Rick Garrick — Wawatay News

While two Eabametoong women were unsuccessful so far this fall on their moose hunt, a band councillor managed to get four during the first three weeks of October.
“We didn’t kill nothing,” said Charlotte Baxter, about her moose-hunting trip 77 miles north of Eabametoong on the Attawapiskat River. “We saw three moose when we landed and that was the only time we saw moose. But the guys got a cow, so they gave us half of that moose.”
Baxter hasn’t shot a moose for some time, but her hunting partner shot one six years ago near the community with her son.

Fort Albany Chief Andrew Solomon and Kashechewan Chief Jonathan Solomon recently shot a beaver while out hunting on the traditional lands near their communities on the James Bay coast.
“We smoked it and divided it in half,” Andrew said. “When I go out on the land I feel a real sense of belonging out there.”
Andrew said he doesn’t have any worries while out on the land, other than being safe and careful.
“You know that help is not near, so you have to be really careful in what you do,” he said. “You’ve got to respect the land too.”

A number of northwestern Ontario’s remote First Nations are set to replace their diesel generating stations with a power transmission line.
“My community can no longer afford the cost of expensive diesel power,” said Wunnumin Lake Chief Rod Winnepetongo. “Together our communities must move quickly to bring transmission line connectivity.”
A First Nations led company, Wataynikaneyap Power, is being formed to own and operate a 230 kilovolt power transmission line to increase the power grid connection to Pickle Lake, Ont., and to First Nations in the region.

A group of Dennis Franklin Cromarty First Nations High School students in Thunder Bay are looking forward to making music on their own custom-made guitars.
“It’s been interesting – I’d never considered making a guitar and it’s nice to know I can make one,” said Brandon Meekis, a Grade 12 student from Sandy Lake. “I’m glad DFC presented this opportunity to me.”