Cree and Quebec governments announced the creation of Nibiischii National Park November 29. Located near Mistissini, the province’s first national park to be operated by a Cree community is a significant milestone for Eeyou Istchee’s protected areas.
Among the thousands gathered at Canada’s National War Memorial in Ottawa for Remembrance Day November 11 was a Cree family who had travelled from Waswanipi to cheer on Officer Cadet Zakia Gull. Gull was part of a delegation enrolled in the Indigenous Leadership Opportunity Year at Kingston’s Royal Military College (RMC).
Pîkiskwêtân, which means “let’s talk” in Cree, is a free series of anti-racist training and professional development webinars for Concordia University staff, faculty, students and alumni. Over 200 people attend each of these Indigenous Learning workshops at Concordia held throughout the academic year.
Tallyman tensions boiled over on the second day of Waswanipi’s annual general assembly October 23. In the Cree community most impacted by industrial development, several tallymen delivered passionate statements following Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty's presentation on wildlife directives.
Pottery workshops organized by Eastmain’s Maanuuhiikuu (mental health) department are giving community members a new way of connecting with the land. Mental health nurse Nathalie Mai Duong began hosting workshops at the Community Miyupimaatisiiun Centre (CMC) last November with clay from the Eastmain River.
August 8 marked 50 years since the official establishment of the Grand Council of the Crees, emerging from the turmoil surrounding Quebec’s James Bay hydroelectric project to become the driving force uniting the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee.
My name is Juliet Sarah Rabbitskin Loon, daughter of Kathleen Rabbitskin and Jacques Filion. I wanted to share the story about my late aunt Juliette Rabbitskin and the process of bringing her home to Mistissini.
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation was honoured in the Cree Nation with two moving events in Mistissini. With Cree and provincial leaders in attendance, Chief Michael Petawabano announced the future location of a monument to honour community members who attended residential school.
A groundbreaking ceremony was held October 1 for a new land-based camp to be built on an island in Lake Opataca, about a 45-minute drive from Ouje-Bougoumou. Water taxis made the 20-minute trip from “Gerry’s Camp,” where guest speakers, storytellers and a delicious lunch awaited community members.
Cree post-secondary students in the Gatineau region were invited to a symposium on safety and well-being on September 21 hosted by the Cree Justice Department in collaboration with the Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association (CWEIA) and Maanuuhiikuu, the mental health department of the Cree Health Board.
