Gender equity, language discussed at Quebec Cree all-candidates forum

Gender equity and Cree language emerged as two of the key issues in a forum held Tuesday night for candidates running to be the next Grand Chief of the Cree Nation of Quebec. 

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Four out of five Cree post-secondary students are women, but many of the top jobs in the communities and Cree Nation organizations are held by men.

The five candidates who are running to replace Matthew Coon Come were asked how they would improve the opportunities for Cree women.

"Chauvinism exists in our communities," said Rodney Mark, who is the current Deputy Grand Chief. "That is the biggest challenge to the Cree Nation.''

Darlene Cheechoo, who was elected in 2015 as the first woman chief in her community of Waskaganish and is the only woman running in this election, says qualified women need help to connect with the jobs in the communities and local leaders need to help them.

''Succession needs to happen in a lot of our entities,'' said Cheechoo, who says she'd like to see more women mentoring other women.

''I don't know if many of us are doing that at the moment.'' 

Abel Bosum, who for many years, was the Cree Nation government's chief Quebec negotiator, agreed that more women need to be hired into key positions.  

"We need to help them to find a job... we need to give them opportunities," said Bosum. "We need to look at the future."

Richard Shecapio, who is a long-time chief in the community of Mistissini, says some of the founding policies of the Cree Nation are discriminatory to women.

"A man who works and his wife wants to go to the bush, they can't claim income security," said Shecapio, referring to the Income Security Program for Cree Hunters and Trappers. The program was established by the provincial government in 1976 under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. It guarantees participants an income from hunting, fishing and trapping.

"We can see that's discrimination.'' Shecapio said. 

Ashley Iserhoff, who served two terms as deputy grand chief, said gender equity would be improved by a return to more traditional Cree values and respect.

''Most of the time we look down on each other,'' said Iserhoff. ''If we speak words of life and encouraging words to one another...I believe it's going to foster better relations in genders.''

Language and Cree literacy

Language and how to improve Cree literacy was another issue asked as part of the all-candidates forum.

The event, held in Mistissini, about 800 kilometres north of Montreal, was organized by the CBC North Cree unit and James Bay Cree Communications Society, both Cree-language broadcasters. 

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''I think it's important that our language laws be developed,'' said Cheechoo, who is the only candidate not fluent in Cree, who answered in English.

''If we look at the province we live in, they promote their language. I think we need to do something similar.''

Shecapio told the crowd that elders have always said the best place to teach Cree culture is out on the land. 

''Cree hunters say, we can't teach our children Cree culture in schools,'' he said. ''There's huge land in the Cree Nation, that's where it's better to teach Cree traditions.''

Bosum wants to see Cree literacy enshrined in a Cree constitution ''as one of the important values'.'

Bosum said he would also prioritize the implementation of a Cree Language Commission, which has been discussed for many years and finally moved forward in 2014.

Iserhoff told the crowd that he truly learned "who he was as a Cree person" only after he returned to the communities 25 years ago and sat with the elders. He promised to prioritize cultural programs as a way to strengthen language. 

Rodney Mark said he would encourage core Cree values in everything.

''We should make sure that it includes Cree language and Cree thoughts and Cree hunting,'' he said. 

The election will be held July 12. Coon Come announced last month he would not be seeking re-election.