The Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) is awarding an honorary doctorate to Édith Cloutier, who they call “a dedicated ambassador of Indigenous identity and a defender of Indigenous rights.”
Many years of supporting Indigenous women through counselling and other advocacy work has taught Dr. Cathy Richardson/Kinewesquao that sometimes a small gesture can go a long way. A few weeks ago, she started a GoFundMe crowdsourcing campaign to help “get the boot off the neck” of Indigenous mothers.
As spring brings geese back to northern skies, the Cree Trappers’ Association (CTA) is encouraging hunters to remain in Eeyou Istchee to avoid the risk of Covid-19 variants. For the second year in a row, the CTA is administering an emergency fund to help Cree families access their bush camps for Goose Break.
The Cree Nation is mourning the loss of John Mark, a former Chief of Wemindji who played a pioneering role in the establishment of many important entities in the Cree Nation, including Air Creebec.
It’s April, and across Eeyou Istchee the geese are returning as Cree communities prepare for Goose Break. In some communities, however, an early spring has created dangerous ice conditions. The Nation reached out to public safety officers and Cree Trappers’ Association (CTA) representatives in each community to find out if there had been any goose sightings or harvest and to get an update on safety issues.
The Canadian government has promised a national justice strategy to address the systemic discrimination and disproportionate incarceration of Indigenous and Black peoples. While it’s still unclear when this strategy will arrive, Justice Minister David Lametti has said the new approaches will advance Indigenous-led solutions with “true partnership”.
The grassroots group Circles for Reconciliation was initially inspired by a line from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s interim report in 2015 – “there is no reason for anyone who wants to contribute to the reconciliation process to wait until the publication of the Commission’s final reports.”
Several school buses in Chisasibi that serve both the James Bay Eeyou and Waapinichikush Elementary schools have been repeatedly out of service over the winter.
It’s just after midnight on the opening day of snow-crab season, which means it’s time to go to work. The captains start up their boats, and head out from their home in Listuguj, Quebec, through Chaleur Bay, heading to the Gulf of St. Lawrence to catch crab and exercise their inherent rights.
