitution. Since the JBNQA became the country’s first modern treaty, the Cree Nation has established a unique governance model that established a precedent for Indigenous autonomy.

“We have to pass on the tradition that the Crees are trailblazers, not followers,” asserted former CNG executive director Bill Namagoose in 2017. “We don’t have anybody in front of us to show us where to go. The Crees are trailblazers and will continue to be.”

Inuit Elders take healing journey

In late July, 15 Inuit Elders made a healing journey from Nunavik to a former sanatorium site in Hamilton, Ontario, where they had been held in the 1950s and 1960s.

About 1,200 Inuit were shipped to Hamilton’s sanatorium for tuberculosis treatment as part of a colonial policy that Prime Minister Justin Trudeau apologized for in 2019. Separated from their families, they were confined to beds and often endured psychological abuse.

During that time, Hamilton’s Sanatorium on the Mountain was home to the largest yearround community of Inuit anywhere in the country. Isolated from their language and culture, many Inuit lived there for years with their families having no knowledge of where they’d gone, or if they’d died.

The Elders also visited Hamilton’s Woodland Cemetery, where a monument honours the 37 Inuit known to have died at the sanatorium. The legacy of this colonial intervention is distrust in the medical system and an Inuit community that is nearly 300 times more likely to contract tuberculosis than the Canadian average.

Indigenous patients underwent invasive chest surgery and drug treatment at sanatoriums and “Indian hospi-

tals” because they weren’t seen as capable of managing their condition at home like non-Indigenous patients. There are several accounts of Indigenous children being victims of medical experiments without their consent as many were physically restrained in their beds.

As tuberculosis treatment began to change in the 1940s from extensive bed rest to effective antimicrobial medications, sanatoriums across the country began emptying out.

The non-profit organization SeeChange Initiative helped Nunavut Tunngavik Inc. organize the trip, which was preceded by healing workshops. Naomi Tatty works for SeeChange and helped organize the trip for her 80-yearold mother, Ida Atagoyuk, whose baby was taken into foster care for three-and-ahalf years while Atagoyuk was kept in the sanatorium from age 21.

“They’ve long awaited this,” Tatty said. “Their emotions are building up. My sister wasn’t used to being around Inuit. She had lost her language and they couldn’t communicate with each other. They were both traumatized.”

Columbian pressure

It might seem like a small thing to complain about a name, but Concordia University student

Ray Coelho says the name of Christophe-Colomb Avenue in Montreal is just plain wrong. The street is named after the Spanish explorer Christopher Columbus, who was called the discoverer of the Americas after landing on the shores of a Caribbean island in 1492.

“It bothers me to see another colonial figure who subjugated the Native people of this hemisphere be celebrated with statues and street names,” Coelho said. “A street name is basically giving them prominence. I don’t think we should give prominence to someone like Christopher Columbus and his legacy.”

Coelho is going door to door along the street asking people to sign his petition. Along the way he talks to people about Columbus’ legacy of rape, torture, executions and enslavement of Indigenous peoples.

He has almost 200 signatures and is looking to get at least 1,000. The petition suggests restoring the street’s previous name to Des Ormes Boulevard, or “Elms” in English.

Montreal has bowed to public pressure in the past. In 2019, the city changed the name of Amherst Street to Atateken, a Mohawk word meaning equality or fraternity. It was originally named after British General Jeffery Amherst, who was notorious for being a pioneer in biological warfare by distributing

smallpox-infested blankets to Indigenous people.

The petition represents a change of outlook for Coelho, who ran for the neo-Nazi National Party in the 2019 federal election, finishing last in the Lac-St-Louis riding with 28 votes. He now regrets his association with the openly racist and fascist group.

Compensation deal finally approved

The polar bear population in Canada is being significantly affected by climate change, particularly in relation to the availability of sea ice.

Hudson Bay, an important habitat for polar bears, experiences a complete freeze-over in winter and becomes icefree during the summer and autumn months. However, the timing and extent of ice breakup and freeze-up are changing due to rising temperatures.

In June 2023, warm weather caused accelerated ice breakup in Hudson Bay, leaving much of the bay with less ice than usual. As a result, polar bears are returning to land earlier, with some bears still on the diminishing ice despite the limited availability.

These changes in ice dynamics pose challenges for polar bears’ access to food, reproduction, and overall survival. Scientists warn that a longer ice-free season and reduced sea ice threaten the sustainability of the polar bear population in the region.

Cree athletes in Halifax for North American Indigenous Games

by Patrick Quinn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

The 10th North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) was held July 15-23 in Halifax and various Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia. More than 5,000 teenage athletes and their coaches from 756 Nations celebrated connections through sport and culture, including several young participants from the Cree Nation.

Cree athletes joined other Indigenous youth throughout the province on Team Eastern Door and the North (EDN) at NAIG’s

16 different sports, including the more traditional Indigenous events of canoe/kayak, lacrosse and 3D archery. Darlene Shecapio Macleod was a late replacement as Team EDN’s athletics manager, accompanying the 10 participants from Mistissini.

“It was very exciting, especially seeing how proud our youth are,” said Shecapio Macleod.

“This is a great opportunity – for example, my daughter (Kaylene Shecapio) went there this year for

Photos provided by NAIG

running and she was asked to come and train in Montreal for Team Canada.”

There was a relatively small contingent from Eeyou Istchee, perhaps due to a lack of promotion or the challenges of travelling to Kahnawake or Mashteuiatsh for tryouts. Forest-fire evacuations prevented some Eastmain athletes from attending. Most Cree participants were on EDN’s basketball teams, including the

bronze-medal-winning male U16 team.

“I was extremely surprised Team EDN was so successful even though they only got together two weeks before for a tournament in Montreal that didn’t go well,” said Tim Matoush, father of 16-yearold Emery. “The kids started to click when they won their first game. We lost against BC in the first round so for the guys to beat them in the

bronze-medal game was the icing on the cake.”

Emery Matoush emerged as one of the team’s biggest contributors at the Games, leveraging his experience playing Division 2 in Ottawa. Mistissini’s Rupert Weistche and Nolan Gunner were also on the team, the highest ranking of Canada’s entries. Emery spent most of his free time practicing on the courts and

was amazed by the Indigenous talent at NAIG.

“We’d never seen Indigenous kids in competition when Emery played for Ottawa,” said Tim. “For him to see kids from all over North America was mind-blowing. He asked me: ‘Are these Indigenous kids?’”

Misha Moses, Cailyn Moses and Anna Faith Iserhoff represented Waskaganish on the U16 female basketball

team. “I want youth from my community to try out more often,” said 16-year-old Misha Moses. “Have confidence in yourself. Don’t hesitate about anything and just go for it.”

Hunter Mianscum from OujeBougoumou started playing golf about four years ago, when his father would take him after work every other day to a course in Chibougamau. Coaches observed that his swing showed promise, which he demonstrated with a top-five performance at his opening day at NAIG before eventually finishing at 16th.

Mianscum learned much from his gold-medal-winning roommate Tehorahkwaneken Gary Albany from Kahnawake and made many new friends from across Turtle Island. He was surprised by how huge the Games were, parading with his team at the opening ceremonies like an Olympian before a speech from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

“It was a nice experience staying downtown Halifax for a week,” Mianscum told the Nation. “Every time we were done our 18 holes, we would head back to our hotel and then drive around on scooters for several hours and explore places none of us had seen before.”

With most participants never previously witnessing an Indigenous gathering of such magnitude, cultural exchange was equally important as the competition. The young athletes reported an incredible sense of community, often making friends by trading pins at the cultural village.

With the Games held for the first time in Atlantic Canada, the Mi’kmaq language and culture was prominent in signs, ceremonies and demonstrations at the NAIG cultural village. The cultural village hosted demonstrations of traditional cooking from chef Ray Bear and traditional medicine from Tuma Young along with the ancient Mi’kmaq game of Waltes, beadwork, quillwork, drum making, basket weaving, storytelling and hide tanning.

The marketplace at the Halifax Common featured vendors from across the continent while musical performances occurred nightly on the main stage. Unfortunately, catastrophic flooding forced the cancellation of Friday evening’s closing ceremony and concert, which was

to include Snotty Nose Rez Kids and Neon Dreams.

While the first-ever NAIG were held in Edmonton in 1990, the idea for its creation dates back to the 1970s. Founders Willie Littlechild, Charles Wood and John Fletcher recognized the importance of sports to escape the hardships of residential schools.

At an international Indigenous conference presenting the idea in 1977, Littlechild was gifted by a Brazilian Elder with a war arrow representing peace. Pointed downwards to direct anything evil toward the underground, it is now part of the event’s sacred ceremonial run.

NAIG 2023 President George (Tex) Marshall of Eskasoni Mi’kmaw Nation explained that the Games provided a safe and welcoming space for teens. “Through the dark days, sport did save my life,” he said. “That’s my whole purpose in life, to give back to sport because it saved mine and I believe it can save the lives of our youth.”

Cree athletes suggested expanding the age limit to youth up to 21. Shecapio Macleod encouraged her team to persevere with their athletic dreams, which could take them to the Masters Indigenous Games for adults 20 and over.

At Mistissini’s recent track meet, she told youth to start training now for the 2027 NAIG in Calgary. She believes the Cree Nation could field a full team, participating in a much wider variety of sporting events than are currently found in communities.

“Even though it was some of their last year, it doesn’t stop there,” asserted Shecapio Macleod. “We need the Cree Nation to introduce other sports besides broomball and hockey. We have a lot of youth who are very athletic, who have that passion for running or wrestling. We need to show our youth all these sports and support them – there’s so much out there.”

“Have confidence in yourself. Don’t hesitate about anything and just go for it.”

- Misha Moses, U16 Basketball

climate

injustice

Grand Chief speech to UN body on climate change and land restitution

by Avanti Nambiar

Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty linked land rights and climate change during a speech to the United Nations advisory session on Indigenous rights. Gull-Masty asked the committee to study resource restitution, using an environmental context.

“We know that Indigenous people’s lands and territories are at the heart of our survival, especially in the face of the climate catastrophe,” she told the assembly, gathered in Geneva, Switzerland.

During the July 17-21 session, Gull-Masty also discussed the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. The declaration promises to combat the injustices of dispossession and displacement. In her speech, she noted that climate change worsens both.

The Grand Chief argued that few effective measures for land redress and restitution exist in Canada.

“Some mechanisms provide ineffective redress in forms of monetary compensation,” she explained. “Others offer the return of lands, territories and resources, but are frustrated by delays, resources, and privilege of third parties.”

Gull-Masty’s campaign to become the first female Grand Chief of the Cree Nation prioritized land protection. Since her election, she claims to have secured 20% of the Cree’s traditional territory as intact forest. In December, she told the UN Convention on Biological Diversity

that the Cree Nation intends to protect 50% of Eeyou Istchee by 2035.

That very territory has since been ravaged by this summer’s wildfires. The environmental disaster also resulted in mass displacement, she noted.

“As we speak, eight out of nine of my communities have been evacuated in the last few weeks because of forest fires,” Gull-Masty said. “Two million hectares of forest and cultural infrastructure have been lost by the Cree Nation alone.”

Climate change has intensified the wildfires and made them more frequent. By upending traditions based on fishing and hunting, the inferno has harmed Indigenous culture. In Northern Quebec, members of the Cree Nation found themselves driven from their homes multiple times. Gull-Masty described this period as “apocalyptic,” calling her people “refugees of climate.”

Gull-Masty proposed a research project, with a coalition of academics, activists and organizations. The project would study the implementation of Indigenous land rights. Environmentalism would be key to this undertaking.

The enforcement and study of UNDRIP was a central theme of the Geneva meetings. Besides land rights, the discussion covered topics such as fishing practices, LGBTQIA+ concerns, and language preservation.

If you are an Indigenous woman of Eeyou Istchee and you are seeking safety and support, we are here to help you!

Learning about the past

Annual Wabun Youth Gathering celebrates culture and traditions

by Xavier Kataquapit

On June 27, the Cree Nation Government and Fisheries and Oceans Canada announced the signing of a landmark conservation agreement to protect the lake sturgeon of the Southern Hudson Bay-James Bay, a species of special concern under the country’s Species at Risk Act (SARA).

The 16th Annual Wabun Youth Gathering was held July 17-21 in Elk Lake, Ontario, for over 60 First Nation youth. This was the first half of a twopart gathering featuring junior participants from age 8 to 13. An event for senior youth will be held in August.

“It’s important to have this annual event for our young people,” explained Josee Forget, Wabun Regional Crisis Coordinator and event organizer. “It keeps them all connected in a time and place where they can have some fun while also learning healthy teachings and learn from each other. It gives them structure and a sense of caring knowing that we are here to look after them and look out for them.”

Organizers wanted to give youth participants exposure to cultural teachings and traditional activities.

“It’s important to be here because you get to learn about your past and your ancestors,” said 13-year-old Sheldon Saunders of Brunswick House FN.

Traditional games, including spear throwing and archery, were taught by Lamarr Oksasikewiyin of Sweetgrass FN, Saskatchewan. Oksasikewiyin has taught these programs for 16 years.

Elder Vina Landy-Hendrix, who has attended all 16 Wabun Youth Gathering

events, led ceremonial events. Young people have grown accustomed to seeing her every year.

“This is an important event for me to see every year. It gives us a chance to show our young people our culture and history and to allow them to hear

the language of their ancestors. We can show and teach them about their past, their heritage and where their families came from,” commented Landry-Hendrix.

The event included a presentation on literature, art and illustration with author Nancy Cooper of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. She read from one of her books, Biindigen! Amik Says Welcome, and led a group discussion with the participants.

Wabun Health Director Angie Collins noted that all her children have benefited from the gathering. Her 13-year-old daughter Katie attended this year.

“It’s important to have this annual event for our children and bring them closer to our Elders and traditional teachers,” said Collins.

Katie explained, “We learned about culture, and I got to learn about traditional games. I’m happy to be here as I get to learn about where I come from and our history.”

Mattagami Chief Chad Boissoneau’s son Brent attended the Wabun event over several years, he said, “and went through the junior group when he was young, then the senior group and later attended as a chaperone. Now I’m seeing my grandchildren attending and it is really special to see this small event 16 years ago grow to become such an important annual gathering.”

The Wabun Youth Gathering originated from the vision of Brunswick House Elder Thomas Saunders, who sadly passed on before his dream came to be.

“It’s important to have this annual event for our children and bring them closer to our Elders and traditional teachers”

- Wabun Health Director Angie Collins

by Margie E. Burke

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.

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.

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.

Mixed up and dazed

by Sonny Orr

As we look to the skies and see a smoke-free environment, you know that summer is back but a little too late for us Northerners. This so-called climate change just can’t seem to make up its mind. Is it going to be good or bad for the environment? Who knows, you’d be better off reading a horoscope and using that instead of the weather.

How can the stars go wrong, they’ve been at it for billions of years, and we can’t seem to make it past retirement age these days. Blame global warming on the stars, in this case, our own sun. Isn’t that the source of our heat in this tiny segment of the universe?

So, I guess solar activities are next on our weather forecast. Can our bodies take all this irradiation without protection for more than an hour, or are we toast today? I guess there’s a slim chance that a meteor could become a meteorite and cause some collateral damage... let’s say in a few million years? Just about the same odds of getting chomped on by dinosaurs, I guess.

Now that it’s safe to go outside and play, the kids will soon realize that school is just around the corner, after spending much of their summer break surrounded by smoke or out of town as evacuees. So, make the most of summer this year, pick some berries while the season is still good. Unlike last year when berries were not around at all, and bears went hungry.

This year seems to be a promising bumper crop for those juicy northern

fruits. Today, after having the world-famous fish berry salad for lunch, using the finest char and largest blueberries, flavoured with goose grease, we sated out summer hunger pangs with shikumen. Life and lunch just couldn’t be any better.

On another note, the construction holiday is over, and hotels, pools and chalets are freed up to travel again. Sometimes I wonder if travel is worth it these days as our tiny northern country of Canada, just can’t keep up with meeting its tourism demands. After all, there’s nothing preventing us from going anywhere except for the great chance of raining on your best laid plans.

For our vacation, we were held back by fires that spread like wildfire (pun intended) and flash floods mixed with tornados and giant hail providing the worst in weather possible for our trip. Thankfully the fires held us back long enough to give up and return home, where the skies are blue and the clouds are white, at least for now.

As the days grow shorter, I wonder if there’s enough time in the day and berries left, to pick some for that pie that I’ve promised for years to bake. I prefer hot

pie-à-la-mode as ice cream just naturally pairs with steaming hot pie.

Labrador tea and cloudberries are also in season. On a side note, I’ve seen posts of Alaskans showing off their cloudberries. And lo and behold, I spy that the berries are nestled in a patch of Labrador tea, the tiny ones that we use to spice up our bland store-bought tea.

Apparently, this tea is not just isolated to this region as numerous biologists and scientists have sadly claimed. So, who do we believe, some random Facebook post or scientists who haven’t ventured too far out of their way to confirm their findings?

Who knows, but I’m willing to bet that our little tea has been gone unnoticed in the scientific world, save for the fact that it is a strong killer of the dreaded malaria and has just garnered some attention for that scientific fact.

So, our world turns and continues to spin, and the North is changing rapidly. Hopefully humanity can ride this one out safely, as retirement nears and several millennia shall pass before anyone can claim to notice that the sun is burning, and our skin is tanning just right.

Enjoy what is left of summer!

Can our bodies take all this irradiation without protection for more than an hour, or are we toast today?

have so much to say on the recent forest fires and how they’re a direct consequence of colonialism and imperialism, but I will spare you from another doomsday-flavoured column and pick something more lighthearted – aliens!David Grusch, a former US intelligence official, testified under oath during a House of Representatives committee hearing that the Pentagon has classified information about alien life and technology.

According to him, the Pentagon’s knowledge of extraterrestrial life goes beyond UFO sightings. US intelligence has – allegedly – recovered crashed spacecrafts and biological remains that are not of human origin. In addition to his shocking and bizarre testimony, Grusch added that the US military has even tried to reverse-engineer the recovered alien technology.

The Pentagon, not surprisingly, denied the claims. Even if it is true, state secrets are their thing, and they cannot discuss classified information.

Because we occupy a remote region, our people have many stories of UFO sightings and weird stuff in general, some of which were included in Ernie Webb’s documentary series, Indians and Aliens. Even our legends have mentions of other worlds, like the âtayohkân of Ehepikw, the spider that brought humans to Earth from another world on its silk thread.

Tea &

Bannock

Aliens!

According to Cree beliefs, we were the original aliens. The animals, which back then spoke a common language, welcomed us on their rock. There’s also the Cree belief that one of our two souls goes back to the stars when we die.

Even if we don’t rely on the sky as a navigating tool anymore because of modern technology, we still gaze at the stars. The Cree paranormal pages on Facebook are a testimony of our curiosity for the universe and its secrets.

Many community members have great UFO stories, especially Elders. Fortunately for us, oral tradition is alive and well, so ask your Elders about their favourite spooky sightings.

Grusch’s testimony at the House of Representatives feeds into a long-standing fascination for all things alien. Hillary

Clinton campaigned on declassifying information about extraterrestrial life during the 2016 US presidential election and lawmakers are still advocating for intelligence entities to release information to the public. The US government is usually very slow to declassify documents, so things like Jeffrey Epstein’s client list and aliens remain a mystery.

Statistically speaking, it is unlikely that there are more advanced and intelligent life forms out there, because it takes a lot of factors to perfectly align for life forms to thrive on a planet – but it’s still possible. If aliens with powerful technology exist and that they visit us like Dave Grusch says, they probably laugh at us for believing in trickle-down economics and for destroying our planet.