Following a first annual general assembly March 29, Men’s Eeyou-Eenou Istchee Regional Association President Albert St-Pierre says it’s now time for men to do their part in building healthier and safer communities.
On the heels of the MEEIRA assembly, the Rise Up Conference March 30 to April 1 drew a maximum capacity of nearly 150 participants to Ottawa for three days of learning, sharing and strengthening families. While the AGA was exclusively for MEEIRA members, the conference was open to all.
St-Pierre was pleasantly surprised to welcome Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty and Grand Chief Paul John Murdoch at the conference. “They mentioned it’s a historic moment, that men are finally taking action to help each other out,” he said.
With each day themed awareness, healing or commitment, the event featured guest speaker Niigaan Sinclair and numerous community leaders. Workshops covered heavy topics such as suicide prevention, parenting while healing and addiction relapse. On the second evening, comedian Deadly Uncle lightened the mood with some “laughter as medicine.”
Presentations addressed intergenerational trauma, fostering healthy sexual relationships and understanding the link between childhood trauma and internalized shame. Issues were further explored in sharing circles, focus groups and a panel discussion on creating safe spaces in communities.
The event marked a milestone for MEEIRA as it works for an inclusive and accepting Cree society. St-Pierre credits former Cree Women of Eeyou Istchee Association president Stella Masty with helping organize the association. The CWEIA founded the regional men’s association in 2022 and guided it toward operational independence in November.
“They’ve been tremendous support since the beginning – they’re the reason why we’re here today,” St-Pierre acknowledged. “We’ll always support them in programs they want to do for both genders.”
St-Pierre has been with the organization since its beginning, the first two years as vice-president until stepping up as leader when Brian Wadden resigned. While Whapmagoostui had launched its local men’s group nearly a decade earlier, MEEIRA’s first years focused on starting men’s associations in other Cree communities.
“In (Waskaganish), there’s a men’s association that was started recently,” said Charles J. Hester. “There’s a pool tournament and they do fishing trips and programming. It’s a good way to get the men engaged in more positive activities.”
Hester was honoured to receive the Fitness and Health award at MEEIRA’s first leadership forum and gala in February for his long running role organizing sporting leagues and tournaments. Alongside establishing MEEIRA’s administration, policies and structure, St-Pierre plans to visit each local group to solidify their growth.
“I want to speak about how important it is for a man to share his thoughts of what he’s going through and how he feels,” said St-Pierre. “How will our children know to talk to us? I have kids and I want them to tell me what their problem is, especially my boys.”
Raised to stay strong by hiding his feelings, St-Pierre said he didn’t receive the comfort and love he needed from his parents. He went back and forth between his parents and foster homes before living on the street, struggling with alcohol and addictions. Competitive fighting helped him escape bad influences, eventually leading to a championship belt in the Montreal Fight League.
“All my sobriety started in the cage,” St-Pierre shared. “That’s what fuelled me, the anger I had within myself. There’s not much fight in me left because I’ve been dealing with my demons. It’s a good thing.”
As a community role model now asked to speak in schools, St-Pierre tells youth that fighting belongs in the cage, not the streets. Coming full circle since being homeless, he led the establishment of a men’s shelter in Ouje-Bougoumou that recently won approval for a new building.
With MEEIRA helping Cree men to rise up at the local and regional levels, a new Cree-led initiative is taking the concept province-wide. A symposium in Quebec City on April 28-30 brought together several organizations and people from all the province’s First Nations to create the Quebec Native Men’s Association.
“There’s been a lot of people wanting to collaborate with us,” said organizer Wayne Rabbitskin. “My wife Marjolaine McKenzie is the backbone of the proposal writing and mobilizing. The vision I had was a man supported by his wife – I wanted to stop pointing fingers at each other and work for the betterment of all.”
The project is in collaboration with the Missinak women’s shelter, which approached Rabbitskin four years ago about offering one of his land-based retreats on their site, noting the medicine wheel isn’t complete without male healing. Hearing Indigenous men from across Quebec talk freely about the difficulty of expressing their emotions inspired the idea of a provincial association.
“It’s understandable that women get frustrated because of men lacking communication skills and becoming violent,” said Rabbitskin. “The other side is that vilifying men on social media has become very normalized. I hear more and more that men are scared they’re going to be shamed or shunned. I wanted to hear both sides and work together.”
Over more than a year of consultations, Rabbitskin heard about many challenges men face, including from male domestic violence victims who would never report it to the police. The symposium shared these findings along with speeches, workshops and discussion circles. The association’s leadership will be elected once a central office and all the legalities are in place.
St-Pierre was one of the event’s speakers, noting that Rabbitskin has been his “go-to guy” since embarking on his sobriety journey. He wanted to tell others who may be struggling that they’re not alone and better days are ahead.
“In the consultations, we heard that men need land-based programs to reconnect with the land and our spirituality,” said Rabbitskin. “Trauma needs to be addressed and resolved.”