Pride events in Cree communities held special significance this year, serving as healing gatherings following recent tragic incidents involving youth. Chisasibi’s youth council decided to host a beach party on June 23, welcoming people of any age, gender or sexuality.
“We usually have a walk but this year we couldn’t do it,” said Chisasibi Youth Chief Corrina Napash. “In all honesty, our youth council members have been affected by the recent suicide – there were two different losses in our community. We tried to keep the Pride positive.”
In that spirit, one event poster read “Wâptîwatau Sachîwewin,” which translates as “Let our love show.”
The beach at Km 20 was redeveloped last summer with fresh sod, picnic tables, barbecues, a volleyball net and change room. Before the rains eventually came, several people went swimming and enjoyed contests and activities. Donations from the Cree Health Board helped volunteers give away over 300 plates of barbecued food.
“We picked random people from the crowd to be judges for the ‘dress your pride’ contest and they did a catwalk,” recalled Napash. “It was fun. I was happy to see families supporting their children. I’m happy they’re able to express themselves openly and be whoever they want to be.”
A supportive message from Cree School Board chairperson Sarah Pash set the tone.
“We need to think about inclusivity around these events and making sure all our young people feel loved and valued,” Pash asserted. “So many of our people who belong to the two-spirit community live a life questioning why they are the way are or feeling like they don’t fit in. These Pride events are important to show them God doesn’t make mistakes and that we’re all here for a purpose.”
Cree schools raised the Pride flag throughout June as a gesture of support. Following other Pride events in Wemindji and Whapmagoostui, Mistissini held a Pride parade on June 27 with a community dinner, karaoke, board games and a bonfire. Since local activist and author Mathias (Maloose) Jolly organized Mistissini’s first Pride walk in 2020, the event has grown every year.
“The whole purpose is to love one another,” said Mistissini Youth Chief Justice Debassige. “One of the goals is creating that safe space for our LGBTQ members, a form of harm reduction. The point is having fun, creating connections and having that dialogue about identity and recognizing one’s own sexuality.”
These events came in the wake of violent incidents in several communities. Within the space of about five days, there were stabbings in Waswanipi, Chisasibi, Waskaganish and Nemaska.
In collaboration with the Sûreté du Québec’s Major Crimes Unit, the Eeyou Eenou Police Force reported that five youths and one adult, 19-year-old Lennox Longchap, are facing murder charges for their alleged involvement with a stabbing that claimed the life of a youth on June 15 in Chisasibi.
“I think we need to address the attacks as a community,” said Chisasibi Chief Daisy House. “It’s actually a crisis. As soon as we have a loss, we all feel it. It’s alarming that our kids are carrying knives unnecessarily. Families need to sit down with their kids and take the time to talk with them.”
At a community meeting held following the incidents, participants were asked to brainstorm what services are available for youth to identify potential gaps. There were suggestions to expand the availability of sports equipment in green spaces, extend the youth centre’s hours, offer workshops or dance lessons, and organize family counselling trips.
“Everybody has homework to see where we can fill the gaps,” explained Chief House. “The key is awareness education and prevention. Nishiiyuu said McLean’s camp in Waskaganish is going to have a youth detox, a seven-day family therapy session.”
While Chisasibi has had six stabbings since November, Chief House emphasized that all Eeyou Istchee is grappling with similar challenges. With chronic diseases like diabetes increasing about 30 percent in the past thirty years and various social issues on the rise, she is looking for answers from local professionals and the wisdom of Elders.
Conversations highlighted the ubiquitous distractions of cellphones and that parents are too busy. Some suggested the age range of 13 to 35 served by youth councils is too large. Healthcare professionals suggested expanding telephone helplines, perhaps encouraging youth to talk with trustworthy counsellors from outside the communities.
First responders observed a significant decline in calls during community events like the Christmas festivities, when people played games until late in the evening without drugs or alcohol. However, tournaments involving other communities was another story, with a corresponding increase in sexual violence.
Suggesting that it’s only “a handful of loud ones who have addictions” that are causing local problems, Chief House wants to hear impressions and solutions from other community members, including non-Natives. Despite ongoing challenges, Chief House derives hope from her conversations with Elders.
The late Clifford Bearskin told Chief House that Cree people need to relearn how to talk to one another without fear and repercussions. He related a dream about pushing a huge boulder until it finally rolled all the way down to the river and disappeared, signifying forgiveness meant losing that heavy load.
“After sitting down with that Elder, I’ve stopped saying we need to have these difficult conversations,” said Chief House. “It’s never difficult if you’re not afraid to ask the necessary questions. Elders bring up issues because they’re not afraid to tackle things head-on – it’s our generation that holds grudges forever.”