Item ASC33173 - Interviews for "Voices from the Odeyak"

• Sound recording

1 audio file (50 min., 55 sec.)

Item is an audio recording of one of a series of interviews done as research for Michael Posluns' book "Voices of the Odeyak". This is a preparatory interview with Marie Symes-Grehan, the Great Whale Hydro task force assistant from the Cree Village of Whapmagoostui, who acted as a coordinator during the voyage. The audio picks up mid-interview as Marie is discusses how she ended up going to Great Whale for community development to coordinate a task force. She then talks about her experience meeting Robbie Dick, who tells her about the project; her impressions of James' Bay; her first task force meeting; first coming up with the idea of building a canoe; and [Dani?] coming up. She then goes into detai about the meeting with the Inuit Council and Cree Council, describing Inuit/Cree historical integration changing to segregation and splitting the community, how the James' Bay Agreement split the Inuit and Cree communities, making them split land and starting land arguments. Marie then goes through a timeline of organizing the voyage, notes the equal numbers of woman, talks of making contact with the Sierra Club, problems with political groups, feelings of the chiefs about the project, her feelings during the experience, problems that arose during the voyage, monetary issues, unexpected help from regular community members along the voyage making up for the lack of help expected from official sources, and a time frame of launching boat from Ottawa.