Category: Writing
-
Workshop in Chisasibi encourages kids to explore songwriting
The lively sounds of high-pitched fiddling, tinkling piano keys and twanging guitar strings filled the hallways of Chisasibi’s James Bay Eeyou School with reimagined tunes and original songs performed by the very same people who walk these halls. For four days and three nights (March 11-14), a group of Secondary 2 and 3 students reinterpreted…
-
Innovative land-based treatment program ready to launch for Moose Cree
Moose Cree Health Services is opening its first land-based withdrawal management facility for post-treatment support this January. The program, dubbed Bim Bij Joo Wuk (meaning “going together”) Healing Facility, aims to ease participants back into the community by spending their time deep in nature. “The land to us has always been a nurturer, a healer,…
-
Food banks: communities provide helping hands this holiday season
This year, Cree communities are once again organizing to create a special show of holiday kindness. To relieve hunger, stress and worries this cold holiday season, families and individuals in need can turn to their local food banks and health services to access resources and support. From turkey dinners to toy donations, here are some…
-
Indigenous artwork focuses on the largest pipeline protest in recent history
A crowd gathered at the Museum of Indian Arts & Culture (MIAC) in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on December 1 to bid the Beyond Standing Rock exhibit farewell. As a salute to the long-standing protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline (DAPL) and the art that ensued, the exhibit, which opened in February 2019, featured artwork that portray…
-
New study highlights the importance of traditional foods access in Eeeyou Istchee
On November 7, the Assembly of First Nations, the University of Ottawa and the Université de Montréal released the first draft of the decade-long study regarding First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment (FNFNES). The study examines the importance of traditional foods and the impact of environmental degradation towards First Nation access to food security. From…
-
Restless River: film depict love, life and nature in war-torn Kuujjuaq over the decades
The highly anticipated Inuit-focused film Restless River premiered October 12 at Montreal’s New Cinema Festival to a lively reception. “We had a lot of our cast in attendance,” said director Marie-Hélène Cousineau. “The public was great.” Set in Kuujjuaq after the Second World War, the film follows Elsa (played by Malaya Qaunirq Chapman), a young Inuk woman…
-
Myriam Verreault discusses the making of Kuessipan, an Innu coming-of-age film
“The question, ‘How do I define myself as a person?’ has always been one that has fascinated me,” expressed filmmaker Myriam Verreault, director of Kuessipan. “When I got to know these young people, I thought there was an added layer. When you’re 16 and Innu, what do you become as a person?” Kuessipan follows the lives of…
-
“Glamping” tent design offers new tourism ventures for Eeyou Istchee
Attendees from Eeyou Istchee gathered on July 11 to preview the new Creetopia design, a unique prototype camping tent showcased during the Cree Outfitting and Tourism Association (COTA) annual assembly in Chisasibi. The tent was created by the Cree in partnership with Huttopia, a French company specializing in customized and sustainable accommodation packages for ready-to-camp…
-
Assiginack summer camp sews Widget quilts for Alzheimer’s Society
ASSIGINACK—On Friday, children in Manitowaning sewed, hemmed and crafted intricate ‘fidget quilts’ in a bid to help members of the Island community who suffer from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. The activity is part of a four-day summer camp experience and was organized by the Township of Assiginack in partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society. “It’s a…
-
Community BBQ thanks South Baymouth residents in search for missing woman
SOUTH BAYMOUTH – On Wednesday, July 3, a cool day greeted over 40 community members and responders during a community barbecue hosted by the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) in John Budd Park, South Baymouth. The afternoon was organized to give special thanks to residents of South Baymouth for their efforts in supporting first responders and…