Dialogue

Moose Cree First Nation – visit to Moose Factory

Well here I am in Moose factory on the Moose Cree First Nation situated on the mighty Moose River in Northern Ontario close to James Bay. This is the setting for the Joseph Boyden novels, Three Day Road and Through Black Spruce, as well as the traditional territories of the Moose Cree. The last leg of the journey here is by freighter canoe, helicopter or via the ice road in the winter. A week ago there were icebergs stuck on the sand bars in the river, but a patch of warm weather had melted them before I arrived.
The people here are very sweet and quite laid back compared to the fast pace of our cities. I am here as a consultant for the First Nations Market Housing Fund working with the MCFN on Housing and Human Resources. The Nation is planning for the future with big resource companies such as Detour and DeBeers vying for the young labour force and the MCFN negotiating to bring renewed prosperity to their people. It is very exciting to be here at this time – the new gold and diamond rush! Except this time the First Nations are working on behalf of their people to ensure that their lands aren’t polluted and that a healthy share of the prosperity stays with their people for generations to come.