I can fluently speak my Cree language and I know how to survive on the land. I owe these skills to the fact that I grew up surrounded by my parents and Elders in my home community of Attawapiskat. How […]
Post Tagged with: "UTNS"
Neemis Jackie
I don’t get the chance to visit with my family often these days. We are all live far apart and lead busy lives. We talk on the phone but it is not the same as being able to sit with […]
Mooshoom’s snow scoop
I enjoy carpentry, woodworking and construction. I like building things, renovating my home and learning how to use new tools. I like to think that I have a knack for figuring out building or construction problems on my own. It […]
The prescription drug abuse crisis
Somehow we have lost our way when it comes to health care and prescription drugs. Many of us know someone addicted to prescription opiate drugs like fentanyl or hydromorphone. A survey done in 2012 indicated that 410,000 Canadians abused prescription […]
Making it right when things go wrong
We need more people like Chief Walter Naveau of Mattagami First Nation and Fire Chief Mike Benson of Gogama, Ontario. They have proven themselves as powerful advocates for local people and the environment. These two men, among many others, have […]
Here’s to your health
With winter on the way I see a lot of people out and about in town wanting to connect with others. Northerners are resilient folk but we also follow hard lifestyles. We tend to pride ourselves as big party types. […]
Where’s the tea?
As a boy living in Attawapiskat, there were some things that were constant in my life. My mom Susan and dad Marius always made sure myself and my siblings had a roof over our head and food to eat. Back […]
Changing with the seasons
Well, it looks like winter is just around the corner. I am surprised that the leaves are changing colour in mid-September but then again I am in the north and that should be expected. After one of the warmest summers […]
First Nation struggles win recognition
It has been a hot and humid summer in northern Ontario. However, the political climate for First Nation people in this province and right across Canada has been refreshing. Good things are beginning to happen for First Nations in education, […]
The generational sacrifice of war
My great-grandfather, John Chookomolin, died of the Spanish flu 99 years ago after being transported by ship to England to fight in the First World War as part of the Canadian Forestry Corps. When I first visited his grave at […]