As we speed along in 2024, the Nation looks back at an eventful 2023 to commemorate the impressive progress of the Cree Nation and highlight other major Indigenous stories of the year. Along with historic achievements across Eeyou Istchee, last summer saw the region’s most catastrophic wildfires ever. Let’s hope that story isn’t repeated this year.
Leaders of the Cree and Innu Nations met in a summit meeting in Chisasibi in late January to renew the “Common understanding of Nation-to-Nation on Atiku (caribou)” – an agreement that allows the Innu Nation to hunt a total of 50 caribou from the Leaf River herd this year. Summit speakers said the agreement prioritizes food security and the maintenance of traditional land practices such as a safe caribou harvest.
As more options become available in the region for the growing number of Cree students interested in post-secondary education, the Cree School Board has launched a new department dedicated to higher learning.
Quebec’s Crime Victims Assistance Centre (CAVAC) has unveiled a groundbreaking guide tailored specifically to offering culturally safe services to Indigenous individuals. The development of this guide marks a significant step forward in acknowledging and addressing the unique needs and challenges faced by Indigenous communities within the legal framework.
The Cree Nation met with Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, in mid-October. Türk visited Ottawa to discuss general issues ahead of an in-depth review of Canada’s human rights situation in November, an exercise applied to most countries every four years.
After a voting day nail-biter on August 14, Gaston Cooper was elected Chief of Ouje-Bougoumou over former Deputy Chief Lance Cooper. Angel Mianscum was elected Deputy Chief ahead of Harry Bosum.
While cooler and rainy October weather is dampening the remaining blazes in Eeyou Istchee, an exceptionally hot and dry September sparked flareups near Wemindji’s access road and forced it to close again as the month ended.
As still smouldering fires are left for the changing seasons to extinguish, Indigenous firefighters and emergency coordinators across Canada are looking back at this summer’s disastrous wildfires to improve future responses.
While parts of Eeyou Istchee are still burning, regional fire marshal Lee-Roy Blacksmith said that fires are becoming less intense and “SOPFEU has withdrawn their troops” – waiting for them to be naturally extinguished. Remaining blazes are still observed by satellite and occasional flyovers to ensure communities are not endangered.
At a special members’ meeting August 12, the Cree Nation of Washaw Sibi selected a location for their future village. After considering four options, community members overwhelmingly chose a site near the town of Matagami.
