OUJE-BOUGOUMOU CREENATION

Headquarters
Office
207,OpemiskaMeskino
Ouje-Bougoumou,
Quebec Tel.:(418)745-3911
Gow 3c0 Fax:(418)745-3426

NovemberLL,20L0

Mrs.LanaWapachee
133Obatagamou
Meskino
OUJE-BOUGOUMOU,QC GOW3CO

SUBJECT: RESOTUTION
ON OFFICIAIOPPOSITION
OF SWEATTODGE& NATIVESPIRITUATITY
PRACTICES

DearLana,

At a recentChiefand Councilmeetingheld on October27, 28 & 28, 2OtO,Councildiscussed

the letter
receivedfrom the communitymemberswho sharedtheir concernwith the sweatlodgeandtraditional
practicescurrentlybeingcarriedout in the backyardof yourhome.

Attachedyou will find the resolutionopposingthe sweatlodgeand nativepracticesfrom the Chiefand

Council.

Shouldyou haveanyquestionsor concerns,

pleasecontacteithermy officeor the officeof the Chief.

yours,
Sincerely

OUJE.BOUCOUMOU NATION
CREE

CorporateSecretary
OUJE-BOUGOUMOU CREE NATION
HeadquartersOlfice
207, OpemiskaMeskino
Ouje-Bougoumou, Quebec Tel.:(418)745-3911
GOw3c0 Fax: (418) 745-3426

OUJE-BOUGOUMOU EENUCHASSOCATION
CHIEF& COUNCIT
MEETING

OEARESOLUTION
NO.: 2010-156

SUBJECT: OFFICIAT
OPPOSITION
OFSWEATTODGE& NATIVESPIRITUAT
PRACTICES

WHEREAS, the Chiefand Councilof the Ouje-BougoumouEenuchAssociationhave met on October27,

28 &29,2010 and havingduly constituteda quorumof the Council,

WHEREAS,a letter signed by a significantnumber of community members, and presented to the

Council,hasexpressedconcernsregardingthe establishmentof a sweat lodgein the communityand the
associatedpracticesthat havebeen carriedout,

WHEREAS,the above-mentionedletter calledfor the dismantlingof the sweat lodgeestablishedin the

community,

WHEREAS,
the Chief& Councilhavecarefullydeliberatedover this importantcommunitymatter,

WHEREAS our Eldersenvisioneda safe home and future of Ouj6-Bougoumou

duringthe planningstages
in the early 1990'sin which the Membersand Leadershipsupported,

WHEREAS
this visionof the Elder'sdid not includeany form of nativespiritualityor practices,

WHEREASon August 24, 2070 at a meeting of the Members of the Ouj6-BougoumouCree Nation
reaffirmedthe VisionStatementthrough resolution,

WHEREAS the VisionStatementrefers to the cultural and traditional practicesthat are known to the
communitythat was sharedby our past and presentelders,which is hunting,trapping,gatheringsand
knowledgein our traditionallanguage,
and,

WHEREASit did do not includethe sweat lodge, pow wow's or any other form of adopted traditional
practicesfrom other FirstNations,

WHEREAS the practiceof the sweat lodgeand its ritualsare not restrictedto merely medicalpursueof
healing,but in essencea way to contactand communicatewith the spiritworld throughshamanism,

WHEREASrecentlya resolutionwas passedat the GCCEI/CRA

Annual GeneralAssemblyregardingthe
Freedomof Religious& Spiritualbeliefs,

WHEREAS the majority of the Ouj6-Bougoumoumembersare Christianfaith-orientedand have strong

Christian
values,
PAGE2
RESOTUTION
SUBJECT: OFFICIAL
OPPOSITION
OFSWEATTODGE
& NATIVE
SPIRITUAT
PRACTICES

THEREFORE
BEIT RESOIVED:

THATthe Councilof the Cree Nation of Ouj6-Bougoumou must exerciseits inherentrights of self-
governmentand self-determination
and will be exercising
it right in governance
to provideservices
solelybasedon communityneedsandcommoninterest

THATthe Councilof the CreeNationof Ouj6-Bougoumou exercises its collective

rightsof the members
who hasexpressedtheirconcernwith the typeof traditionalpracticesbeingdonein the community,

THATthe Councilof the CreeNationof oujd-Bougoumou herebydeclarethat the sweatlodgealong

with anyform of nativespiritualitypracticesand eventssuchas PowWow's,RainDances, et cetera,do
not conformwith the traditional
valuesandteachings of our elders,

THATthe Councilof the CreeNationof Ouj6-Bougoumou,

herebyunanimously declarethat the sweat
lodgein the communityis to be dismantledand removedand that all sweatlodgepracticesin the
communityimmediately cease,

THATthe communitywasfoundedby Christian

faith& valuesof our Eldersandpastleadership,

THATouj6-Bougoumou
will continueto upholditsfaithin,andguidance
by,God.

Proposed
by: ChiefLouise
Wapachee

Seconded
by: GerryBosum

Carried:October29,2OlO

CORPORATE
SECRETARY