A new report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has highlighted a “climate code red” for the planet and for humanity. The report, released August 9, is the sixth assessment undertaken by the United Nations body, and compiled the summaries of 14,000 studies.
While acknowledging that Covid cases continue to decline in Canada, the Cree Health Board (CHB) in a statement called the rise of cases in the United States “alarming,” pointing to the Delta variant’s meteoric rise there, despite widespread vaccination. The CHB said it was optimistic that with the success of the vaccination campaign, Eeyou Istchee will hopefully avoid the fourth wave expected to hit Quebec in the fall.
In Eeyou Istchee’s other big summer election, Sarah Pash was re-elected chairperson of the Cree School Board (CSB) July 28, edging long-time director general Abraham Jolly by a slim margin of 111 votes.
The appointment of Inuit leader Mary Simon as Canada’s first Indigenous Governor General July 6 came at a judicious moment.
The Cree Health Board said that until more people get vaccinated, including young children, Covid prevention measures would remain in place, especially with the spread of new variants. The health board also encouraged people to take advantage of newer, less-intrusive gargle testing available at all community clinics when returning to Eeyou Istchee.
Two weeks after the remains of 215 children were discovered at the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, the Grand Council of the Cree has demanded full cooperation from governments and organizations to support healing in Eeyou Istchee.
Yearly floods returned to communities along the western coast of James Bay, with Kashechewan and Fort Albany once again seeing community members move out onto the land to wait out rising waters.
The Cree Nation has once again affirmed its firm opposition to uranium development within Eeyou Istchee. While this position would seem self-evident by now, the resolution passed on May 26 responded to an announcement that the Matoush Uranium Project had been acquired by junior mining company International Consolidated Uranium.
The Cree Health Board says the battle against Covid-19 is “improving significantly” in Quebec and across Canada due to a combination of vaccinations, restrictions and preventative health measures.
After another community member’s life was taken by a collision on Route 109 near Amos, the Abitibiwinni First Nation organized a protest May 17 to demand immediate improvement to the highway’s safety. About 100 people marched from the community of Pikogan towards the office of Quebec MNA Suzanne Blais in Amos.
