Xavier Kataquapit

NAPS detachment opens in Mattagami

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:40

Mattagami First Nation celebrated the grand opening of a new Nishnawbe-Aski Police Services (NAPS) detachment building in its community Aug. 19.
In recent years, NAPS detachment buildings have been developed as prefabricated buildings and imported into First Nations. However, through lobbying and co-operative efforts, the community was able to construct the building from scratch and also provided some employment opportunities to members of Mattagami.

Of Mice and Men

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

It is four in the morning, the room is dark and quiet as I lie still in my bed. I am in a cabin in the wilderness and in complete silence except that I can hear scurrying and scratching in the walls. The sounds move from the ceiling to my right, then shuffle overhead and disappear off to my left. A mouse or wahpookoosheesh, in the Cree language, has made his home in the crudely built plywood and insulated walls of the cabin I have rented. There are more than enough cracks, holes and broken boards in the building to allow a tiny mouse to crawl through these spaces.

Nomadic blood feeds travel bug

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

I have been travelling overseas and across Canada now for several years. I enjoy moving from place to place. I think the need to see new places comes from my people's nomadic tradition of moving over the land regularly as a matter of survival. For the past ten years or so, I have regularly travelled to places in Europe, Asia, parts of the United States and Canada.

Ground broken on $1.5B Young Davidson Mine

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

Matachewan First Nation welcomed a host of dignitaries to a ground breaking ceremony of the $1.5 billion Young Davidson Mine on its traditional lands Sept. 10.
Northgate Minerals Corporation officials were joined by provincial, federal, First Nation, regional and municipal leaders in officially celebrating the rebirth of the historic gold mine destined to provide hundreds of jobs in a development that should run for at least 15 years.

The Swing Of Things

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

I sat down with a friend the other night on a lawn swing after working around the yard. We watched the sun fall behind the pine trees on this cool fall evening. The weather was barely warm enough for us to linger on happily swinging. The swing had two opposing benches and a small table for drinks. The model we were using was a type I see in northern Quebec more often. Instead of the overhead swinging mechanism, the benches sat on two rollers set on grooved rails under the swing.

Waging War On Diabetes

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

I got good news this weekend thanks to my visit to the Diabetes Expo in Timmins. The Wabun Tribal Council health department set up an information booth at the event with a community health nurse who provided on the spot glucose level blood tests for visitors. As an aboriginal person I am aware of the high rate of this disease with First Nation people and to top it off I have family members who are living with diabetes so I had plenty of reason to get tested.

Diabetes expo explores dangers of disease

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

A presenter at the annual Diabetes Expo in Timmins Oct. 1 and 2 had some dire warnings for students attending his workshop.
“This is the first generation of Canadian children that will not outlive their parents,” said Chris Johnson, who also has diabetes. “This is the first time in history that this will happen and part of it is due to an inactive lifestyle.”
To counter diabetes, he said it’s important to make sure kids are active.
“We have to work like hell to get kids up and off their butts and to be physically active.”

Remembering Gaston Lascelle

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

A lot of good things have happened to me over the past 14 years.
When I first met my best friend Mike, he introduced me to a life of sobriety. My time before this was difficult. Now that I think back on it, I was numb all the time and I felt disconnected. I had always promised myself that I would not fall into a life of addictions but I just didn’t know how to do it.
I have a lot of great family and friends and I had a good life as a child. However, most of my memories have to do with alcohol and drugs.

The Wonder Of It All

Create: 12/01/2015 - 19:39

I took the telescope out a few weeks ago to view Jupiter as our two worlds passed close to each other. The close orbit of this large planet was all over the news and I took time out that evening to see if I could actually view anything. I didn't think much of it at the time because a full moon obscured the night sky with a blue glow which normally meant that it is difficult to see any distant object in space. I set up my telescope and pointed it at a bright light that I had determined was Jupiter, the giant gas planet overhead.

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