January 2012 Issue - the Cree Nation of Chisasibi

Transcription

Christmas Holiday Festivities
First
Second
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
Third
Fourth
Ice Sculpture Results
1st—Christopher Mianscum
2nd - Julian Snowboy
3rd - Ricky Visitor
4th - Steven Matthew
5th - Georgina Pash
Indoor Decorating
First
1st - Valerie Martinhunter
2nd - Alice Bullfrog
3rd - Melina Neacappo
4th - Leigh-Ann Gates
5th - Adrian Bullfrog
This is the law ….
That only the strong shall thrive
…… and only the fit survive.
Robert Service
Second
32 Waaskimaashtaau January 2012
Third
Per Issue 1$
Subscription 20$/year
JANUARY 2012
ᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ QUEBEC
1
CHISASIBI,
Who needs to play outside when the people
on TV are doing it for you?
CONTENTS
● Letters……..
● 2011 Memories …….
● Power Outage
● Holiday Festivities …..
● Robbie & William ….
● Past Chiefs ……
● Margaret’s Story
● Knowing Your Roots….
● Readers Review Power ….
● Classifieds/Birthdays …..
…3
…. 4-12
….. 13/14
…. 15-18
….19/20
….. 21/22
…. 22/23
….24-26
…..27-30
…. 31
A Reminder: The new Elementary School is set for its official
opening on January 11th ….
…. It’s also the same day that the second season of APTN’s
“Blackstone” will begin. A very exciting day to say the least!!
Latest news regarding High Speed Internet—OK, so
Santa didn’t think we deserved to get ISI. Who was the
naughty one? Serious now ….
Worst case scenario –Middle of February but probably a lot
sooner. (Terry, did you ever hear about the boy who called
“Wolf” once too often?)
It was decided earlier to go with a particular service provider
but when it was found out that their costs were rather high,
another SP was settled on and a contract signed. It will take
a couple of weeks to connect with the new Service Provider.
ECN has said it will push for the earliest possible start-up.
“All good things take time to manifest themselves.”
WA AS K IM AA SH T AA U
Is published monthly by the Building Healthy
Communities Program at the CNC Brighter Futures
Department, located at the Mitchuap Center.
Our mailing address:
Waaskimaashtaau Newsmagazine
Cree Nation of Chisasibi
P.O. Box 150
J0M 1E0
Editor: Terry Gates
Proofing: Annie & Leigh-Ann
Illustrations: Peter Pelchat
Telephone: (819) 855-2878 (ext. 343)
Fax: (819) 855 - 2161
E-mail: [email protected]
The Waaskimaashtaau is distributed at the beginning of
every month. Submissions deadline is the end of each month.
The newsletter’s mission is to inform, teach and entertain
community members on a variety of subjects.
By Mary Monger
For the past few years, technology has revolutionized our
whole lives. You can lock your doors with your cell phone;
you get text messages if your kids take your car. You can
even speak to people face to face even though you’re miles
apart. Yes, there are advantages to technology, like new
ways to help patients at hospitals and the ability to explore
our universe. But there are also disadvantages.
Speaking from experience, our youth have become dependent on the worlds latest inventions. Even 6 year old
children are putting “The new iPhone 4S” or “iPad 2” on
their Christmas lists. I can’t seem to live in comfort without
knowing that my cell phone is in my pocket or within arm’s
reach and I know for a fact that I’m not the only one that
wakes up and checks my phone right away. Yes, we are addicted to technology and yes, we do depend on it every day.
In reality though, some children are just too young to
own some of this technology. A kid came up to me one day
and asked me to guess what he asked Santa for this Christmas. I guessed, “One of those super huge toy guns.” He
smiled and told me I was wrong. He said he wanted the new
iPhone 4S. I looked at him for a while and thought about
what I wanted when I was his age.
At that moment, I realized we have come a long way
since I was 7. But all in all, 7 years is just too young to have
a cell phone. I remember I got so excited to see just a Crayola Coloring Set in my stocking. There are times where my
friends and I just sit and talk about how the younger kids of
our generation want XBoxes and laptops when we, at their
age, wanted stuffed animals, paint, skipping ropes, beads
and bicycles.
It seems to be getting worse every year. We’re seeing
younger and younger children walk around with iPods. What
I have been saying to parents who come to me asking if they
should get this new piece of technology for their kid is
“Don’t get it for them if they won’t know how to set it up.”
There are also alternatives to the most popular technology at cheaper prices. Like, instead of buying an iPad for your
5 year old, get them a LeapPad. It’s an educational alternative where they can learn how to read and write. And there
are cameras especially made for children, they can take pictures and the parents can hook it up to the computer. It’s
made of plastic, its break proof AND its water proof.
Every day, I find myself quoting one of my friends when I
see an 8 year old texting. “Pfff, she’s like 4” or “He’s like 2,
he’s not even born yet!” Because they don’t know how
much work their parents put in getting the money to pay for
it. They don’t realize that it takes a lot of responsibility to
take care of a phone or a PS3. I know that the world is
changing and that we have to change along with it, but
what’s the point in getting it for them when they don’t know
how to use it?
Classifieds
I would like to send birthday greetings to a
few family members; Louisa Sealhunter and
Joseph Sealhunter both on Jan. 14. Brian
Sealhunter on Jan. 16. Kevin Shecapio on
Jan. 20, Peter Sealhunter on Jan. 22 and
also to my Neeshtaw Elizabeth Kitty on
Jan.17. HAPPY BIRTHDAY and wishing you
many more birthdays to come....Last but
not least, I would like to wish myself a Happy Birthday on Jan. 25. according to my
students I'll be 100 yrs old because I am 99
right now.... they were a little concerned
when I told them I was 99. One of the boys
said to me, '' you're 99 yrs old?? you'll die
soon'' lol! to them, when someone is 100
yrs old, they die...
HAPPY NEW YEAR, Chisasibi.... From; Margaret Sealhunter
This baby girl
Was sent from
God above,
To fill our
hearts with
happiness
And touch our
lives with love.
He must have
known
We’d give our all
And always do our best
To give our precious baby love
And be grateful and so blessed.
A poem dedicated to our precious little
Angel Aralynn Jane Kanatewat on her
1st Christmas
We love you so much with lots of hugs
and kisses. Love always – Mommy &
Daddy (Judy & Angus)
Happy 1st Christmas to her little buddies Shaylee Martinhunter, Ellen Bearskin & Darrian-River Shem. Xoxo
Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year
to Gookum & Joomshom Janie & Robert Kanatewat, my god parents; Claudine & Allen Matthew & family; Aunts
& Uncles – Charlotte and family, Clara &
Raymond & family, John Kanatewat and
Lorraine, Janie Kanatewat and Gookum
Elizabeth Wash.
Happy Birthday and many, many more to
come to the following people
Tommy Cox-Napash (Jan.3)
Patricia Pash (Jan.10)
Christine Pash ( Jan.14)
Nelson Pash (Jan.26)
Keaton & Ryan Fireman (Jan.28)
From: Margaret, Paul, Edward & lil' bro
Alex Sam
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to
Winnie & Trevor. Hope you had a very
Merry Christmas. Love you and miss you
guys so much.
Love always, Marjorie
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to two
of the handsomest boys in my life, Ethan
and Logan Benjamin.
Hope you had a very Merry Christmas.
Miss you boys so much; wish you had been
under my tree.
Love you & miss you so much
Love always Gookum Marjorie
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to
Denise, Charles and Janice Gagnon
Also to Mary & Allen Corston and Claris,
Katrina & Kids
From Marjorie
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to the
following:
Martha Spencer & Family
Janie Sam & Family
Phyllis Chiskamish & Family
Elizabeth & Roderick Herodier & Family
Nancy & Moses Snowboy & Family
From Marjorie & Family
. Birthday wishes to my Husband and my
son Edward & James Sam on January 12
Love both of you so much
From Ann Marie Sam
Happy Birthday to my Dad & Big brother on
January 12
Edward & James Sam
Love always from Dinah & Bobby Sam
Happy 6th Birthday to my son/brother Vincent Nahdee and to my brother/uncle Mario Gilpin on January 6th. Love always Mary,
Avery and Hazel xoxo..
Sending Birthday Greetings to the following
people
Steve Cookish, Noah Chakapash – Jan 9
Rose Matthew – Jan 10
Lily-Anna Cookish, Sherri-Lynn Cookish –
Jan 15
Raymond Snowboy – Jan 21
Dinah Cookish – Jan 26
And many more to come
Enjoy your special day. Hugs and Kisses
Love always, James & Elizabeth Cookish
Happy Birthday to our Mom, Rosa Matthew
on Jan 10
With many more to come.
We love you so much and thank you
for all your love you gave us and have a
great birthday!
Love: April, James, Rosanna, Leanna and
Emma-Rose Matthew
. I would like to wish Angelina Matthew a
Happy 21st Birthday on Jan. 10 - My first
niece ever, love you always. My daughter
Francine turns 18 on January 13, wow! you
are already 18. You taught me how to love
and how it feels to be loved. I will treasure
you no matter what. Take care of yourself
always. Work hard to achieve your goals; I
know you can do it! Many Hugs and Kisses.
To Charlotte, who carries our late grandmother’s name, Happy 9th Birthday! on the
19th. Love you Shalit'sh
To Geraldine, Happy Birthday on the 25th, I
love you and you are always there for me
and my children, so grateful for having you
as my sister.
From Pauline.
Wishing a Happy Birthday to Kim MosesJan 8
Niece Angeline Matthew – Jan 10
Francine Matthew – Jan 13
Charlotte Matthew – Jan 19
Sister Geraldine – Jan 25
Mellissa R Snowboy – Jan 26
Happy 36th Birthday to Miss Janie
Pepabano on Jan 26
With love Caroline
31
Letters from you … to you
ature and that my father had to move
my mother to a warmer place. I woke
up feeling secure like I did when my
dad was still alive. Somehow, my senses tell me that my father is only one
floor up. I believe that he can hear me
when I need his help or his guidance. I
didn’t really lose him; it’s just that he’s
in another place or another realm. I
believe he’s still watching over us and
that he can still comfort us if we pay
attention to the messages from different sources like in our dreams.
This blackout made me think of where I
came from as a Cree woman. Our ancestors survived for thousands of years.
They worked hard for survival. We have
the tools and skills to keep our families
safe and warm. I am positive others feel
the same.
Aguda, nii Nimscheeskwaauu
I can say that the power off was a
blessing for me. I got to spend time
with my mother and siblings at my
brother’s house. This is the house
where we all grew up in. It was
warm and cozy inside. Our children
were happy and so were us, the
adult children. It made us come
closer together as one big happy
family and to share with what we
had. I am so grateful that we still
have our mother to prepare meals for
us with so much LOVE! Thank you
mom; you are very special to us.
My own family and I didn’t have a
woodstove in our new home. Our
place was getting too cold on the second night. We went to get a woodstove at my mother’s old cabin on the
following day. This was a gift that she
had received from my late dad back in
the 90’s! This sentimental stove was
perfect for my home. During the blackout, I realized that I had not taught my
younger children what they should
have already known. A good example
is which trees to cut for firewood.
When I look back at my childhood, my
dear father whom I thought was too
strict taught me some basic skills at a
young age. I used to feel that I was a
slave because I had to work hard with
all my strength. I used to think that I
would never treat my children the way
my dad treated me. How ironic to even
think that!
….
buried in
blankets..
there will be
"a Baby Boom".---2012...in Chisasibi...lol.lol..lol
I think it was a wake up call for my family....I will continue with this later this
evening.
Our story was uneventful - only lost
power one and a half days more or less
and our daughter has a wood stove so
we did not suffer too much. Will be
better prepared next time - lots of propane, candles and batteries along with
a generator. However, if you have time
before the teachers leave perhaps you
should talk to them.
Some of them really had a difficult time
eg. kicked out of LG 1 - lack of communication from school leaders - only Fode
was here to handle the whole emergen
cy. Some were very upset because they
did not know what was going on - no
land line phone or cell and no radio. Not all knew to turn to 89.9 and
most did not have a battery radio. Many did not get power until the
last day and their homes were really
cold.
One thing I think that Chisasibi Telecommunications should get some how raise money by bingo or someway else is a large back up generator to use during any emergency so that the community could be informed
regularly. Take care.
Hello, Terry; I hope that I'm not too
late.
power out: I am really grateful to the
Rangers, Junior Rangers, and all of
those people who brought in wood,
cut it, split it, and helped us to load it
into our vehicles. I was caught with
very little firewood when the emergency hit and the work of these people helped me to stay in my house and
have peace of mind. A big thank-you! I
have a suggestion for preparedness for
the next time. It seems that many people have wood-burning stoves that are
not hooked up to their chimneys.
Would it be possible for the band to
mandate someone to check all of its
houses, find out where this is the case,
and advise or assist those tenants to
make those stoves functional? This
would ensure that more people would
not have to be relocated in future
emergencies.
I have been fortunate to be able to attend yet again the Dialogue for Life conference in Montreal. Just like it takes a
whole community to raise a child, I truly believe that it takes
a whole community to end suicide, suicide attempts and suicidal thoughts. In my 29 years of life, I have known 19 people
to take their lives. A Best friend, friends, cousins and people I
grew up with back home. In the last 8 months, my 14 year old
cousin, her best friend and the daughter of a good friend of
mine all took their lives in my home town. Although Chisasibi
is not my home town, I now call it my home and feel just as
obligated to fight this war on suicide here as I would in
Kuujjuaq.
We never know when a suicide will devastate our town, but
what we must admit to ourselves is that there are a lot of
people hurting and attempting or threatening suicide more
than there should be. People think about suicide for many
different reasons. The reason could be from the trauma following sexual abuse, physical abuse, psychological abuse,
neglect, addictions, mental health issues and many more reasons. I will admit that I wanted to take my life several times
because of abuse that happened to me as well as other situations that happened in my life. At one point I was on an unhealthy path in my life and tried to use the hurt I went
through as a child and teenager as my excuse. I hurt myself
instead and if I stayed on that path I'm sure I would not be
here today.
Looking at my past makes me realize that there may be
many people who are in the same shoes I was as a teen and
young adult. We need to let those people know that they are
not alone and that there is hope. I have many feelings and
THANK YOU!!
Jennifer May
Arts & Crafts Festival
Susan Runnels
To all those people who helped others get through the power outage by opening their doors, sharing
their food, giving out much needed
emergency items and just smiling
and saying “What can I do?”
ideas on this very scary topic and am willing to share what I
know and learn anything else I need to know to fight suicide;
but we need to help each other.
Sometimes it does not take much to help one another. It
could be the act of encouraging one another to get involved
in the action programs, visiting the Elder’s camp, having
awareness dances or events for children and teens and maybe giving out a survey to our community members on what
they would like to see happening. Keeping in mind though
that we would need many volunteers to help out and I would
not be able to do any of this alone.
So if you or your organization, or department want to start
something up, I am willing to give my time to help you. I also
think it is important to have many family activities where Parents can feel more involved with their children. There is only
so much you can do in your home. Although, I am amazed at
how many families are involved in hockey and broomball; it is
great to see!
Our future generations, our culture and our community is at
stake here and we must do something about it. I sit on edge
almost constantly, especially when the phone rings. If we
start working on this together, I am sure one day we will be
able to breath a little better knowing we have made a difference. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my thoughts.
If you want a small message from me this is my thought for
the day:
If you are going through hard times and are choosing a path
that is leading you downhill, please don’t be afraid to seek
help. There are many people out there that want to help you
and will not judge you.
Arts and Crafts Sale held on December 14 and 15, at the
Commercial Center started at 1:00 pm. Tables and chairs
were set-up for the people selling their crafts; also setting up
were the people who operated the sound system.
As soon as the crafts were brought and laid out, many people lined up to see what was there. The commercial was
packed... meanwhile, Jody House and Cindy Chakapash did a
great job encouraging people to go up and sing Christmas
songs. Many people sang and there was John Iserhoff, who
entertained us with his fiddle tunes, even Old Johnny Shauk
got up to dance.
There were so many wonderful crafts for sale from moosehide mittens, slippers, blankets, wooden spoons, shovels,
toboggans, to cards, CD’s of Cree stories, just to name a few.
There was also food, ptarmigan and dumplings, goose,
moose stew, fish, even pemmican with boudin.
It was wonderful to see people
having a great time whether
they were selling or just hanging out and listening to the
music and singing.
Thanks to Karen Napash for
organizing the event. It was a
great success.
3
A few of the Many Memories from 2011
George and Leaf River Caribou Herds in
Dramatic Decline
On January 26th a public meeting, organized by the Hunting, Fishing and Trapping Coordinating Committee
(HFTCC) hosted by Nadia Saganash, Ashley Iserhoff and
Willie Iserhoff with translation done by Chief Abraham
Rupert was held to discuss the state of Quebec’s two caribou herds
Nine to ten years ago the total number of caribou of both
herds stood at around one million. Using recent censuses
and numbers from previous years put the George River
Herd at approximately 75,000 –down from 385,000 in
2001 and the Leaf River Herd at approximately 170,000
(this is an estimate as a census was not able to be done last
summer) –down from 638,000 in 2001. Total now of both
herds – 245,000 … a 75% decline! (Feb)
Professional Learning
Communities at JBES
This November, members of JBES’s leadership
team and administration had the opportunity to
attend a conference in Ottawa on professional
learning communities (PLC).
PLC is an on-going process where teachers work
together collaboratively in teams to help each
other ensure student success …..
The staff in both elementary and secondary sectors have been placed in Professional Learning
Communities, and will continue to learn about
the process, while growing as a team. This of
course is an on-going learning process for staff,
administration and students, that will take time,
but ultimately will have a huge impact on student learning and achievement …..(Feb)
ter C1-House #19
Mr.&Mrs. Edward Cookish
& family
A diabetes dance (evening) – sponsored by Brighter Futures and the
Health Board - was held Friday, January 7th at the Banquet Hall.
Bishop’s Visit Postponed
Bishop Tom Corston of the Moosonee Diocese of the Anglican
Church of Canada had planned to visit Chisasibi January 14th to
the 17th but postponed his visit to a later date because of a letter
he received and phone call he made.
On January 13th Bishop Corston read a prepared message on the
radio stating that he was postponing his visit and the reason why.
Gilbert said that the reason it was decided to purchase a new bus (and
trade in the old one) was because “We always had problems almost like
…. 100% every time we used it. There was always a little problem every
trip. When I drove I worried that something was going to happen. What’s
going to be next!?” The previous bus was purchased new in 1996 at a
cost of 352 000$ (March)
Chisasibi Police Report
In January of 2008 the Chisasibi Police received a letter from the band
council of the Cree Nation of Chisasibi. In this letter the police were
informed that concerned citizens of Chisasibi wanted something done
about the bootleggers and drug dealers in the community.
The illegal sale of alcohol, especially to minors, is a serious problem
for the community of Chisasibi. Bootleggers facilitate and promote
underage drinking which in turn causes a great deal of problems to
their friends and families. Alcohol is in the category of depressants
which often leads to confusion, suicidal thoughts and tendencies. Of all
the suicides and suicide attempts that have occurred in Chisasibi almost all of the persons were either under the influence of alcohol and/
or drugs
We must stand together to combat the war on drugs and help and support those with alcohol/drug dependencies to have a clean safe community….. (Feb)
CBCC Ladies - Champions
Recreational Broomball League (April)
Good morning Terry, Merry
Christmas!! Was not here
during power outage so
have no stories to contribute. Was down south
attending mtgs & worrying
about my freezers. Food in
big one was ok but had 2
throw out what was in
fridge freezer. Have a good
day.
Janie
What can I say? It was a learning experience for most of us, it brought the community closer together. Especially families, helping each other with warmth
and food.
At my house, things were pretty much
okay the first day of the black-out. On
the second day the house was getting
cold and we didn't have any dry wood
to start making fire in the stove. My
brothers went to our camp to check
their nets and to get candles and propane. My brother Samuel told them to
bring back some dry wood too. I borrowed a propane stove from my sister.
The first day I would go next door to
boil tea... It was late afternoon when
my brothers came back. Yes, we will
now have a warm house and fish for
supper. Samuel right away started to
make fire in the stove. Hey! what's that
noise? it's coming from the basement. I
went down to investigate, it was the
wood stove, the pipes were all red from
the fire... I think you need to put some
of that fire out. one of my brothers
threw some water into the stove to
calm the fire. Guess what? there happened to be some dry wood already in
the stove and we never checked it, until
Samuel opened the door to light the
stove, all it needed was a few logs,
which we had outside in the yard. What
a bunch of nerds.. and here we were in
a cold house, shivering and trying to
get warm. We could have had a warm
house if we had check the stove.
We did okay, for my family we were
used to sleeping in a cold house because we used to spent the winter
months in the bush.. We know how to
survive in cold conditions. But, to most
of the community it was harder for
them, especially to the families with
babies and the elders. Also to the nonnatives, it was harder for them. They
didn't have the necessary provisions
for warmth and for cooking. It's a good
thing there were hot meals provided
for them and also to anyone who
needed a warm meal.
All in all, it was good how the community helped each other. We surely are
proud and thankful for the Rangers,
Fire Department, Police and the Cree
Nation for their leadership and for
their commitment in helping the less
fortunate in their time of need. Not to
forget all the volunteers and the restaurant for offering their services. Well
done people....
Margaret Sealhunter
An unfortunate event that happened
during my Christmas vacation.
After spending one week in North Carolina at my girlfriend's place, I got this
e-mail stating I had to go back urgently
in Chisasibi because of a
flood in my house!
A kitchen pipe froze and
broke during the power
outage.
After getting there, some
people were moving my stuff
out, other were drying the
floors, other were taking the
walls apart to see the extend
of the damage to the building!
So after a week over there, I
went back at my mom's
place for Christmas with Susan and the rest of my family
and will drive back (again!) the 1000
miles to go back to work.
It could have been worse had it been a
fire! Hope 2012 won't play me tricks
that. Take care.
Hope there will be a compensation
from Hydro for the loss of the stuff I
and other people lost in this sad event!
Michel
Public Safety. More intrusive than helpful!
Anonymous responder!
I enjoyed the time spent with family
and doing my best to help others. It
also helped me realize how to be better
prepared should it ever happen again
by making sure I had candles, batteries,
etc...preparation of meals was like the
old days, cooking on top of the woodstove.
Annie
Here is my personal reflection on the
power outage. It wasn't so bad for me.
THE WARMTH SENT FROM ABOVE
I had a dream about a week before the
power went off. The place where I was,
was where we used to camp during the
annual Goose Breaks. My late father
(Noohdaa) was in this dream. It had
something to do with a temporary
move. My mother was also in it. This
dream had to do with the cold temperᐧᐋᔅᑭᒫᔥᑖᐤ
29
2011 Memories
One more thing I'd like to mention is:
On December 8, they announced on air
that the homes who are still without
power, are to come up to the
"carpenters building" on top the hill
and are allowed to receive some propane, batteries, etc. We did go there to
pick up a few supplies that we needed
and I was very thankful for what they
gave us. While there, I spoke to 1 of the
"First Responders", I noticed/discerned
he was stressed and disturbed. I went
to him and said "I want to thank you for
all the work and hours that you've put
others and not forget we must do this
into helping us on a continual basis and
out of love & kindness. My children en- we appreciate it immensely!!" then I
joyed it, and I know I surely did! We
asked him "What's the matter? Are you
spent time with the kids, played board
okay? You seem upset, stressed.", he
games, ate meals cooked over the wood responded "You are 1 of the very few
stove, sat by candlelight talking & laugh- people to encourage us since this whole
ing. I really enjoyed the television &
thing started, there are many who are
computer being off for a whole week.
angry and get mad at us for different
We used a generator but it was mainly
reasons and we just don't know what to
used for our coffee machine & 1 light for expect from each individual. After this
the living area in the evening. We had 3 whole thing is over, I've decided to refamilies in our home during the outage
sign from helping people because a lot
and enjoyed sharing our heat and home
with them. At times it was hectic but
with everyone participating and helping
out, we enjoyed each others company.
There were stressful times and joyful
times but overall I think it helped everyone to realize that "We need each other".
We were 1 of the families that went
without electricity for 5 days. The families that came to stay with us, stayed for
2-3days till they got their electricity in
their own homes or closer family members homes. Throughout the whole
week we prayed for all the people who
were helping people, namely: Hydro
Quebec, First Responders/Fire Brigade,
Rangers, Chief & Council, leaders,
friends, family and all the extras who
helped in anyway they could. I prayed
that they have strength & perseverance
to help in all areas.
of them don't appreciate it". He
seemed overwhelmed and tired. I told
him "Hang in there, don't give up because you're doing a great job!" We
need to be careful what we say to each
other or about people. Our words have
much power in them and if we are cursing people who are trying to help us,
they may get discouraged because of
our words and want to give up.
We must put guards over our mouths
when it comes to these types of situations. Let us build up rather than bring
down. We all went through this together.
I personally enjoyed the time we didn't
have electricity despite the stressful
situation we were put in. On Friday
afternoon, around 3pm we were about
to head out to a friends place to take
showers, do some laundry & cook supper, then suddenly our electricity came
back on! It had been 5 days without it,
throughout the whole week I had pent
up stress that I didn't realize was in me
till that moment...I sat down, looked at
my husband & children and then started to cry. I was so thankful and grateful
that we finally had our electricity back
on. I thanked God for allowing us to go
through this and bringing us through it.
I believe God was with us every moment that week. He was watching our
hearts, seeing how we would handle
the situations we faced. Most of all,
The soldiers, from the Val Cartier base near Quebec City, lived in
round tents which would accommodate up to ten people sleeping very
close together. The only heat they had was a lantern hanging from the
center pole and a two-burner Coleman stove which was used mainly to
melt snow for water. (March)
WEDDINGS of 2011
Daisy Happyjack-Belanger & Ian Langdon - June 18
Patricia Neacappo & Jean Louis Pelchat– July 1
Robin Fireman & Darryl Sealhunter - July 8
Hannah Sealhunter & Darryl Sutherland - July 22
Caroline Sheshamush & George Matthew - July 22
Dinah Chiskamish & Harvey House - July 26
Nancy Rupert & Dennis Sealhunter - August 19
April Pachanos & Jerry Lameboy - August 26
Stacy Moar & Roland Snowboy - September 16
Priscilla Weapenicappo & George Ottereyes - September 23
Rose-Anna Shecapio & Paul Tapiatic - September 30
Sherri-Ann House & Kevin Sealhunter - October 7
Christina Kitty & James Rupert - October 21
Rhonda Matthew & Reginald Sealhunter - November 4
THIS WAS A TEST, we showed what was
in our hearts to everyone around us.
Only God knows what’s in our hearts till
we face situations like what happened
here in Chisasibi, now many people we
know had a chance to see a little of
what's in our hearts too. I hope we did
well, and passed this test with flying
colors!
God bless you all, from all of us at Clus-
Nathaniel Arcand, lead actor in the now playing series
‘Blackstone’, was in town for a couple of days in the second
week of February. Nathaniel was asked to come to Chisasibi to
talk with the secondary students and to work with a group of
Secondary 4 & 5 students ….. (March)
Journey to the Heart of Eeyou Istchee
The Walkers, one or more from each of the Cree
Communities, began their journey from Chisasibi
on Friday February 11th on a very cold windy day.
This Walk is dedicated to “the fight against cancer”; to celebrate those people who lost the fight
against cancer and those that are still struggling
with cancer …. (March)
Chisasibi - Cadet Broomball Champions
Minor Hockey & Broomball Tournament (March)
5
2011 Memories
Cont’d from page 14
The PGL dictation at Chisasibi James Bay
Eeyou School. Six years of fidelity and continuity. (March)
The Mother of all Games
Not since Nazareth have we seen such a crowd at the arena to
witness the game of games. The Chisasibi Impacts was to take
on the hockey team of the Armed Forces, the R22ndR from
Val Cartier. The stands were packed … standing room only.
Excitement ran high. ….
A huge roar, the likes of which has never been heard before in
the arena exploded out. It seemed that quite a few Chisasibians
had been rooting for the Army. Soldiers were jumping up and
down, giving each other High-Fives, hugs (April)
“Simply H2 O” Scam
Last fall a number of families and a few Entities bought a
rather expensive (3500$+) water filtration system from
Fresh Clean Air Filtration Systems (FAC). A couple of salespeople came to Chisasibi, got themselves a contact that
vouched for the systems and the salespeople, and were
able to sell several of the units.
In January of this year, CBC’s ‘Marketplace’ did an exposé
of the company FAC. It showed that the salespeople of
FAC used scare tactics, threats, and outright lies involving
a chemical demonstration on customer’s tap water.
Soon after that show, a Band Council member went ‘on
the air’ and explained the situation and what to do (Mar)
Congratulations to
Ashley Fireman
grade 6 French, Donavan Papatire, Jacob Dioszeghy, Lily
-Jane Stewart, Cameron Kitty-Pachano,
Audrey-Jeanne
Caplain and Zainab
Souit
And most of all,
congratulations to
this year's winner,
Jocelyne Washapabano-Sam
Split Lake Councilors Visit Chisasibi
Four councilors from the Cree community of Split Lake,
Manitoba (Tataskweyak Cree Nation – TCN) spent a couple
of days in Chisasibi having been invited by Cree Construction Development Corp. (CCDC).
TCN/Split Lake, population 2500-3000, is about 130 km
north of Thompson Manitoba on the Nelson River (750 km
north of Winnipeg). The Nelson River like the La Grande
River has been dammed with more than one power station in
the 1970’s. TCN in many ways has followed along the same
path that Fort George/Chisasibi has trod. (April)
Chisasibi’s
annual Multi
-Cultural Day
was held
Saturday,
March 26th
with the participation of
12 distinct
cultures
We’re Capable of running our own Church! …
about creating our own Diocese … the then Bishop Lawrence
was confused to start off with … but when we explained what
we were trying to have, Bishop Lawrence said he will help us as
much as he can while he was still a Bishop. He did to - start off
with … but all of a sudden, he turned around and ….
Robert Kanatewat (April)
meter.
Since there was no power, there was
no radio …. at first. To the rescue Hank
House who ‘jerry-rigged’ a very local
station frequency 89.9 FM which Christopher used to make his updates …
Throughout the power outage the Asiipii restaurant had a “soup kitchen”
going for those who were unable to
have a hot meal. They served breakfast,
lunch and supper. Helping out with the
meals (sous-chefs, servers, cleanup)
were the Katimavik group (who were
sleeping in the Banquet Hall). A huge
thank you to the cooks of the restaurant and to the Katimavik group.
It was rather obvious right from the
beginning that a lot of us were not prepared for an extended electrical power
failure. We should have been …. No
excuses!
All it takes …. A source of heat and
light. Most had a wood stove but many
did not have any wood; propane stoves
but no propane, no saws, axes ….
Backup generators – the school’s didn’t
work, neither did the one at the Mitchuap; and believe it or not there isn’t
one for the arena or pool. ( The ice at
the arena got a little soft but made it
through; the water level at the pool
was gradually going down but on the
other hand the water in the pool kept
the building fairly warm.)
As many people have said, “The power
failure is a wake-up call.”
I’m sure the community will be better
prepared for the next emergency!
Reader reviews on the
power outage
I am sure that everyone has a somewhat different story to tell about their
experience during the power outage.
We were among the more fortunate in
terms of how much we were affected
by the lack of electricity. We lost power
along with everyone else around eight
thirty in the morning of December 5th. I
went to school and was sent home
soon after due to the fact that the
school generator was not working. By
supper time and darkness, the power
was still out. We heard rumours that it
would be out for another day or more.
We were kindly invited to a friend's
house who had a wood stove. We were
able to keep warm and have a hot
meal. We went home for the evening
and
kept warm under a down comforter. It
wasn't that bad until we had to make a
call of nature and face the cold air and
floors of our apartment.
The next morning the power was still
off so we went back to our friend's
house with the stove to have a wonderful breakfast with hot tea. Fortunately
for us, the power returned by early
evening and stayed on until the planned
outage on December 12th.
We do believe that the Band Office did
a wonderful job managing this crisis
despite having no first hand experience
in dealing with such an event. I am certain that they will learn from this experience.
I mentioned at a post crisis meeting at
the school that we really need to create
an awareness among the public as to
what we need to do and prepare for in
the event that we are faced with another situation like the power outage. I
brought up the potential risk of forest
fires and a breach in the dam resulting
in flooding. I personally do not know
precisely what to do in either of these
situations. I recommended that community meetings with public safety,
Hydro Quebec and other qualified entities be held at the earliest time possible. Unlike the power failure, forest
fires and flooding put lives at risk in a
more immediate manner. We need action plans.
On a positive note, I found that people
came closer together as a result of the
power failure. Unable to access the internet, television, video games and stereos, many people had to result to the
old fashioned way of passing time. They
told stories, read by candle light, played
cards, played guitars and sang songs or
simply took the time to talk face to
face. There were also many acts of
kindness and sharing that took place
over the seven days of cold and darkness.
I will end by saying that I will never take
for granted the simple fact that I can
turn on a light or dial up the heat or
make a cup of tea. God bless electricity.
Tony and Yesim Reitmayer
I praise the Lord for the power outage,
everything happens for a reason and
there's a reason for everything. I think
the outage was meant to happen for a
number of reasons...first of all, to show
us that we are completely dependent
on Hydro Quebec for a number of
things we do on a daily basis, many
people were saying "we don't need hydro to survive" but we must realize that
we've raised our children & grandchildren to depend on electricity and many
of them have not ever experienced a
long period of time without electricity.
And second of all, to teach us to help
27
Pajama Day-Spirit Month
ISERHOFF

Sam Iserhoff, Daniel Kitty, George Head, George Napash, George
Weesabau, John Chiskamish, Joseph Napash, Reverend Trevor
Jones - standing in back of Mildred Rundle's rock garden
She married WILLIE SPENCER, son of Walter Spencer and
Mary Matthew, on September 4, 1934. She died in Chisasibi
on March 21, 1991.
 WILLIE ISERHOFF was baptized on July 21, 1917 at Neoskweskau.
 MARGARET ISERHOFF was also baptized on the same day
as her brother Willie at Neoskweskau. She married TOM
DANYLUK and she died at Moosonee, Ontario.
CLARA ISERHOFF was born May 15, 1917 at
Neoskweskau. (This could be JULIET ISERHOFF
because the birth dates are the same but no baptismal record was found for JULIET. Maybe somewhere along the line her name was changed from
Clara to Juliet. Juliet married RICHARD LOUTTIT,
son of Samuel Louttit and Mary Matthew, on July
11, 1934.) Juliet died at Fort George on December 1, 1978.
 JOHN SAMUEL ISERHOFF, otherwise known
as JOHNNY, was born on September 30, 1919 at
Neoskweskau. He married JULIET MATTHEW,
daughter of William Matthew and Hannah Head
on December 2, 1942 at Fort George. Johnny
died in Chisasibi on November 8, 1995.
 JANIE ISERHOFF was baptized in Mistissini on April 31,
1924. She married SINCLAIR CHEECHOO, son of Noah
Cheechoo and Sarah Cheezo. She died on February 13, 2010
at Moose Factory, Ontario.
 LILLIAN DINAH ISERHOFF was born at Fort George on
March 19, 1931. She married JAMES SMALL of Rupert
House. She died at Moose Factory, Ontario.
● RUTH DOROTHY ISERHOFF was born at Fort George on
March 6, 1935. She married LLOYD DAVEY of Moose Factory. She died at Orillia Ontario.
CHB Human Resources
Offices Closed
CSB Management Explains Improvement Plan
On Thursday March 24th people working
in the Human Resources Dept., of the
Cree Health Board (CHB) were told
they had to leave the premises and find
another place to work.
The reason? … Mold.
CSB Management Explains Improvement Plan
Cree School Board Chairman Gordon Blackned,
Director General Abraham Jolly, Deputy Director
General Joe MacNeil and Interim Director of
School Operations (other CSB management personnel were also present) visited Chisasibi March
22nd and 23rd to explain the CSB Strategic Action
Plan, the School Improvement Plan and to listen to
the concerns of people involved in the education of
the children of Chisasibi
Update: All of the CHB personnel have been moved out
of the old arena as have CSB
Education Services and Adult
Ed.
Abraham stated the challenge is to “instill the Cree
identity to students through the teaching of Cree
…”
Different models showing what language would be
taught and when they would be taught were shown
to the audience for their opinion (voted on). Generally people wanted 100% Cree language in Pre-K,
kindergarten and Grade 1. From Grade 2 on, opinion varied on the amount of Cree to be used (38%
wanted all Cree, 23% wanted 80%, while 26 %
wanted 50% Cree) (April)
Jenna Centre Vandalized
March - Community Spirit Month
Spirit month - a time of fun and laughter and a time when we
don’t take ourselves too seriously; and as many have said we
must adopt this feeling/attitude for the whole year …..
2011 Know Your Roots Families
KASHKAMASH/CHISKAMISH - February
SPENCER - March
NEACAPPO - April
COX - May
LOUTTIT - June
SHEM/CROW - August
WESTAKY/RUPERT/HOUSE (WASKAHEGAN)/
CHEESTASHQUON/NAILS/MISTICOOSH/ESQUINAMOW/
MATTHEW/MATCHES/ATSYNIYA/KANATEWAT/
MISTACHEESICK/NATAWAPINOSKUM/PACHANO(S)/
SAGANASH - Special Issue/August
BOBBISH/DICK - September
SEALHUNTER/SEALHUNTER COOK/COOK/COOKISH/POTTS October
ATKINSON/SAM ATKINSON/SAM - December
Some of the many books reviewed
by Felicity Fanjoy during 2011
DEATH OF A VALENTINE - M.C. Beaton.
SECRET DAUGHTER - Shipli S. Gowda
MAJOR PETTIGREW’S LAST STAND – Helen Simpson
MISTER PIP - Lloyd Jones
PACKING FOR MARS – Mary Roach
THE SEA CAPTAIN’S WIFE - Beth Powning
THE CAMEL BOOKMOBILE - Masha Hamilton
THE LONG FALL - Walter Mosley
THE BISHOP’S MAN - Linden MacIntyre.
ANNABEL - Kathleen Winter
THE BETTER MOTHER - Jen Sookfong Lee
A LEAF IN THE BITTER WIND - Ting-xing
THE OUTLANDER - Gil Adamson
THE HELP - Kathryn Stockett
THE HYPNOTIST - Lars Kepler
INFIDEL - Ayaan Hirsi Ali
STATE OF WONDER - Ann Patchett
WHEN GOD WAS A RABBIT - Sarah Winman
2011 Memories
Employees went to the Jenna Centre and found …
devastation! Only one room of the daycare had
been spared the vandalism. This was not just a couple of kids getting in and having some fun …
Chisasibi Snocross 2011
After more
than three
hours with
the sun
down and
the temperature dropping rapidly Robert
Rupert
crossed the
finish line
– cold,
tired, legs
and back aching … but also knowing that he had
beat the course and the others (by more than seven
minutes) and was 4000$ richer! (April)
28th Annual Senior Hockey & Broomball Tournament ran smooth like ‘business as usual’ ... Teams signing up
and cancelling at the last minute giving Roy a huge headache
puzzling with the schedule ... !
Also, nothing like good athletes and friends from Whapmagoostui, Wemindji, Waskaganish and Mistissini to compete!
Class ‘A’ or class ‘B’, same intensity ... Little more speed! To
the pleasure of all fans.
7
2011 Memories
ISERHOFF
father. Robert baptized many children
while he was a post
manager and he recorded the births of all
his children and grandchildren and it is from
his journals at
Nitchiquon that one is
able to track his descendants.
Bishop Corston Visits - tries to
mend the division in the Church
Bishop Tom Corston of the Diocese of
Moosonee visited Chisasibi for a few days at
the beginning of April. It was a visit that had
been planned by Bishop Corston since November of 2010 but …
Bishop Corston explained that he had come to
Chisasibi to try and bring people together …
not to create anymore division. He said that
when he was here in Aug 2010 he was new to
the job of Bishop of the Diocese of Moosonee
and “… didn’t understand the situation but has
read all the documents and feels he understands
now….”
If people want to create their own diocese … I
agree … I champion it … BUT it must be done
properly (May)
Accounting Class Graduation
In September 2009, the course began with 12 registered students,
(but only 11 actually went to class) and evening classes, but anyways,
looking back, it seemed a long way to go. I remember wondering if I
was doing the right thing, making sacrifices for a short period of time,
but paying off in the long run.
April 15, 2011 Graduation Day - The day has come! Seven
committed, determined, beautiful, intelligent woman graduate
from the accounting program! (May)
2nd Annual Chisasibi Mountain Bike Race
Snowshoe Making Course/Graduation
This year’s snowshoe making course was the culmination
of a plan that had been formulated in the first years of the
course - to train younger people to be the instructors.
After the two weeks of training, Christopher Pash, Jimmy
& Kathleen Fireman, David-John Pash and Linda Pash and
Sarah Bearskin helped the new students learn the ‘art’ of
making a pair of snowshoes. The Elder instructors were
always on hand to offer guidance to both the new instructors and this year’s students. (May)
The 2nd Annual
Mountain bike race
was held under perfect weather conditions on Saturday &
Sunday, June 25/26.
The Recreation committee had laid out a
well marked trail and
there were competitors for all race categories with two from
out of town. (July)
Some Cree hunters that shot their first goose last spring
Jordan Shem, Stephany Bearskin, Wesley Sam, Tommy CoxNapash, Jonathan Lameboy, Mina Tapiatic and Kate-Lynn Bearskin, Norman-James Rupert, Nathan Snowboy, Eddie-Linden
Sealhunter, Marcus Swallow, Anthony Napash-House, Devin
Ross House, Angel Tapiatic, Jaydin Bobbish, Angel Kitty, Trevor
Scipio, David Pash, (June)
I wonder if she’ll be back this spring?? (Nest at Km 20)
named below..
SAMUEL ISERHOFF was born in Waswanipi in 1885. On March 12, 1911, he
married SARAH HESTER at Eastmain.
She was the daughter of David Hester
and Dinah Jolly. Samuel died at Moose
Factory on May 28, 1966. Sarah died in
Chisasibi on August 28, 1989 and she is
buried at Moose Factory.
Canon SAMUEL ISERHOFF travelled all
A son was born to Jo- over the James Bay territory working for
seph Iserhoff and Car- the HBC and the Anglican Church as a
oline Chilton on June
clerk, lay reader, translator and a Canthese men helped to build the new Residential school in Fort
25, 1854. This must
on. He was posted at Neoskweskau
George – Sam Iserhoff, Noah Kapsu and two unknown
have been JOHN “C” be- until 1930 when he moved his family to
cause the names and
Fort George. He left with his family
birthdates of two of the Iserhoff chilaround 1943 to go work in Eastmain.
Elizabeth Beads, sister of Cheezo. Jodren were written in the records and
seph died in 1891.
the ages of the other two were stated
5th GENERATION
JOHN “A” ISERHOFF was also born at
at the time of their deaths and their
Waswanipi before 1823. He went to
ages matched the birthdates of two
Canon Iserhoff and his wife had 9 chilwork for the HBC sometime after his
other recorded births, which left only
dren.
brother had been hired. (It was the
John
“C”
Iserhoff
unaccounted
for.
WILLIAM JAMES ISERHOFF was bappractice of the HBC to identify employtized at Eastmain on July 4, 1911.
ees with the same name by assigning a
Anyway, John “C” married a woman
letter of the alphabet after the first
named LOUISA; her surname and date
name. The letter “A” after John indi WINNIFRED LOUISA ISERHOFF, othof marriage are not known. John “C”
cates that he was the first of the John
erwise known as WINNIE, was born on
Iserhoffs to work for the HBC.) John “A” died around 1926.
March 9, 1913. The residence of the
Iserhoff married a woman named
parents was given as Rupert House.
4th GENERATION
MARY ANN (surname and date of marriage is not known). The HBC records
refer to him many times as the “brother JOHN “C” ISERHOFF and
of Joseph” but one family tree I have
seen identifies him as a nephew and the LOUISA had
about 8 chilfather’s name on the family tree is
dren according
blank. John died in 1865.
to one source
rd
but no church
3 GENERATION
records were
found for any
JOSEPH ISERHOFF and CAROLINE CHILof them. Since
TON had at least 5 children. One of
them was the grandfather of the oldest this article
Chisasibi Iserhoffs, all of whom are gone deals with only
the Chisasibi
now. His name was John “C” Iserhoff.
Iserhoffs, only
Only 2 baptismal records were found
the grandfather
for the children of Joseph and Caroline
Older children of Fort George – back row from left: Lawrence Spencer,
and great
but no record was found John “C”.
Nellie Louttit, unknown, Juliet Iserhoff, Emily Louttit, Alice Sealhunter,
grandfather of
Johnny Iserhoff. Front row from left: unknown, Alice Louttit, three unthese families is known
Robert Chilton was Caroline Chilton’s
25
ISERHOFF
Family stories describe the first ISERHOFF as a shipwrecked Russian sailor
who ended up marrying a Cree woman
from James Bay. But documents prove
that an employee of the North West
Company in Waswanipi by the name of
JEAN BAPTISTE LEOPOLD ISERHOFF, the
son of a German soldier named GUSTAV
ISERHOFF, was the first ISERHOFF in the
James Bay area.
GUSTAV ISERHOFF was born around
1751 in Braunschweig, Germany, and he
arrived in North America in 1783 as a
mercenary to fight with the British during the American Revolution, otherwise
known as the “American War of Independence”. (Up to 1775, the thirteen
American colonies were under the rule
of Britain and they wanted to gain their
independence and form their own union, which was to be known as the United States of America. War began on
April 19, 1775 when shots were exchanged between the settlers and
British soldiers and it ended on September 3, 1783 when the “Treaty of Paris”
was signed, which formally recognized
the United States of America.)
GUSTAV ISERHOFF, who had been hired
from the Brunswick state of Germany,
served mainly in northern New York and
Canada, and, according to the records,
it would appear that he left the military
shortly before the war ended because
his name appeared on a list of Brunswick soldiers who were “deserter immigrants”. This assumption seems to be
supported by his marriage record of July
28, 1783, when he married Genevieve
Pepin in Montreal, Quebec. Gustav was
awarded some land in 1835 in Stanfold,
Quebec and he was buried in Berthierville on September 7, 1838, having died
the day before. The burial record gives
his age as 87.
Gustav and Genevieve Iserhoff had at
least two sons, JEAN BAPTISTE LEOPOLD
Knowing Your Roots by Janie Pachano
and EUSTACHE and two daughters,
MARGUERITE ANNE and ADELAIDE ISERHOFF. Their birth years and their place
of residence (Berthierville County) are
recorded. A baptismal record for a son
of Jean Baptiste Leopold Iserhoff identifies Marguerite as the aunt of the child.
(Where did the story that the first Iserhoff was a shipwrecked Russian soldier
come from? There could be some basis
to the Russian part at least since immigration records show that many Russians with the surname ISROFF immigrated to America in the 1800s. However, GUSTAV ISERHOFF was living in Germany at the time of his engagement by
the British military and there are two
men – CHRN and HEINR ISERHOFF –
who appear on the residence lists of
Hannover, Germany – CHRN in 1862
and HEINR in 1865, so it is obvious that
Iserhoffs lived in Germany as well. The
surname of JEAN BAPTISTE LEOPOLD
ISERHOFF, son of Gustav, was spelled
ISROFF at the time of his burial and
many of the Russian ISROFFs had the
spelling of their name changed to ISERHOFF after some time in America. So
GUSTAV’s family could have originated
in Russia. As for the part of the story
that Iserhoff was shipwrecked, who
knows?)
(This article covers the descendants of
only one Iserhoff – JEAN BAPTISTE LEOPOLD ISHERHOFF – because he is the
ancestor of the Chisasibi Iserhoffs.)
1st GENERATION
JEAN BAPTISTE LEOPOLD ISERHOFF Sr.
was born around 1784 in Berthier, Quebec. He went to work for the North
West Company and he was working
there in 1819 as manager of the post in
Waswanipi when the HBC sent James
Clouston there to establish a post. He
was known by the name of John Leopold Iserhoff while he worked for the
NWC. He married an Indian woman,
who is identified as SHABOOKWAY in
some documents. In the baptismal records, she is identified only as an Indian
woman. How long he had worked tin
Waswanipi is not known, but it is safe to
assume that he was there by 1810. An
1822 baptism record at Berthier, Quebec for an 11-year-old girl, Marie Elizabeth Iserhoff, the child of Jean Leopold
Iserhoff and an Indian woman, would
support the assumption that he had
been in the James Bay area since at
least 1810. When the coalition of the
HBC & NWC took place, the NWC post
at Waswanipi was closed and it is not
recorded what happened to Jean Baptiste Leopold Iserhoff. His name does
not appear on the list of NWC employees that were absorbed by the HBC. An
1824 Mistissini Post journal entry refers
to the “widow of the late Mr. Iserhoff”
and her children, but whether he died
at Waswanipi or not is not known.
2ND GENERATION
JEAN BAPTISTE LEOPOLD ISERHOFF and
his wife SHABOOKWAY had at least
four children, one daughter and three
sons. Only two baptismal records were
found.
MARIE ELIZABETH was baptized in 1822
in Berthier, Quebec. At the time of her
baptism her age was given as 11 years.
On December 21, 1858 she married
Charles Gravelle in Berthier.
JEAN BAPTISTE LEOPOLD ISERHOFF Jr.
was baptized in Berthier, Quebec on
July 19, 1820. His birth date was given
as November 6, 1814 and he died and
was buried there on November 1835.

JOSEPH ISERHOFF was born in and
grew up around Waswanipi until he
went to work for the HBC at Nitchiquon
around 1835. He was described as a
“youth”. On August 10, 1847, he married CAROLINE CHILTON, daughter of
the post manager Robert Chilton and
2011 Memories
Tragic Canoe Accident
near Pine Mountain
Lake – LG3
st
Aboriginal Day Celebration
Tuesday June 21 was a cool, sunny, breezy day...
Later in the afternoon there was a community feast with bear as part of the main
course. I asked Billy Martinhunter why women were not allowed to eat the meat
from the bear’s head.
He explained that long, long ago a woman did eat the meat from the bear’s head.
This happened in the evening. The next morning the woman was found dead with
a broken neck and since then …
Women do eat the meat from the pelvic region though (the haunch). This is the
area where life is conceived (July)
Georgie Pachanos, age 44, a Cree
from Chisasibi died by drowning
when the canoe he was travelling
in broke apart and capsized.
Georgie was in a canoe with
Samuel and Tommy Pachanos
crossing a river in the Pine Mountain Lake area (about 200 km east
of Chisasibi) when the canoe split
Inauguration of
the Eeyou Eenou
Police Force
Finally after weeks of
delay the Inauguration of
the Eeyou Eenou Police
Force (EEPF) took place
in Chisasibi on Tuesday
June 28th. VIP’s from the
Grand Council, Sûréte du
Quebec and the CNC
were present to celebrate
this historical occasion.
The day started with the
raising of the Eeyou Eenou Police Force flag at their new headquarters located
close to the pool and new Elementary school. After that Matthew Coon Come
along with EEPF Director Reggie Bobbish and Captains Karl Simard and Joe Saganash cut the ‘ribbon’ (which was not a ribbon but a beautifully crafted moose
hide banner with the names of all the communities, the EEPF logo ….. (July)
Jacob Sealhunter Installed as
Honourary Canon
Jacob Sealhunter was raised to the office of Honourary Canon of St Matthew’s Cathedral at the 45th Session of
the Synod of the Diocese of Moosonee
in Timmins on Friday June 3rd.
The annual Father’s Day Fishing Derby
on the La Grande River, Saturday, June
18th, was blessed with a beautiful,
warm, sunny day – although the northerly wind did kick up a bit for those
who were out closer to the Bay.
A total of 83 fisher’people’(63 fathers,
20 General Public) set out early in the
morning (well some did anyways..)
hoping they would latch unto the ‘big
one’.
It was a good time for fathers to be out
with their sons, daughters and even
wives. (July)
9
2011 Memories
Chisasibi’s Youth Week (July 11-16)
Youth Week 2011 here in Chisasibi was nothing short of amazing.
The week long activities kicked off with an opening ceremony and a
community walk starting from the church and ending at the Mitchuap. The rest of the week included theme days like “Beach Day, Traditional Day….The biggest event of all would have been the Youth
Gala. .. (Aug)
James Bay Eagles and
Mistissini Mustangs Meet
in Historical Football
Game
On July 23rd, 2011 in Mistissini,
the James Bay Eagles and the
Mistissini Mustangs squared off in
the first ever organized Flag and
Tackle football games in Cree Nation history (July)
23rd Annual Mamoweedow
Monday, July 25 was the start of Mamoweedow – Manjow day
Everyone is glad to be on the island, reminiscing of the days when we didn’t have
Chisasibi’s 18th Annual Senior Softmuch, living the simple life, hunting, fishing and the physical and spiritual release in ball /17Annual Fastpitch Tournament
the constant movement of daily chores
The freedom on the island for the younger ones was the best, no drunks they said. Everyone is happy and very friendly. The island is a great place to go exploring during the
Chisasibi’s first Team Fishday and at night you can see the stars (Aug)
ing Derby was held Saturday and
Sunday, August 27 & 28 on the La
Grande River. Ten teams (Four/
Thomas Shem was elected as Chisasibi’s representative to the Cree reteam) entered hoping to get some of
gional Authority (CRA) while Roderick Pachano was elected to replace
the thousands of dollars in prize
Sarah Pash on CNC’s council.
money. Big winner? - team Fishers
Roger C, Stanley, Ronnie S & Ronnie House.
stomach. I went to get a cup of water
and put a tablet in and stirred. I took a
sip, it was Pepsi. It didn’t taste so bad. I
waited a few minutes. No, nothing was
happening to me, so I took another sip
and another until I drank the
whole cup.
I went back inside and looked
at my dad. He didn’t seem to
notice that I was turning white
as a sheet. I was feeling worse,
the nausea feeling I had before
was at its worst. I begin throwing up. That was the last thing I
remember, I passed out from
the pain in my stomach. Next
thing I remember was my
brother lifting me up and laying
me on the bed. My dad was
telling one of my brothers to go
and get my mom. I kept throwing up and my headache was
not any better. My oldest brother was
asking when was the last time I had eaten. This morning, before mom left, was
my reply. I think she passed out of hunger… Oh waa! Embarrassing!
I believe the saying, .“Crime doesn’t
pay’’ because since then I can’t drink
Pepsi and it used to be my favourite soft
drink. I tried it once after a few years
and I threw up again. And I still can’t
drink it…..
One summer, I was baby-sitting for my
sister. She was working at the R.C. Mission in the kitchen. She would be gone
all day and she left instructions that the
boys were to stay inside because it was
raining hard. The boys didn’t seem to
mind, they were playing with their little
cars. Once in awhile I had to pull them
apart when they were fighting. The older one was being bossy and the younger
one didn’t like it. But, too soon they got
tired of their toy cars. They wanted bigger ones, so they start pushing the
chairs around, pretending they were
driving in their big cars. They made a lot
of noise, I just had to tell them to quiet
down, but you know little boys… they
love to play rough and that’s just what
they did. Their baby sister started crying, she was in her hammock. I guess
the noise woke her, so I gave her, her
bottle. She went right back to sleep.
It was noon, I warmed some stew for
the boys. We sat at the table eating the
stew. My youngest nephew, was talking
away, Asking a lot of questions. Aunty,
who makes it rain? He wanted to
know., looking at the rain dripping on
the window. His brother answered, Jesus, makes it rain. Right, aunty? I nodded in agreement, not saying anything.
Does Jesus love little children? Was the
next question… Yes, he does, right
aunty? Answered his brother. Yes,
that’s right. He seemed puzzled, he
looked at the rain again and said, If He
loves little children why does He make
it rain so hard? The little children can’t
go out and play. His brother looked at
me and we both laughed. Jabaw!
Then he went to the door and opened
it. I heard him say, Harder Jesus, make
it rain harder. I looked at him as he was
standing at the doorway. They had no
porch and the water was dripping on
his head. I scolded him. Close the door,
you’re getting wet. Why does Jesus
make it rain so hard? Can’t He see my
dog is getting wet? Of course, he didn’t
have a dog of his own. He was referring
to a stray dog they found one day and
they considered it their dog.
Late afternoon, the rain stopped and
they wanted to go out. Okay, put on
your coats and rubbers.. They went out
the door, with a hammer and some
nails. We are going to build a house for
our dog… I don’t remember if
they did build it, but I’m sure
they had fun playing in the
puddles of water. Dog house
was forgotten. They had the
dog for a week, until the
rightful owner came to claim
it.
One time my brothers and I
were sitting around the table
with mom. She was telling us
stories about our siblings who
had passed on. Mom said that
our sister, her name was Elizabeth had long light brown hair.
She was the second eldest in
my family. Everybody said she had
beautiful hair.
I looked at my dark hair and said to
Mom. Why is it none of us have light
brown hair, like her? I don’t know,
maybe because she was called home at
a young age… I wish I had light brown
hair, like her. Maybe, I can dye it someday. Mom said, I don’t think that’s a
good idea. If the Lord wanted you to
have light brown hair, I’m sure you
would be born with that color. Never
dye your hair. If you do, then it would
be like saying you are dissatisfied with
the Creator’s work…
One of my brothers said, “I was supposed to have light brown hair. The
angels had a meeting and one small
angel was against me having light
brown hair. So now I’m stuck with this
dark hair.’’
That was a funny remark and we all
laughed.
Anyway, Have a safe Christmas everyone. I especially want to wish a Blessed
Christmas to Noah Snowboy, (who I
love as a brother) and to his family.
Charlotte Rupert and her family. And to
all the families who lost their loved
ones this pass year. MERRY CHRISTMAS…..
23
Cont’d from page 21
2011 Memories
when trying to meet the needs of the community.
After eight-and-a-half years as chief, Robert went on to be
a successful business man and demonstrated that it is possible for Crees to be financially autonomous. He and two other
partners started up Kepa Transport, which now provides service to all the Cree communities and several other places in
Quebec and Ontario on a daily basis. His vision was to improve economic development within Eeyou Istchee, and his
success is due to extremely hard work and his potential to
make things happen.
For over forty years, Robert has served our people throughout the Cree Nation, and he has been honoured with several
awards for his work as a Native leader. To this day, Robert is
still active in our communities and has done much to help us.
He is currently a Commissioner of the Cree Naskapi Act, he
was a member of the Referendum Committee with the
Grand Council for the Cree Offshore Agreement, and he is a
board member of the Cree Nation Trust.
Robert would like to thank his wife, Janie, who always
kept the home and family together especially when he
could not be there. He would not have been able to
achieve what he has without her support throughout all the
years.
Robert deserves to be honoured for his perseverance
and strength. In spite of the struggles he went through as
Chief, it is evident that he has had a great desire and determination to serve and support our people. Chisasibi is now
much better off than many other First Nations communities.
Stories From My Childhood.
By; Margaret Sealhunter
Okay, some people asked me to write
more stories. So, here are a few.
One summer, I must have been around
eight or nine years old. My dad wanted
me to go to the store to buy tea and
something else I can’t remember. He
handed me a five dollar bill and told me
I can have the change, if any. I went to
my cousin’s house and asked her if she
could go with me to the store. On the
way we saw our other cousin and she
wanted to know where we were going.
“We are going to the store, want to
come?”
“Sure, let’s go, I have 2 dimes.” she said.
Back then 2 dimes, meant we could buy
2 chocolate bars. That’s what she wanted to buy. As soon as we were inside
the store I went to look for the tea
which my dad had asked me to buy. As
we went down the aisle we passed the
soft drinks. My cousin stopped to check
them out. We hardly drank soft drinks,
but I guess she was curious. She called
my other cousin and whispered to her. I
didn’t pay much attention to them as I
was searching for the other stuff that
my dad wanted. We went to cashier
and paid for the stuff. I had a few coins
left-over. I decided to save them, so I
could buy a package of cookies later.
My cousins kept whispering and giggling as we walked home. Finally, I
asked what’s so funny? The one who
was checking out the soft drinks took a
small package from inside her coat and
showed it to me. It was a pack of soft
drink tablets. (Maybe some of you remember what I mean… they were tablets that we use to dissolve in a glass of
water and then you have a glass of
Pepsi, coke or orange. They were softdrinks.)
I knew then, that they had stolen them,
because she had paid for the chocolates and she didn’t have any other
money.
All the way home I kept looking back to
see if anyone was following us. We
reached her house first. She asked us if
we want to come in and dissolve the
tablets. I declined, making an excuse
that my dad was waiting for the tea.
When I got home I handed my dad the
stuff he wanted, making sure I didn’t
make eye-contact. If I did he would see
the guilt in my eyes and he would demand I tell him what was wrong.
“Oh, good you got everything I wanted,
Did you have any change? What did
you buy?”
“Yes, some coins, I didn’t buy anything.”
He was already busy boiling water for
One of the many mouth-watering entries in Chisasibi’s Annual Blueberry Fest (Sept)
A Time
Chisasibi Elders visit Kawawachikamach. An exchange
visit between the Elders of Chisasibi and Kawa took place in
August and October . The above is a picture taken at Schefferville (just a few kms from Kawa) of the open pit iron mine that
was closed down in the 80’s (Sept/Oct)
Capsule was
the tea.
Before we left for the store I was not
feeling too good. Bad headache and
tummy ache. When I got home it was
getting worse. I remember I hadn’t eaten since that morning before mom left
for work and it was already late afternoon. Dad was telling me that tea was
ready, but the thought of tea made my
tummy ache worse. I was about to go to
the outhouse when I met my cousins in
the porch. They came to bring me my
share of the tablets.
I told them I didn’t want any; she insisted and put them on the small table near
the door.
My stomach felt it was in knots, I have
to eat something but, what? I tried the
tea, but it made me nauseated. Then I
thought of the tablets my cousin put on
the table. I went out and yes, they were
still on the table where she put them.
My young brother came in and saw
them.
“Don’t touch them, they are mine.”
“Can I have one?” he demanded.
“Yes, or maybe not”… I didn’t want him
to be in trouble too. Because I was certain my dad would find out sooner or
later. I was getting second thoughts,
should I or shouldn’t I? Big decision…
But my hunger was getting the best of
me, I had to have something in my
buried during the
week of Chisasibi’s 30th Birthday. To be
opened 2031—
Chisasibi’s 50th.
The idea came
from Mayson
Kitty who will be
30 years old by
then.
Chisasibi’s annual Pow Wow was one
of the biggest and best in many a year
(Sept)
Youth Paddle their Way to a Better Life - …. They started
out in the middle of July with little experience at being in a canoe. It
meant a crash course in paddling, portaging, working together … the
traditional way of travelling. But with the guidance of Eddie Pash
and Richard Pepabano, Charlie and Margaret Louttit and seven adult
youth, the seven youth (teen agers) not only did it but did it without
a complaint – except for those gosh-danged black flies ….. (Sept)
Happy 30th Birthday Chisasibi - the celebration lasted a week.
Fun and games, concerts, feasts and the Water slide - a first. Kids
loved it!
11
Honouring Our Past Chiefs
2011 Memories
FASD Awareness Day in Chisasibi (Sept 9)
The objective for holding these events each year is
three-fold:
1. to inform the public about Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders and the reality of individuals and
families living with FASD,
2. to encourage and support measures to prevent
further incidence of FASD in our community,
and to encourage and support the development of
policies and procedures to support individuals and
families coping with FASD
James Bay Eagles Football
6 Nation Challenge , Charlottetown PEI
The James Bay Eagles capped off another great 6 Nation Challenge by leaving PEI on a positive note. The Junior Squad led by
Ronald Wash, Vincent MacDonald and Jon Pash went undefeated
in both their games.
The Senior squad won their first game easily against PEI but lost
to Saskatchewan only in the dying seconds of the game …. (OCT)
Editor’s Note: As was mentioned in the
last issue - the Waaskimaashtaau will
feature the past chiefs of Fort George &
Chisasibi in the upcoming issues as part
of knowing our history.
Robert Kanatewat
1967-1969, 1969-1971,
1973-1975 & 1975-1977
1971-1973,
Friday morning, September 23, Christopher Napash went on the local
radio to tell the people of Chisasibi that there was a problem with the
town’s water system.
Somewhere in Chisasibi there was a leak in a water pipe and the
reservoir level was very low, as was the water pressure. People were
asked to cut back drastically on the amount of water they use – no
showers, laundry etc. ….. School and Daycares were closed and businesses were asked (voluntarily) to close (Oct)
The Regional Council of Elders host a special conference on Cree Culture. With special thanks to the Regional
David Coonishish roller bladed from Montreal to
Chisasibi Aug 15-Aug 28 to raise money for the
families of cancer patients. To date over 85 000$
has been raised with monies still trickling in.
Transformer blows ….
Sometime around 7 am Sunday morning October 16th
some people were privileged to see and hear an impromptu fireworks display.
And with that half of Chisasibi had no electricity
….The linemen had the problem fixed by dark
An omen of what to come in December??? (Nov)
Chinese Delegation drops by
A Chinese delegation representing the company
Guodian United Power Technology headquartered in
Beijing, China stopped by on their way from Whapmagoostui to Montreal to “meet and greet” personnel
from the CNC band office.
The Guodian representatives had been in Whapmagoostui to sign a M.O.U. (memorandum of understanding) between Whapmagoostui, Goudian United
Power and Transelec for the possibility of a joint venture to construct a 10 MW Hybrid (wind, biomass,
sun) electrical power grid.
Chisasibi is also exploring the possibility of wind
power ….
Council of Elders, Cree Health Board, Niskamoon Corporation and
the James Bay Cree Cultural Education Centre, this gathering finally
took place in Chisasibi on September 13th to the 16th, 2011.
The Elders have long been concerned about the loss of our culture and
language and the disconnection from our past, our values and our traditional ways.
The first day of the gathering dealt with the past and the purpose of
the gathering was explained by Robbie Matthew, the purpose being to
start a dialogue between the Elders, Youth and Cree in general, to
teach them about their past and history so they would know and be
proud of who they are and where they came from.
JBES Secondary 5
Graduation
Twelve secondary 5 students received their Secondary 5 Graduation diplomas …
Brandon House, Daniel
Pepabano, Annie Chewanish, Casey Rupert,
Nellie Lameboy, Nolan
Rupert, Mary Monger,
Tommy Pepabano,
Heather Shem, Matthew
Swallow, Connor Zephyrine, Melanie Neacappo
and Nelson Pash …
(Nov)
Adam Gates wins scariest costume 4th time
as ‘Swamp Thing’
When Indian Affairs initiated politics
with the Crees in the mid 1960’s, Robert
had already been in the Band Council
for several years. He was then elected
chief, a position he held for the next
eight-and-a-half years. Before Indian
Affairs became involved in local government, there were no guidelines for the
Chief and Council to follow, and no administrative work that needed to be
done, but he was chosen by the people
because they thought he was capable of
doing what was required. This was the
beginning of Robert’s political journey
and his introduction to the federal government with whom he was instrumental in promoting awareness of Cree
rights.
The band councils of First Nations in
Quebec were not officially recognized
by the Quebec government. He says it
took him a year and a half to convince
the government that Aboriginal peoples
were no different from them and had a
right to be treated with equality. Robert
made every effort to ensure that it happened. There were a number of times
when he stood up for our rights and
succeeded in persuading the government to provide funding for our people
by being direct and honest with the
MPs and not letting them overpower
him. Robert earned their respect by being straightforward.
As a child, Robert never imagined
that he would one day become chief.
At the age of nine, he attended the
Catholic residential school for one year;
then he was placed in St. Philip’s Anglican school for another six years. By his
third year in residence, he had grown
quite rebellious and was sent to the
office a number of times for a lecture
from the principal. Most of it went in
one ear and out the other, but one of
the principal’s phrases stuck in his
memory and returned to mind when he
was elected: “They say if a child is a rebel, he often becomes a great leader.”
It inspired Robert to do his best.
Robert says he had to fill several additional roles when he was chief. Although it’s not the same now, back then
he also felt obliged to act as a policeman and marriage counselor, among
other things. At times he had to intervene when child neglect or abuse occurred within a family. He would receive calls during the night from people
who needed his help, and he never refused anyone. He was always there for
them.
During his term of office, Robert became an executive member of the Indians of Quebec Association consisting of
nine tribes from different First Nations.
Because of his persuasive abilities, he
managed to convince the government
that all of the member Nations required
new housing. He invited the Minister of
Indian Affairs to fly to Whapmagoostui
to view the poor living conditions there.
(Whapmagoostui was chosen because it
was the only community that had a long
enough airstrip.) After the Minister’s
visit, 150 new homes were granted for
the people of Fort George, however,
due to various reasons not all 150 were
built. The homes were built by local
workers who at the time, were receiving training in various trades in construction. These workers went on to
build houses in the other villages.
Robert also focused on economic
development. His dream was to help
local people operate and own their own
businesses. At that time, the Catholics &
HBC ran the only gas stations in Fort
George, but he convinced them that
Crees could take over the responsibility.
Josie Sam was chosen to operate it for
the Band on the understanding that he
would acquire ownership after one year
of reliable management, and Roderick
Herodier was given the same opportunity with the restaurant. Robert wanted to show that economic development
and independence amongst our people
was possible. He also proposed buying
out the Hudson Bay Company store for
the community, but many were against
that idea. They felt loyal to the company because it had helped them survive
during hard times when food was
scarce. Robert says there is nothing you
can do when the people decide, because as a chief, you are working for the
people.
The biggest challenge Robert faced
was during the land claims when the
Cree Nation opposed hydro-electric development in Cree territory. He was
involved in negotiations which resulted
in the James Bay and Northern Quebec
Agreement and was named as principal
plaintiff in the court case against the
James Bay Development Corporation.
Because his name was used in the legal
proceedings and he later became one of
the signatories of the Agreement, some
people accused him of selling off our
land. Robert says it was a very stressful
time for him, but as a leader, it is extremely difficult to please everyone
Cont’d on page 22
21
In Loving Memory
Grandma Maggie’s dream:
My grandson William, you came to see me in my dream on December 23rd, you
were standing in my bedroom door and I asked you why you were here and you
answered me “I came to tell you that I am going home” and I was crying in my
sleep. My daughter Frances woke me up asking me why I was crying in my sleep. I
told her my dream.
My grandson William, you were gone on a special day cause you were a very special grandson. I will cherish the special moments you shared and spending time
with us, especially when we were at our hunting camp. You used to chop wood for
us or you always checked if we had enough water then you would go get water for
us. I will cherish these special moments for the rest of my life my grandson William, I will miss you deeply and I love you very much.
Rest in Peace from your grandma Maggie
In Loving Memory of Sophia & John
William Benjamin
September 5, 1974– December 25, 2011
William (A.K.A. William’sh) was born
September 5, 1974. He leaves behind
his parents Joseph and Clara, sisters &
brothers, Betsy (husband Billy), Barbara
(husband Dennis), Elsa (husband Michael), Joel (wife Lillian), Dennis, Margaret (husband Willie), Brenda (husband
John), Lee Anne (husband Paul).
He was born in Fort-George Qc. He
was well known to the community as
William’sh. He loved everyone and was
loved by everyone who knew him.
You were a special son, brother, uncle, grandfather, cousin, friend, best
babysitter, loving, kind, caring, helpful,
generous, devoted, gentle, considerate,
patient, tender, grateful, forgiving, honest, and also great sense of humour,
loved to make jokes, loved to hunt, and
enjoyed the traditional way of life.
This Christmas morning you left your
loved ones cause God has chosen you
to be his special angel up there in heaven. You will be deeply missed William’sh and we know that you will be
watching over us all.
It hurts deeply that he will no longer
be here with us and yet it eases our sorrow to know that he is with us in spirit
and we believe that he is in a better
place with God our father, where there
is no pain, nor sorrow.
In loving memory of my grandmother Sophia Bearskin who left us on New Years’ eve in the early seventies. I didn’t fully understand her illness and when
she passed on, I was devastated; I kept asking myself
why? My heart ached for my grandfather, my dad
and all his siblings, and the only way I found to react
at that time was to leave. I boarded the plane to go
back to school right after the funeral even though my
dad had said I could go back later. I ran away from
my family; I just couldn’t face their sorrow and most of all I didn’t want to
acknowledge mine.
All these years, I missed my grandmother and often wondered how she would
have reacted to all the changes that were going on in our lives. I couldn’t talk
to my dad or his siblings; I didn’t want to hurt them. My grandmother was the
kind of person who did a lot for others, she was like a nurse or doctor. She
delivered babies, healed you with her knowledge of traditional medicines and
her healing touch of kindness. When I used to go see her, she would ask if I
had eaten or she would just go ahead and make her special pancake and tell
me to sit down and eat. There were times when she would ask me to go with
her when she walked over to another family’s place to bring them food or just
to visit. Sometimes I would accompany her to the store where she would buy
goodies for all her grandchildren to share but most of all, going out on the
land for blueberry picking, fishing, or just simply getting water was the most
enjoyable. This seemed to be the time when she would confide in me, telling
me her hopes and dreams.
John Matches, the last of her male siblings has passed on the morning of December 26, 2011. It must be tough on my dad and his siblings, almost like
reliving the year of my grandmother’s passing. My family and I said our farewells to my great uncle John when he was brought back to Chisasibi, a loving
man who enjoyed seeing all his visitors. I was almost in tears when he left
that day knowing I would not see him again, the realization of a great loss of
love, culture, and wisdom.
As I sit here writing and remembering, my tears are silent inside me but I
hope and pray that our loved ones who left this world are together somewhere where there is no more pain and sickness.
My condolences to all the Matches Family in Wemindji, my great aunt Mary
Shanush and her family, and to all the families who knew and loved John.
Annie Bearskin
Chisasibi Survives Week-Long Power Outage
A funny thing happened on the way to
school and work Monday, December
5th. That was the morning about 8:45
the power went out in Chisasibi.
Adult reaction? … not again! (The power had gone off Friday December 2nd for
2 ½ hours in the evening which ironically was directly responsible for Monday’s
outage) Youth reaction? … Joy to the
world !!… Many people did not find out
that the power was off until they got to
work or school and then it was back
home to …. Wait.
As the day wore on though and still no
power, the seriousness of the situation
began to sink in.
Deputy Chief Daisy House Lameboy had
called Hydro Quebec (HQ) around 9 am
and was informed that the power
would be back on by 11:30 am. She
called again a bit later and was told the
power would come back on by 3:45 pm.
Later in the afternoon HQ informed Daisy …”It will take a while.
“What do you mean?”
“…. An indefinite period of time …. “And
for the next couple of days, that is the
only information we were able to get
from HQ.
“The power will be off for an indefinite
period of time,” No hours, days, weeks
…
This is serious. The temperature which
had been a balmy -10 C during the day
plunged to -25 C that night.
A lot of people had wood stoves but no
wood …. Or propane stoves, propane,
chain saws etc. (or did have them out at
their camps).
That evening, about 6:50 pm, a ‘State
of Emergency” was announced by Chief
Abraham Rupert. Wemindji, who also
were without power had declared a
‘State of Emergency’ earlier in the afternoon. The safety and well being of Chisasibians, especially the elderly and
mothers and babies was first priority.
First to organize, and start helping was
the Fire Dept and first Responders under George Cox who was named Coor-
dinator of the Emergency team. Some
of the firefighters looked around for
anybody that had a supply of firewood
that could be used for those in dire
need of it.
Tuesday dawned cloudy but not to cold.
Thankfully the temperature had risen in
the wee hours of the morning. A few
volunteers George, Christopher, Leslie,
Matthew, and John had been up all
night getting organized and making sure
that no one was in danger.
There was still no information from HQ
other than “indefinitely”
The Rangers, called in by Sgt Madeleine
Snowboy organized and took care of
getting and giving out of the firewood.
The Junior Rangers were also asked to
help out.
In regards to the firewood, volunteers were going out at night to cut
wood; but only those who were very
experienced.
It got to the point though when the volunteers (mostly Rangers) were exhausted and there was nobody to take their
place. Firewood was sent up from Val
d’Or; maple, birch, poplar …. Starting
Wednesday. Five truck loads – 38 to 40
cords sent by Indian Affairs Development Canada (INADC) via Cree Express.
Shelter for those without heat was
made available at the new Elementary
School (powered by a back-up generator), the Banquet Hall and MSDC. There
was also space for 40 (elders and mothers with babies) at LG 1 with the buses
waiting to take the people there … but
the buses didn’t move. Only a few
teachers and elders went to LG 1. A few
went to stay at Radisson on their own
initiative. Other Chisasibians took off for
Val d’Or early as the Annual Hockey/
Broomball tournament was scheduled
for Thursday to Sunday.
Tuesday was a very busy and hectic day
for the Emergency team.
Around 3pm power came back on for
the Commercial Center, Mitchuap, and
Hospital etc. Along with those buildings,
much of the east end of town also got
power since it was on the same grid as
the center of town. ….. But still no definite info from HQ.
“It was hard to plan when you’re literally put in the dark by HQ.” lamented
Deputy Chief Daisy House-Lameboy.
“We had to push for details …. We had
to plan …”
True value opened Monday (in the dark)
and was very soon stripped of any essential supplies like propane, candles
lanterns etc. The Co-op also opened its
doors to help out people. Northern
opened at 2pm Tuesday to a long line of
waiting people. Later in the day someone piped up, “Old Mother Hubbard
went to the cupboard, but the cupboard
was bare!”
There were meetings daily of the
Emergency team (Coordinators—
George Cox & Charles House; Assistant
Coordinators Maurice Napash &
13
In Loving Memory
Matthew Chiskamish; Information Christopher Napash plus Archie Moar (CFD),
Sam House (Police), Leslie Bobbish,
Richard Hamel (CHB), Charles Bobbish &
Fodé (CSB/JBES), John & Madelaine
(Rangers), LesleyAnn Chiskamish and
other …)
Finally, after being on the phone constantly with HQ, CNC insisted that HQ
send representatives to be on site
(Chisasibi).
It was decided to bring in large generators of the 1 to 2.5 MW type;
enough power to light up any building
in Chisasibi... the Emergency Team had
thought the generators would be used
to power buildings that would be used
for shelter. HQ had another plan
though. The generators were connected
to the Commercial Center, Mitchuap
etc. The electricity that those buildings
had been using from LG 1 would then
be diverted to homes.
And so most of the center residential
area of Chisasibi
got their power
back Wednesday
evening including
two of the daycares. (The daycares were
opened for the
children of the
volunteers and
emergency team).
Thursday – more
homes got their
power restored.
The last of the residents got electricity
early Saturday morning.
Hallelujah! We survived and it’s back to
‘normal’! …. Right? Not so fast partner
….
The problem at LG 1 had to be fixed.
(There was a rumour on the second day
of the blackout that problem had been
fixed but HQ didn’t want to reconnect
the power because they didn’t know
what caused the outage in the first
place.) Then the generators have to be
disconnected and the switch thrown to
bring 13.5 Mw of electricity. That process was scheduled for Monday in a
marathon session. Six am to 8pm –
again no power but this time we were
ready and there was a light at the end
of the tunnel.
Monday. 8pm comes and goes. 9 …. 10
…. Oh come on!!
Finally just before 11 the power comes
back on …. Then off … on … off and then
on to stay. Bit of a scare there!
Tuesday morning, December 13, most
of the generators were disconnected
and I guess you could say that Wednesday things were back to normal except
there was a bit of a problem with the
school and it didn’t open for the students until Thursday.
Further Notes
How did the Emergency Team stack up
against the ‘power crises? Overall most
people gave them a ‘thumbs up’. Sure
mistakes were made and some people
had complaints but … As said before
there were meetings involving CNC, HQ,
CSB, CHB … what to do, how/when to
do it and always the health and wellbeing of Chisasibians the prime focus.
Christopher Napash was on the radio
daily, bringing us up to date on any information on what was being done and
what to expect; and most of all – to be
careful with our propane and woodstoves, candles and for those that didn’t have heat to let the water run so the
pipes wouldn’t freeze.
Water Pipes – damage related directly
to the power outage.
Altogether there was relatively little
damage if you consider that there are
over a 1000 residences. Frozen pipes –
CSB 3; CNC 6/7 and 1 CHB which probably caused the most damage. Water
pipes upstairs at Michel Tourney’s place
had burst. Water upstairs and it also
rained down into the basement where
Michel had his audio/video studio. A
good deal of the upstairs had to be
gutted looking for water damage behind the drywall. There was also one
sewage backup which also caused considerable damage at Anthony Macleod’s home.
During the power outage, the water
reservoir dipped dangerously close to
the automatic shut off point. Dialysis
patients were on stand-by to be evacuated if the water level went below one
Cont’d on page 27
Robbie
William Matthew
November 1, 1944 December 5, 2011
Husband of Maudie, Brother of Winnie & Mina
Son of late Harry & Charlotte Matthew
Father of Roderick (Priscilla), Pauline (Robbie), Mary, Geraldine, Ronnie (Queenie), Caroline, Samuel (Nadia) and Allen
(Erika)
Grandfather of Angelina, Stephanie, Nathan, Shirley-Ann,
Marianna, Kristian, Kalynn & Shana-June Matthew, Francine,
Barry, Robin, Paul & Naomi Matthew, Gabriel, Samantha,
Katie & Trishlynn Neacappo, Collin, James & Jeremiah Rupert, Lorianna Chakapash
Great Grandfather of Rilynn and Elena Matthew
Robbie was born in the bush near their camp in Roggan R.
He married Maudie in Fort-George on November 20,
1968. Together they had eight children, 20 grandchildren
and 2 great grandchildren. They were married for 43 years.
Robbie worked to provide for his family. In Fort-George he
I wanted to share this story of the day my dad passed
away.
The nurse called me before 3 am on Monday, December 5,
2011. She said if we wanted to go to see my dad to come
because she noticed his breathing was more weak than the
night before when she had been working. I called at my
moms, my sister answered. She called me later saying that
mom wanted to go see him. I went to pick her up before
3:30 am. We were at the hospital at 3:30am. My brothers,
Sam and Roderick and his wife, came to see him as well.
They went home around 6:00 am. At 8am I decided to go
home and get my kids ready for school, my sister, Mary, was
there with our mom. I told them I would pick them up after I
drop off the kids at school so we could go have breakfast. At
home, while my kids were getting ready, the lights went off
at our place. That's when the blackout started, I think. We
left about a minute after that, I looked at the clock in the
vehicle, it was 8:52 am. We were near the intersection
where the churches are when my sister called me on my cell,
she was crying and telling me that they had taken off all the
medication our dad was on (IVs). I was so overwhelmed with
grief. I took my baby to the daycare and then went to pick
worked as a police officer and later worked replacing the
drivers that transported children to school. He then worked
as a truck driver during the relocation from Fort-George. He
practiced the traditional way of life: fishing.. hunting and
trapping, until he was not able to go in the bush.
Robbie was diagnosed with having liver failure in January
2011. The news was not easy for the family to hear. Maudie
and Pauline were the ones first told.
Mina remembers him as a very good and compassionate
person; always good and kind to his family and everyone he
met. He was always obedient to his parents and never
showed disrespect towards them.
He had a lot of friends, especially the Snowboys. Bobbish's
and Martinhunters. His late mom used to tell how as a young
boy when he would leave, he would say,
"Abraham-(Snowboy) nik nitiwaapimaau, aauk waash
nimintaah nimaayaayimuukw aa wiichaaukw".
His granddaughter Kalynn had a dream of him the night he
passed away. She dreamt that all of his grandchildren were
outside playing and that they were skipping rope and he was
there playing with them holding one end of the rope.
It was not easy to let you go but we know that God called
you home that morning. It gives us real comfort knowing you
are no longer in pain.
We will miss you. We will cherish the time had with you as
our father, husband, grandfather, great grandfather, uncle,
.brother, brother-In-law and friend.
‘Till we meet again.
up my oldest daughter. We went to the hospital; my dad took
his last breath at 8:52 am.
That day and next few days that followed were probably the
hardest, but we pulled together as a family. Taking care of
each other and our mom. The funeral service was held the
following Wednesday.
During the blackout we were cooking on propane stoves and
the wood stove at my brothers place. It took awhile for meals
to cook but we managed to get everyone fed, and warm. My
brother had the generator on and we were able to watch
some TV on his satellite dish. Luckily, my place had power
within a day, my mom decided to stay there. We renovated
her living room and room and she was able to go back home
on Saturday because that is how she wanted it. My sister Caroline stayed at the hospital during the blackout.
This is a short story I wanted to share with the people. Maybe
one day I will be able to share this on the radio, but not right
now. Thank you to all that helped our family during this difficult time through their love, prayers, sympathy cards and just
by shaking our hands. God Bless You All.
Nii Pauline K. Matthew
19
Christmas Holiday Festivities
Second
First
Skidoo Parade
1st - Tommy Pepabano
2nd - Maurice Sam
3rd - Jeffrey Kitty
4th - John Sealhunter
5th - Steve Matches
Fifth
This year’s Christmas Festivities focused on contests (there
were seven) and having fun. It started with the outdoor light
contest a few days before Christmas. Two entries stood out –
Anthony Macleod’s house outline and Darren Wash’s
‘creative’ entry. Darren actually did two light shows –his
house and a Christmas scene beside the house. I may be mistaken but I think Darren added a lake to his Christmas scene
–after the judging! The sign of a true artist! Thank you Darren for giving us that fantastic Christmas light show!
A rumour I heard. There was a mass exodus from Chisasibi to
the southern shopping meccas (someone counted more than
a 130 vehicles) on Wednesday Dec 28th.
Saturday, countdown has started. Mothers and Grandmothers look at the huge mound of gifts that they have to wrap
and tell their husbands that if they know what’s good for
them they’ll keep the kids occupied.
Sunday, the 25th …”Mom, Dad … get up! Santa’s been here!”
A beautiful day; not just for the gifts but more for the family
feasts; the time together … reminiscing …
A couple of days to digest the food and the fact that we didn’t get what we had so painstakingly written down and sent
off to Santa and then … “Let the fun and games begin.”
There was an activity for everyone – several times over: toboggan races, youth dance off, games galore, hockey and
broomball all-star games and the many contests (see the fol-
lowing pages and the back page)
New Years! Wow … I’ve never seen so many fireworks
(perhaps also a tribute to surviving the power outage) … guns
blazing, horns blaring, dogs howling (Jeffrey’s dog, Pappy,
bolted for our basement and wouldn’t come out) kids
screaming... what a way to start the New Year off … with a
smile on everyone’s face. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!
Of course there was the traditional New Year’s morning candy throw – which, sadly, I missed.
Dancing until dawn (close to it anyways). I heard from one
organizer that the Elders just wouldn’t stop partying. The
police had to slap a curfew on them ... (JJ)
Last but not least – the children’s feast, dancing and games;
and then the community Christmas concert.
Some are saying “Whew … it’s over!” Others though … “Waa
… mommy it’s over!!”
It will be a time though not soon forgotten, especially by the
members of the Minor Sports Comm., CSRA and the Youth
Council who planned and organized the “Chisasibi Festivities.” Dark circles under the eyes told of activities going into
the wee hours of the morning. A huge thank you to all the
people who made this holiday season fun and memorable!!
Third
Third
First
Second
Holiday Cake
Fourth
1st - Ruby Menarick
2nd - Donna House
3rd - Queenie Sam
4th - Corrine Kitty
5th - Rose Cookish
Second
Biggest/Best Snowman
1st - Clarence Icebound
2nd - Evelyn G Sam
3rd - Alphonse Coonishish
4th - Adele/Ruthie Napash
5th - Janelle Salt
First
15
First-Creative
First
Family Snowman
Second
1st - Alice Kitty-Sam
2nd - Lena Pash
3rd - Billy Sealhunter
4th - Nadia Neacappo
5th - Bertie Sealhunter
Fourth-Creative
Snow Sculpture
1st - Jason Rupert
2nd - Gilles Pelchat
3rd - Steven Matthew
4th - Conrad Rupert
5th - Christina Kitty
Outdoor Lights
Second
Third
Fifth
Third-Creative
Outline Category:
Creative Category:
1st Anthony Macleod
2nd Lisa Sam
3rd Christopher Matches
4th Pauline House
Snow boy
5th Abraham Bobbish
1st Darren Wash
2nd Christopher
Mianscum
3rd Steve Moar
4th Morris Sam
5th Tommy Pepabano
First
First-Outline
Xbox NHL 12 Tournament
1st - Sebastien Coon-Come
2nd - Danny Visitor
3rd - Payton Rupert
4th - Mason Sam
Third
17

January 2012 Issue - the Cree Nation of Chisasibi

Transcription

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