Attawapiskat First Nation wrapped up another successful Kattawapiskak Keekehwin Gathering for the community. The week-long event was held from August 2 to 8...
Forest fires have always been a deep worry for those of us who live in the far north of Ontario. We are surrounded by endless forests and we know full well...
Extreme cold weather is part of life every winter on the James Bay coast. The cold was normal for my parents who were both born on the land during a time when people didn’t have very much. My late father Marius Kataquapit was a trapper and hunter that learned to live and thrive on the land from the time he was a child.
Recently I have been watching news reports on how the left more socialist parties in our country and other parts of the world are being taken over by more conservative, right wing factions and some of this I suspect is also happening in Indigenous political organizations. When I look at political trends and decisions being made by governments, I follow the old saying that states “always follow the money”.
I recall being at home as a boy in our small three bedroom house in Attawapiskat in the 1980s. We were a huge family of nine children and two parents and at one point we lived with our Mooshoom (our grandfather) James Kataquapit. We lived a relatively quiet life in the north and every night dad would turn on the television to watch the nightly news. We seldom understood what was happening in the world because we felt we were far removed from everyone and everything in our small remote community in the wilderness.
Holiday Season is here and you can see everyone is excited in the annual high of getting ready for Christmas. Different religions and cultures celebrate this period and some don’t at all. I grew up in the remote Indigenous community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast and through colonization and the invasion by Christian missionaries my people for many years ended up becoming swept up in either the Catholic or Protestant religions depending on who was doing the the invading.
I think most of us feel like we have been through several very weird years with the Covid19 pandemic, climate change events like the recent forest fire summer and of course the terrible wars raging in Ukraine and Gaza. I wish I could be more optimistic in looking towards the future but it is not easy. The best we can do is just put one foot in front of the other and go on with our lives while being as kind and considerate of others as possible. Personally, my big focus is with one day at a time, staying in recovery and maintaining my sobriety.
November 11 or what we refer to as Remembrance Day is a very sad time for myself and my partner Mike. I have been doing a lot of research on my great-grandfather John Chookomolin and my grandfather James Kataquapit who along with 22 other young men from Attawapiskat were literally kidnapped by an army recruiter back in 1917 and taken to Europe to participate in the Great War. My great-grandfather John did not return however grandfather James did make it back after the war. To hear more on this story visit my website at www.nativeveterans.com
Winter is fast approaching and I worry about all my family members and friends from up the James Bay coast and in Northern Ontario that have to deal with the treacherous conditions on our highways during the snowy and icy season.
I am feeling a little better about the state of democracy these days thanks to the election of Wab Kinew as Canada’s first Anishinabe Premier. He was elected recently with a majority government in Manitoba. So, congratulations to Wab and his New Democratic Party team and as well thanks to all those members of the voting public who chose to make their decision based on values that have to do with social democratic ideals of sharing, openness, tolerance and caring for everyone, the environment and the future of our planet.
Chief Jennifer Constant has been elected as leader of her home community of Mattagami First Nation. Her recent election marks a lifelong career of working in various roles and positions for her community and on regional First Nation issues over the past two decades.
Mattagami FN held their election on September 30. Councillors elected for this upcoming term are Devin Naveau, Cindy McKay, Dereck McKay, Janelle Golinowski, Sue Prince and Kourtney Baulne.
I am so tired of losing people I am only in my late 40s but it seems as though most of the people I grew up with my age and even younger are passing away far too often. A generation older than me including my parents, aunts, uncles and grandparents are gone. The whole landscape of my life has changed in what seems like a very short time.
Attawapiskat First Nation wrapped up another successful Kattawapiskak Keekehwin Gathering for the community. The week-long event was held from August 2 to 8...
Forest fires have always been a deep worry for those of us who live in the far north of Ontario. We are surrounded by endless forests and we know full well...