The Nation Timeline part 1

Dec. 15, 1993: Hydro job creation myth – Hydro-Québec agreed, in 1986, to create 154 person-years of employment for Crees, only 10 to 20 achieved

Jan. 20, 1994: The land is our dictionary – The Cree School Board’s Paul Gull says education must begin at home, progress to an improved school system and always be rooted in the land
Feb. 17, 1994: Hydro meddling again – H-Q asks Grand Council to change Cree composition of government committees studying company’s Great Whale River Project
March 3, 1994: Crees win Supreme Court fight – Unanimous decision demands federal environmental review of all future Hydro-Québec dam projects
March 19, 1994: It’s our right to decide – Quebec sovereignty debate presents Crees with opportunity to redefine their relationship with provincial and federal governments
March 31, 1994: Makivik ripped off in Hydro deal – Inuit to receive a fraction of promised compensation for Great Whale River project
April 14, 1994: Cree health report card with James Bobbish – Health Board executive director says policies developed in the South often fail, Cree approach needed
May 19, 1994: KFC in Mistissini? – Northern Stores asks Band Council to fund renovation and expansion, including introduction of fast-food chains
June 17, 1994: It’s time to listen to the trappers – Freddy Jolly seeks compensation for Route du Nord’s damages to his trapline
July 1, 1994: Quebec wants to restrict Cree moose hunt – After ignoring warnings about clearcutting in moose country for years, province blames Crees for decline
July 15, 1994: Turn on Power of the North – Moving documentary recounts Cree fight against the Great Whale project
July 29, 1994: The ice is broken –Waskaganish Peacekeepers and Waswapini Native Women’s Association work to help victims of sexual abuse speak up, and heal
Aug. 12, 1994: Hydro easy to bomb – H-Q expands powers for guards, but fails to beef up security amid terrorism fears, says union
Aug. 26, 1994: Air Creebec flying into the black – After four and a half years, and necessary downsizing and restructuring, airline finally makes a profit
Sept. 9, 1994: MoCreebec expelled –Mushkegowuk Council shuns “unofficial” band; MoCreebec says move violates the council’s own constitution
Sept. 22, 1994: Primer to Cree politics – The 1984 Cree Naskapi Act (covering band powers and management, property issues, justice, economy and more) explained
Oct. 7, 1994: On the way to wellness – Waskaganish Band Council funds program to help Crees cope with addiction, violence and other social problems
Oct. 21, 1994: O’Reilly resigns as Cree general counsel – Grand Council lawyer James O’Reilly felt position had become purely “symbolic”
Nov. 7, 1994: Wally Rabbitskin 1st in Quebec – Mistissini man first among province’s participants in Montreal Marathon
Dec. 2, 1994: Crees jubilant over Great Whale victory – Premier Jacques Parizeau postpones dreaded river project indefinitely, partying ensues
Dec. 16, 1994: Youth seek inquiry into clear-cutting – “Our land is being raped without our knowledge or consent,” says Waswanipi youth councilor Sam Gull
Jan. 20, 1995: Moose Factory vets reject compensation offer – Native WWII vets offered $4,000 in lieu of promised three acres; feds cite Indian Act stipulation forbidding land ownership
Feb. 3, 1995: Freddy’s day in court – Eight tallymen and 350 trappers join Nemaska’s Freddy Jolly in class action suit against Route du Nord
Feb. 17, 1995: No room at the inn? – Chisasibi man files discrimination complaint with Quebec Human Rights Commission against Val d’Or’s Journey’s End Motel
March 3, 1995: Hearings will look at Cree future – Chiefs establish commission to canvass public opinion on what to do in the event of Quebec separation
March 17, 1995: Rights too costly, says “appalling” Indian Affairs document – Federal bureaucrats try to water down UN Declaration on Social Development
March 31, 1995: “I don’t have anything against the Great Whale people”: Robert Kanatewat – Cree-Naskapi commissioner and former Chisasibi chief favours dam
April 14, 1995: Native rights not respected – On 25th anniversary of “White Paper,” Canadian Human Rights Commission says Native plight is Canada’s “most pressing human rights problem”
April 28, 1995: Life as a trapper – Onetime “city kid” Marlene Etapp-Dixon cherishes her decade spent working in the bush
May 12, 1995: Housing slashed in half for Crees – Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation move is “disgraceful,” says GCC executive director Bill Nagamoose
June 16, 1995: Common goals – CSB chairman Paul Gull to step down; “One of the major accomplishments was to bring the education home to our communities,” he says.
July 14, 1995: Northern is “killing us” – Sandy’s Corner Stores and other small businesses threatened by practices of Northern Stores corporation
July 28, 1995: ABCs of Cree politics – The Resolution gives Crees the power to enact laws, rules, procedures and more, at local and regional levels
Aug. 25, 1995: Cree kids cruise on down info highway – “If you go into any office in any of the communities, all the typewriters are gone,” says CSB chair Luke MacLeod
Sept. 8, 1995: Crees will defend rights, Quebec told – In wake of Great Whale victory, and ahead of Quebec referendum, Crees emboldened in fight for rights
Oct. 6, 1995: Bill 1 called “A shameful declaration” – Coon Come says Quebec’s Declaration of Sovereignty “denies our existence”
Oct. 20, 1995: Circle sentencing in the Cree Nation – Precedent set as Quebec judge sentences Waskaganish man on recommendation of Circle of Elders
Nov. 3, 1995: 96.3 say “No” in Cree referendum – Six days before Quebec referendum, 77 per cent of eligible voters turn out to give thumbs down to sovereignty
Nov. 17, 1995: In the Cree camp – Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come interviewed in wake of Quebec and Cree referendums: “The separatists claimed we don’t have the right to self-determination”
Dec. 1, 1995: Reunion at the Sheraton – 20th anniversary of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, a time for celebration for some, reflection for others
Dec.15, 1995: Diabetes epidemic alarms health staff – Community solutions sought for Cree health crisis
Feb. 2, 1996: Kitchen happy if trappers happy – Waswanipi Chief and trapper sign $15,000/year trapline compensation deal with Domtar
Feb. 16, 1996: War of words over separation – Feds support partition of a sovereign Quebec for Crees and other First Nations that wish to remain in Canada
March 1, 1996: Mother Earth to Ovide – National Chief Mercredi called a “blanket Indian” for hushing speculation over potential anti-Native violence in a sovereign Quebec
March 15, 1996: Crees unite on development – Grand Council given mandate to “protect and strengthen” Cree rights at three-day conference on natural-resource policy
April 1, 1996: “Bigfoot signs deal with Crees,” reports “The Nation Enquirer”
April 12, 1996: A soul satisfied – George Diamond describes the traditional goose hunt of his youth: “That was the way we did it. Nothing was thrown away and wasted.”
April 26, 1996: Cree construction in court over Route du Nord – After two years attempting out-of-court settlements, Freddy Jolly files lawsuit to protect trapping grounds
May 10, 1996: A little bit about Nemiscau – Chief George Wapachee reflects on his community’s evolution through the ’70s, in the wake of the JBNQA
May 24, 1996: Court hears Freddy Jolly lawsuit – Case marks the first time Natives have used the class-action process for Aboriginal rights
June 7, 1996: 1st Aboriginal Film Awards – A documentary about Natives’ fight to preserve their cultures wins four prizes at the inaugural gala in Edmonton
July 5, 1996: Where’s the beef? – Deputy Grand Chief Kenny Blacksmith accuses Quebec of using a “divide and conquer” strategy against Crees during negotiations over the “Memorandum of Understanding”
July 19, 1996: AGA passes landmark resolution: Cree constitution and government in works – “We must empower ourselves to decide what is important for the preservation of our language, our culture, our communities”
Aug. 2, 1996: Land claims body resigns in protest – All five Indian Claims commissioners resign, accusing Ottawa of ignoring recommendations, dragging feet
Aug. 16, 1996: Dusting off idea of a Cree Education Act – Act would allow Crees to self-govern, side-step accountability to Quebec’s education ministry
Sept. 13, 1996: I cannot do this alone – Coon Come, entering fourth term as Grand Chief, wants to “see how we can restructure and…set up our own legislature and bring our entities back together”
Sept. 27, 1996: Violet Pachano, Another first – First female Cree Nation chief elected National Vice-Grand Chief; focuses on instilling Cree values and pride in youth
Oct. 11, 1996: Mistissini alarmed over new logging camp – Community seeks support from Cree neighbours and regional leaders to oppose project
Oct. 25, 1996: In conversation with Judge Réjean Paul – Longtime Chair of Cree Naskapi Commission discusses unfulfilled JBNQA obligations: “I feel that it’s just a question of fairness”
Nov. 8, 1996: Aboriginal rights don’t exist in Quebec, says gov’t – Province’s chiefs pass joint resolution denouncing “racially discriminatory and colonial positions”
Nov. 22, 1996: New justice system a first in N. America – in Waswanipi, offenders in summary cases can have cases heard by Cree panel
Dec. 20, 1996: Troilus mine gets good report card – “Cooperation between Crees and development companies is possible,” say Mistissini First Nation and Inmet mining company
Jan. 17, 1997: Crees ignored in James Bay snowmobile trail – Hydro-Québec skips consultation in $2M plan to connect Radisson and Chibougamau
Jan. 31, 1997: Two tallymen speak out on forestry – Waswanipi brothers fear for ancestral lands, express disappointment in Cree leadership
Feb. 14, 1997: Emotional debate over Royal Commish –Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples conference closes with angry exchange between Toronto journalist Andrew Coyne and National Chief Ovide Mercredi
Feb. 28, 1997: 150 call on Wemindji chief to resign – Walter Hughboy is a poor leader, petition says, and band is “out of control”
March 14, 1997: Co-op store to open in Mistissini – Cotter Canada fills void left by Northern Stores closure
April 1, 1997: Crees cautioned to stay away from plan – Skepticism reigns as Texas tycoon promises millions to Crees for investing in recycling megaproject
April 11, 1997: – Day of protest – First Nations leaders call for national protests on April 17 following Canadian Human Right Commission’s scathing annual report
April 25, 1997: RCMP probes Judge Réjean Paul – Investigation of Cree-Naskapi Commission Chair for expense account “irregularities” raises witch-hunt concerns
May 9, 1997: Chisasibi gets $1.8M for airport – Minus electricity, air ambulance and building for Air Creebec staff
May 23, 1997: – Walter Childress inspired by Creator – Texan seeking Cree handout for recycling project speaks of divine inspiration; Wall St. analyst calls plan “a crock”
June 6, 1997: Mario Lord vs. Norbord – One tallyman arranges $10,000/year settlement with logging company, others follow suit
June 20, 1997: James Bay II back on the table – Hydro proposes Great Whale, Rupert diversions again; Chief Billy Diamond calls this “a different fight,” “a water-rights issue”
July 4, 1997: Bouchard promises to occupy North – First Quebec Premier in 20 years to visit Cree makes bizarre threat to “populate this territory”
July 18, 1997: We can still fight – Elders Council director Robbie Matthew Sr. shares wisdom about legal and political conflicts: “With our culture and our language, we are more powerful than Hydro-Québec”
Aug. 1, 1997: The truth is down there – Fiery meteor hits 10 miles north of Whapmagoostui, makes house-sized crater
Aug. 15, 1997: Miners abuzz about huge gold finds – Cree lands attract prospectors with province’s biggest haul over three preceding years
Aug. 29, 1997: NASA denies its own existence – Agency says it’s not investigating recent mega-meteor and hasn’t installed unmanned, logo-emblazoned facility in Chisasibi, despite ample evidence
Sept. 12, 1997: Cree connection in Davis Inlet scandal – Cree Construction tarnished by link to Innu bribery debacle
Sept. 26, 1997: Quebec retreats on renaming 101 islands – Toponymy Commission surprised to learn that Caniapiscau Reservoir mountains already have Cree names
Oct. 10, 1997: Noble steps towards the future – Eastmain plans arena to facilitate hockey, Elders’ meetings, daycare centre and more
Oct. 24, 1997: Waskaganish takes aim at the CRA – Community sends “wake-up call” to Cree Regional Authority, asking to take over a wide range of services
Nov. 7, 1997: A tribute to my best friend, James A. Shecapio – Beloved member of Cree Nation eulogized following his untimely death, and that of his daughter Amanda, in a car crash
Nov. 21, 1997: Cree language and culture conference – Saskatchewan chief Mary-Ann Stoney praises but cautions Quebec Cree, noting culture’s decline in her province
Dec. 19, 1997: Interview, Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come – “The only way to maintain our language is if we introduce it in the schools but more importantly practice it at home”
Jan. 2, 1998: 100 years sober – Santa Claus submits editorial, reveals that he is half Norse, half Inuit (Mrs. Claus is Cree), and a recovering alcoholic
Jan. 16, 1998: Supreme Court shocker – Native oral law is recognized as just as valid as any written law enacted by the government
Jan. 30, 1998: Hydro ignored lessons of the past – Two weeks into Ice Storm crisis, H-Q and Quebec government criticized for poor emergency planning
Feb. 27, 1998: Historic judgment backs Cree rights – The JBNQA is deemed a treaty with constitutional protection; federal and provincial governments argued it was merely a contract
April 10, 1998: Smiles all around at signing ceremony – $15M Quebec-Cree Memorandum of Understanding is “a public relations coup for the Parti Québécois government”
April 24, 1998: Cree land to be flooded – Hydro-Québec doesn’t recognize Cree presence at Lake Megiscane, site of its latest project; 1836 Hudson’s Bay Co. document proves them wrong
May 8, 1998: Debate grows on how funds divided – Funding disparity of Quebec-Cree MOU deal, blamed on chiefs’ “power struggles and horse-trading,” sparks in-fighting
May 22, 1998: Erasmus vague about healing fund – $350M in reparations promised for residential-school alumni; Crees hope for inclusion in National Aboriginal Healing Foundation
June 5, 1998: Chiefs question Quebec’s Indian policy – Rejected deal would have silenced First Nations in future provincial sovereignty debates
June 19, 1998: Nation-to-nation talks start with feds – Cree-Canada Round Table in Ottawa a breakthrough after “bitter and adversarial” relations under Mulroney
July 3, 1998: Who will be chief? – The Nation’s first set of election platforms allows Mistissini’s Henry Mianscum, Kenny Loon, Peter Coon and Sam Etapp to weigh-in on forestry, Hydro, roads, community development
July 31, 1998: There is unrest in the forest – Cree Forestry Working Group coordinator Jack Blacksmith explains the lawsuit recently filed against 26 companies, Quebec and the feds
Aug. 14, 1998: Kenny Loon takes the reins in Mistissini – Community welcomes its first “homeless chief,” who weekends with family in Ottawa, couch-surfs in Mistissini
Aug. 28, 1998: An interview with André Caillé – Hydro-Québec president says he’s “trying to change the way we do business and that includes the way we relate to the local communities”
Sept. 11, 1998: Emotions high at meetings with PQ execs – Nemaska audience hands back a Hydro pamphlet, Band Council members walk out as Caillé & co. present dam and diversion projects
Sept. 25, 1998: Skeptical reaction to HQ joint venture – Fallout continues from proposed Eastmain-Rupert project, despite co-ownership offer to Crees
Oct. 9, 1998: Chiefs decide to suspend forestry case – Cree leadership succumbs to Quebec’s alleged threats to withhold promised $15M MOU funding
Oct. 23, 1998: Shut down SDBJ, says Grand Chief – Coon Come calls for closure of provincial entities such as the James Bay Development Corp.; Cree chiefs Diamond and Kitchen disagree
Nov. 6, 1998: Ouje-Bougoumou to be finally recognized? – The Cree-Naskapi Commission gets Parliamentary support for band status
Nov. 20, 1998: Profile: Grand Chief Dr. Matthew Coon Come – Coon Come’s accomplishments are reviewed following his reception of an honourary Doctor of Laws degree from Trent University
December 4, 1998: Cree unity emerges over EM-1 project – Cree leaders agree to respond as one to Hydro-Québec’s proposed Eastmain River dam
Dec. 18, 1998: Helping each other is our way – Pondering European practices and institutions vs. Native values, traditions and beliefs
Jan. 1, 1999: Flying high with Paul Rickard, Cree film director – Rickard premieres his film Okimah, about the goose hunt, in his hometown Moose Factory
Jan. 15, 1999: The Hannah Bay Massacre – George Diamond Sr. and Louise Diamond tell a tragic 19th-century tale, as passed down from Elders
Jan. 29, 1999: Grand Chief slams Canada’s policies – Coon Come criticizes federal inaction, says First Nations communities are “social time bombs”
Feb. 12, 1999: Trappers struggle with “humane” traps – The AFN and MNC say Canada’s impending ban on leghold traps violates Native rights
Feb. 26, 1999: Nunavut stomps on Aboriginal rights? – New territory, coming April 1, includes Cree land and that of other First Nations, without their consent
March 12,1999: Cree-Quebec relations break down – Quebec withholds funding for basic services due to the Crees’ injunction to stop forestry on their land
March 26, 1999: “Our life, our work, our heritage” – La Coalition sur les forêts vierges nordiques demands independent public inquiry into Quebec forestry operations
April 9, 1999: Crees see the Pope – Matthew Coon Come asks John Paul II to support Cree efforts in the UN to set human-rights standards for the world’s indigenous people
April 23, 1999: Canada violating human rights of Natives, UN says – Report says the federal government is at odds with International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
May 7, 1999: In dams we trust – Flooding disaster scenarios are explored in the wake of the 1996 Saguenay dam rupture and the 1998 ice storm
May 21, 1999: Quebec slammed on diabetes “time bomb” – Crees, who have one of the world’s highest diabetes rates, says the province has ignored the health crisis for years
June 4, 1999: Rupert’s river flows strong, but for how long – An interview with Josie Sam Jr., whose camp was flooded by a Hydro dam
June 18, 1999: Chiefs seek to shut out Grand Chief – Five Cree chiefs inform Coon Come that they, not the Grand Council, will negotiate the Rupert River Hydro project
July 30, 1999: H-Q going ahead with studies on project – Hydro begins preliminary work on Rupert River diversion plan
Aug. 13, 1999: Dead air in Great Whale after SQ letter – A dispute over bingo licenses forces Whapmagoostui radio station off the air
Aug. 27, 1999: Matthew not running again – Coon Come leaves Grand Chief post after 12 years, six vie for his job; among nine candidates for Deputy Grand Chief is Nation editor William Nicholls
Sept. 10, 1999: Moses and Mukash voted in – Crees vote in record numbers, electing Ted Moses as Grand Chief, Matthew Mukash as Deputy Grand Chief
Sept. 24, 1999: Riding the wave of change – Newly elected Waswanipi chief Paul Gull wants to work with rivals, rule by committee
Oct. 8, 1999: H-Q’s first Native joint venture stumbles – Hydro fails to consult Uashat mak Mani-Utenam Innu about its plans for their land
Oct. 22, 1999: Radio Free Cree: Coming to a radio near u – New regional network to be controlled and programmed by Crees in their own territory
Nov. 5, 1999: Ottawa won’t fund study of Cree disease – Number of victims of Cree Leucoencephalopathy doesn’t justify expense, feds claim
Nov. 19, 1999: New day at the Health Board – Provincial government to revisit forgotten promises of JBNQA, new Health Board chairman Bertie Wapachee has high hopes
Dec. 3, 1999: Ted Moses on the state of the nation – New Grand Chief vows to assert Cree rights in forestry case and other disputes, push the JBNQA to forefront
Dec. 17, 1999: Corrective measures, Interview with Henry Mianscum – former Mistissini chief discusses Cree law ahead of a justice workshop that could significantly alter the system
Dec. 31, 1999: Quebec liquidating forests: U.S. group – American lobby group aligns with Crees against province’s forest policies
Jan. 14, 2000: Judge hammers Quebec over forestry – Province’s Superior Court rules logging regime in Cree territory illegal and unconstitutional
Jan. 28, 2000: “I love my land” – Nemaska’s Abel Jolly testifies in Mario Lord forestry court case
Feb. 11, 2000: Fight to remove judge continues – Federal and provincial governments want Jean-Jacques Croteau replaced on Cree forestry cases, due to perceived pro-Cree prejudice
Feb. 25, 2000: Like a “Mohawk haircut” – Quebecois singer Richard Desjardins joins Cree fight for moratorium on approval of province’s forest-management plans
March 10, 2000: “Goodbye, Mavis – we love you” – Marking the untimely passing of the Cree Health Board’s diabetes coordinator Mavis Verroneau
March 24, 2000: Crees protest Judge Croteau’s removal – Chiefs launch international campaign against province’s forestry policy and justice system, threaten to tear up JBNQA
April 7, 2000: Logging grinds to halt across Quebec – Forest exploitation permits cease to be valid due to public and private sector bungling
April 21, 2000: Crees launch counter-strike in lawsuit – An appeal is filed over the removal of Judge Croteau from Mario Lord case
May 5, 2000: Alma struggles to keep out Air Creebec – Alma mayor denies Creebec use of town’s airport for daily Alma-Montreal flights, threatens Air Canada boycott
May 19, 2000: Gay marriage coming to a home near u? – Ottawa plans to amend Cree-Naskapi Act to comply with same-sex benefits bill, without bands’ consent
June 2, 2000: Matthew Coon Come, National Chief? – Cree statesman considers running for AFN Chief
June 16, 2000: AFN “has been bought”: Coon Come – National Chief candidate calls AFN corrupt and ineffective
June 30, 2000: Quebec gives in one hour before march – Province agrees to fork over $2.2-million to complete Waswanipi youth centre ahead of protest walk
July 14, 2000: Guarded optimism after leaders’ summit – Premier Bouchard and Grand Chief Moses agree on increased funding for community, renewal of forestry negotiations
July 28, 2000: The people have spoken – Matthew Coon Come defeats Phil Fontaine, becomes new National Chief
August 11, 2000: Billy Diamond voted for court action – Evidence surfaces contradicting former Grand Chief Diamond’s claims in a controversial L’Actualité cover story, in which he denounces Cree “Quebec-bashing”
Aug. 25, 2000: Establish guaranteed harvest: AFN – Federal government’s impending overhaul of endangered species legislation expected to affect Native livelihood
Sept. 8, 2000: GCCEI/CRA Annual General Assembly 2000 – Crees aim to take back control of Eeyou Istchee, pursue self-governance and self-determination
Sept. 22, 2000: Mistissini speckle trout being studied – First Nation takes fish conservation into its own hands in face of government inaction
Oct. 6, 2000: “Indian bashing” erupts at logging meet – Non-Native mayors and forestry officials insult Crees at Matagami logging meeting
Oct. 20, 2000: Era of residential school days – Paul Dixon’s story about his own childhood experience
Nov. 3, 2000: $20M deal finally inked with feds – Crees and Indian Affairs agree on infrastructure funding promised in the JBNQA
Nov. 17, 2000: Waskaganish band to rein in police – Changes to the force are recommended amid police brutality allegations
Dec. 1, 2000: Interview with the President – Mistissini’s Alfred Loon named head of the decade-old Council for the Advancement of Native Development Officers (CANDO)
Dec. 15, 2000: Community spirit soars as Waskaganish road opens – 25 years after the James Bay Agreement, a moving ceremony launches Waskaganish’s road
Dec. 29, 2000: First Cree artists and craftsmen assembly of Eeyou Istchee – The Cree Native Arts and Crafts Association is founded, with 20 members representing different sectors and communities
Jan. 12, 2001: CREECO ordered to sell Servinor – Economic development company loses food wholesaler subsidiary, ending eight-year food-distribution venture
Feb. 9, 2001: Great Whale dead in the water again – Hydroelectric project rejected by Crees for the third time
Feb. 23, 2001: Crees outmanoeuvre Quebec in Europe – Crees promised support from EU, for the right to self-determination, in the event of Quebec separation
March 9, 2001: Class action brewing on rez schools – Waswanipi Crees hope to spearhead Quebec’s first residential-schools lawsuit
March 23, 2001: One Native, one vote – Debate begins about allowing all community members to vote for AFN National Chief
April 6, 2001: Housing crisis causes health emergency – Cree delegation demands action from Ottawa on sick building and overcrowding
April 20, 2001: Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault visit Eeyou Istchee – Nault tours Chisasibi and Chibougamau, promises $2.1-million to correct housing crisis
May 4, 2001: Summit diary: I got gas! – A report from the riot at Quebec City’s Summit of the Americas
May 18, 2001: Hydro-Québec slashes dam inspections – Years of budget, staff and maintenance cuts raise dam safety concerns
June 1, 2001: Mistissini’s reception centre – $4-million sports/education/arts facility aims to foster strong sense of cultural identity for Cree children
June 15, 2001: Nemaska evacuated – Forest fire emergency tests community’s resources and organizational skills, Nemaska passes with flying colours
June 29, 2001: Cree Spoken Here wins at Banff – Festival names Rezolution Pictures’ first documentary Best Canadian Aboriginal Language Television Production
July 13, 2001: Crees refuse HQ partnership deal – Hydro’s Rupert River diversion scheme rejected at Cree Nation Natural Resource Development Conference
July 27, 2001: Quebec government’s violation of law costing Crees at least $105-million a year – Crees say logging companies are subsidized due to province’s failure to implement environmental and social provisions of JBNQA
Aug. 10, 2001: First Nations reject new government round-de-lay, designed to strip them of their rights – Indian Affairs Minister Robert Nault stymied in effort to “transform” Indian Act
Aug. 24, 2001: Hip hop to the bop rez style – Exploring Native hip hop, profiling Eeyou Istchee-based group FBI Jedeyez
Sept. 7, 2001: Let’s do launch – The James Bay Cree Communications Society launches its regional radio network with a live broadcast of a concert by the Chisasibi Rockers
Sept. 21, 2001: Fear and loathing in America – A dispatch from New York Mohawks and Crees about what they saw on 9/11/01
Oct. 5, 2001: Editorialists frothing at the mouth as they denounce the anti-racist conference, and Matthew Coon Come – National Chief condemned by newspapers for criticizing Canada’s institutional racism at Durban conference
Oct. 19, 2001: National Chief keeps Native issues on front burner – Coon Come reminds Canadian Bar Association of tragic suffering faced by Native people in Canada on a daily basis
Nov. 2, 2001: The Agreement in Principle – Rights and responsibilities of James Bay Cree and Quebec government are redefined by historic agreement that spans 50 years, promises payments of $3.5-billion
Nov. 16, 2001: Looking at that deal – Breaking down the economic and community development obligations to be passed on to Crees by the AIP
Nov. 30, 2001: How to decide the future of the AIP and the Cree – The Nation canvasses Cree leaders on the progress of AIP consultations; Mukash breaks ranks by opposing deal
Dec. 14, 2001: New Chief in Chisasibi – Abraham Rupert elected
Dec. 28, 2001: Rupert River protest – Demonstrators oppose the river diversion proposed in the AIP
Jan. 11, 2002: Stewards of the land? What do Crees believe? – Arguments for and against the AIP
Jan. 25, 2002: The value of our ways – Assessing the impact of Aboriginal tradition on the fields of medicine, psychology and natural resource management
Feb. 8, 2002: Youth conference a bust, again – Grand Chief Ted Moses is unapologetic about his absence at a gathering of youth representatives from all nine communities
Feb. 22, 2002: The new Eeyou Istchee Consortium – Formed in the wake of the Cree-Quebec Agreement in Principle, group aims to orchestrate Cree resources
March 8, 2002: An interview with a senator – the Hon. Gerry St. Germain of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs introduced a bill that would have Canada recognize self-government for First Nations
March 22, 2002: Financial woes can cripple band councils – Withholding of loans and funding among the consequences of tardy year-end reports and debt
April 5, 2002: Canadian courts say tax exemption is not there to benefit people economically; appeal rejected – Roger Obonsawin seven years into legal battle for Aboriginals who work off-reserve
April 19, 2002: Softwood negotiations sidestep First Nations – Duty imposed by U.S. undermines First Nations’ rights and economic interests
May 3, 2002: Should O.J. be concerned? – Ouje-Bougoumou preliminary health study suggested by study on toxic contaminants from gold and copper mining
May 17, 2002: The Cree Consortium: An interview with President Don MacLeod – Band of businesses could be Crees’ future economic engine, he says
May 31, 2002: Dr. Ted’s new world order – Grand Chief Ted Moses named an Officer of the Order of Quebec by Premier Bernard Landry
June 14, 2002: Genetic sleuths attack mystery of Cree disease – Eeyou Awash Foundation paves way for revealing international studies on neurological disorder
June 28, 2002: To what extent has assimilation taken place in Cree communities? – Non-Cree writer Bryan Bishop gives outsiders’ perspective on loss of Cree culture
July 12, 2002: Taking back the language – Former Cree School Board chair Luke MacLoed makes Dean’s Honour Roll, stresses importance of Cree as language of instruction
July 26, 2002: Fire in the sky, smoke on the water…in Boston – Nemaska particularly hard hit by James Bay region fires that sent smoke as far as Massachusetts and New York
Aug. 9, 2002: Chisasibi youth say they are left out – Band Council amasses resources for new office in a year, while youth wait a decade for centre
Aug. 23, 2002: Cree Health Services suffer almost 30 years of underfunding – Financial shot in the arm expected following talks with province
Sept. 6, 2002: Don’t touch that dial – Moses claims victory, Mukash challenges results in closest Grand Chief election in modern Cree history
Sept. 20, 2002: There’s a new deputy in town – Paul Gull replaces Matthew Mukash as Deputy Grand Chief; funding, jobs and forestry his priorities
Oct. 4, 2002: MoCreebec: Just who are they? – Chief Randy Kapashesit to James Bay Cree: “We should all see each other as equals”
Oct. 18, 2002: Adopt a river – Montreal protest outside building that houses Premier Landry’s office and Hydro draws 40-odd Quebecois vedettes
Nov. 1, 2002: The kids are all right! – Marcel Happyjack elected Youth Grand Chief of the Cree after six years as Youth Chief in Waswanipi: “Anything is possible,” he says.
Nov. 15, 2002: Cree School Board wins big – Supreme Court refuses federal request to appeal Quebec Superior Court decision on implementation of JBNQA
Nov. 29, 2002: The Invasion of Eeyou Istchee – Many Cree flee hunting camps as bullets fly during annual non-Native Caribou Hunt
Dec. 13, 2002: A Cree woman’s story – “There is so much spousal abuse in our community and it seems like nobody is doing anything about it much,” writes anonymous woman
Dec. 27, 2002: No racism allowed anywhere – David Ahenakew praises Hitler’s handling of Jews: “At that moment he stopped being a respected Elder,” says editorial
Jan. 11, 2003: A better way to keep your New Year’s Resolutions – Choose realistic goals you can quantify, define in small steps, create a timeline for, achieve with others and monitor
Jan. 24, 2003: Cree legal eagles join bigger flock – James Bay Cree lawyers Mainville & Associates sign up with Montreal’s Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP