Author: Xavier Kataquapit

I’ve had a busy few months of meeting so many people I haven’t seen in a long time. This year has been the first time I have been around so many people and it is a big change for me. I thoroughly enjoy it and have had lots of fun but with all the running around, I’ve caught several colds and flus over the past few months.

In January, I caught a minor bug that I easily got over but it left me with a long-lasting cough that lingered for five months. It took plenty of treatment and doctor visits before I got over that. This past week, I caught the worst flu yet.

…. to read the column, please click on the link below

www.northernnews.ca/news/another-flu-season-is-upon-us

My aunt Celine Mary (Kataquapit) Nakogee passed away on September 28, 2026, at the age of 86. Her family will deeply miss her kindness, wonderful smile, and fun nature. She is survived by her husband of 61 years, past Attawapiskat Chief John B. Nakogee and their children George, Jenny, Mary, David, Roger, Beverly, Norman and Peter. She was also predeceased by their son John B Jr. She also leaves behind many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

I had a chance to speak to my uncle John B after the funeral. He talked about how deeply he was connected to his life partner and how much they loved each other. They both grew up in the north, and they understood how hard their lives had been. They are both survivors of the residential school system. As a young girl, Celine was taken to southern Ontario to attend school and to be treated for a lung disease.

…. to read the column, please click on the link below

https://www.northernnews.ca/news/celebrating-the-life-of-a-loved-one/

The Sixth Annual Every Child Matters Pow Wow brought together traditional people, Elders, youth and community members of every background for a day of commemoration and acknowledgement. The gathering was held at Civic Park in Kirkland Lake to commemorate ‘National Day for Truth and Reconciliation’ and ‘Orange Shirt Day’, two observances that acknowledge the history of the Residential School era in Canada.

In traditional Indigenous culture, a Pow Wow is primarily a spiritual gathering of ceremony, commemoration, reflection, and remembrance, and also a time for celebration and entertainment. The Every Child Matters Pow Wow was collaboratively organized by Keepers of the Circle, Mino M’Shki-ki Family Health Team and the First Nations of Beaverhouse, Matachewan and Timiskaming.

“This is an event that acknowledges the history of our ancestors who survived the residential school period but also remembers our families and community members who experienced this reality and are still here today. It’s really important for the public to come out to acknowledge this history and join us in recognising what this day means for the survivors,” said Chief Wayne Wabie, Beaverhouse FN.

https://www.wawataynews.ca/culture/sixth-annual-every-child-matters-pow-wow-kirkland-lake

This is the time of the year when Canada commemorates the Truth and Reconciliation process, which was meant to address the dark period of cultural genocide created by the Indian residential school system.
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The federal government established the residential school system through a network of church-run institutions to assimilate Indigenous children into European culture. It lasted well over a hundred years in Canada.

…. to read the column, please click on the link below

https://www.northernnews.ca/opinion/respecting-the-land-is-most-important-to-reconciliation

This past month, I was happy to attend two Pow Wows I hadn’t been to in years. I attended the Mattagami First Nation Pow Wow and the Matachewan First Nation Pow Wow. These are two special communities I have had the good fortune to be involved in for over 30 years.

I stopped attending public events eight years ago when my partner Mike was diagnosed with a debilitating disease. We could not afford for him to get sick with a common cold which meant that I also could not catch anything for fear of passing on any sickness to him. We both missed many events over the years but we were more than happy to hear about these Pow Wows since they meant so much to so many people.

…. to read the column, please click on the link below

https://www.wawataynews.ca/blogs-columns/pow-wow-sacred-gathering

I was happy to see my home community of Attawapiskat on the James Bay coast announce the opening of the new St Francis Xavier Parish Church on August 25. The community enjoyed the celebration together, filling the new church for the official opening.

The ribbon-cutting event began with a traditional drumming ceremony led by Danny Metatawabin and dancers led by Janie Kataquapit on the riverbank next to the new church. The gathering then took part in a Catholic ceremony to consecrate the new church. The ceremony was led by local parish priest Father Kingsley Njoku, S.M.M.M., of St Francis Xavier Church and was joined by Bishop Pierre Olivier Tremblay, O.M.I., Diocese of Hearst-Moosonee and Bishop Alan Edward Campeau, Diocese of Thunder Bay. The event was also attended by 17 regional priests from northern Ontario and northern Quebec, as well as representatives from the Anishinabe Spiritual Centre, based in Espanola, Ontario. As part of the ceremony, Catholic relics associated with St Kateri Tekakwitha also arrived with Father John O’Brien, a Jesuit priest with the Martyrs’ Shrine in Midland, Ontario. St Kateri Tekakwitha (1656–1680) is recognized as the first North American Indigenous woman to be canonized as a saint in the Catholic Church.

During the ceremony, Chief Sylvia Koostachin-Metatawabin also addressed the gathering to thank the visiting Catholic leadership for attending and to speak for the community in expressing their appreciation for the opening of the new church.

…. to read the column, please click on the link below

https://www.wawataynews.ca/blogs-columns/opening-new-st-francis-xavier-church-attawapiskat

Attawapiskat First Nation wrapped up another successful Kattawapiskak Keekehwin Gathering for the community. The week-long event was held from August 2 to 8, 2026, and it brought together members, visitors and performers to celebrate, play games and provide prize-winning events for participants.

This year’s event was led by a planning committee consisting of community members including Joseph Kataquapit, Roseanne Sutherland, Xavier Rose, Christopher Kataquapit, Lydia Linklater, Anna Kebokee, Linda Kataquapit, Keilyn Linklater, Jenny Hookimaw, Flora Iahtail, Jackie Kamalatisit, Teyonna Spence and Markeisha Sutherland.

This gathering is an important annual event for community members, as it brings everyone together for a positive get-together to celebrate, feast, and provide a fun atmosphere for everyone.

…. to read the column, please click on the link below

https://wawataynews.ca/blogs-columns/kattawapiskak-keekehwin-gathering-2026