I was born in the bush on my family’s traditional hunting territory, and there is where I spent my early formative years. I was immersed in the way of life, the culture and traditions of our people. I think it must certainly be there, on the hunting grounds, watching as my parents and other family members worked, struggled, socialized and celebrated on the land that I learned the principles that are at the core of our Cree culture and which have served me well as I have grown and matured, and which I have turned to when I have had difficult decisions to make.

If I had to put a name to those principles and those values which define the Cree character and which are at the core of our worldview I would say they are as follows: 1) the importance of truthfulness, 2) respect, 3) caring and 4) sharing.

I would like to share with you a couple of very short stories that come from the time that the court proceedings were taking place which eventually led to the negotiation of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement in 1975. These stories will provide a bit of insight into our Cree values and principles.

As part of the court proceedings we brought to Montreal a number of our hunters so that they could provide expert testimony about the importance of protecting the Cree way of life. They were asked to describe various kinds of information about their hunting territories and their hunting practices.

One hunter was called to the witness stand and the bailiff went through the usual practice of swearing in a witness. He asked the hunter if he swore to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. The hunter looked at the bailiff and then at the judge, then there was some discussion with the translator (who by the way was a skinny young man by the name of Ted Moses), and finally the judge asked what the problem was. The hunter explained that he did not know whether he could tell the truth or not. He could only tell what he knows.

On another occasion a hunter was asked to describe his hunting ground and the lawyer for the government was trying to get an idea of the size of the hunting ground. After some exchanges between the two the lawyer asked the hunter if the length was approximately so many miles as the crow flies. The hunter said he didn’t think so because a crow doesn’t fly in a straight line and he waved his hand in and out to demonstrate the flight pattern of a crow. He said it was hard to know in comparison to a crow’s flight.

There are many such stories and we find them a bit funny to listen to, but these stories also tell us something very revealing about our people, our culture and about our principles. Our elders and those who have grown up and lived in the bush are known for speaking from a place of truth. This is part of our tradition. We all know that our elders have a way of speaking which is unquestionable and which does not require any confirmation. They speak clearly and openly about what they know. I suppose a life in the bush, which can often be very harsh and difficult, requires a certain clarity of expression and large capacity for accuracy in communications. Our culture may be naturally disposed and inclined toward truthfulness.

And it is that very fundamental position of truth in our culture from which the other principles derive. Our culture is noted for the high degree of respect we show for all people and all living things. We respect the animals which we have traditionally relied upon for our sustenance and we are grateful to them. We also respect all people because we never know who will be a source of wisdom and understanding for us. And because we respect all people we care for their well-being also and share our harvest with anyone in need. Our values and our principles are all interconnected and they all derive from the basic principle of truthfulness.

This is our tradition. This is the set of Cree principles which help us in dealing with life’s challenges and also in understanding the meaning and the lessons of life.

The challenge for you, our youth, is to learn to apply our Cree values and our Cree principles to the realities of everyday life. The challenge is to learn to apply those principles to help to achieve not only your personal goals and ambitions, but also to achieve a noble vision for the future of the Cree Nation.