I think I heard “angels of the James Bay Highway” shout for joy when my namesake Josh at Cree Radio Network interviewed our Grand Chief regarding the $97,500,000 to redo the infamous JBH over the next five years. I have […]
Category: Rez Notes
Duping the derby
Winter finally let us go, at least south of the 55th parallel. The ice out on James Bay slowly crushed itself apart, allowing canoes to head out and catch the first days of summer. Fishhooks and nets appeared and the […]
Goose feasts and beaver tail feats
It’s June and I am honking over the four geese I bagged during Goose Break. It’s not my usual haul but my tiny freezer wouldn’t handle any more. My time at Met’dootgone with William and Harriet Wapachee and famjam was […]
Goose Break games
Another plane takes off with another family heading for their spring goose break. The Twin Otter’s engines drone on and quickly fade away as the plane heads for the Northern Quebec interior. The town is quiet. At the local store, […]
Living the good life in O-J
I very much enjoyed my time at the newly renovated Capassit Lodge in Oujé-Bougoumou recently. It is all class – magnificent. Since it is still under construction, sometimes things might not have gone as smooth at a well-established hotel. But […]
April fools no one
As an avid jokester with many decades of experience, I have learned to finesse the dark arts of the April Fool’s prank. Despite years of efforts, I have yet to be caught unaware, for I am extra leery of anything […]
The circles of life and the seasons
It’s been quite a journey for all of us! We have gone through many cold mornings together and some local elections. Spring is here, my friends. Although I still see them “whapiyehwj” white ptarmigans feeding off my birch trees out […]
The fish, she is small
One of the most memorable times of my childhood, in the late 1960s, was fishing at the first rapids, the present site of La Grande 1. This special annual harvest was a day-long event that netted thousands of fish. The […]
Cultural spanking
Thank heavens for Mutshoo beesum. I believe that warm weather will (eventually) come according to Elders and CTV’s gorgeous meteorologist Lori Graham. Until then, keep warm. And I can’t help but wonder how a roasted groundhog would taste! I am […]
Sub-zero ecstasy
In case you haven’t noticed, it’s winter in the land of the wandering polar bear, with the biting and burning winds in this sub-zero climate we like to call home. Taking note of this, the wind chill hovering around minus-50 […]