Who we are

My name is Nick Wapachee. I’m an East Cree living in Toronto. I have a Cree language podcast. I’m a multimedia journalist, reporting in Cree and English.

I’m giving back to my community by creating this Cree podcast, making sure our language is preserved and maintained by a Cree speaker.

My ultimate goal is to be successful in bringing the Cree Nation together and to get them to speak their language for future generations.

I grew up in a small community called Nemaska. We are about 800 Cree speaking people living and breathing the knowledge of our Elders.

The coverage in Eeyou Istchee region is very little, Canadians may not see what I see and the rich stories they bring but I want to channel the stories of my elders, youth, men and women using our language.

In Eeyou Istchee Vision Statement (What we aspire to be)

The In Eeyou Istchee podcast builds an online Cree community. It engages and grows with the community by providing the highest quality content that gathers thoughts, ideas and sounds about Cree affairs.

The interest is in the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee, which is located in northern Quebec. It is speaking with individuals in their community. The language has some similarities with other nations, which means the podcast can extend to the Innu and Atikamekw communities.

The podcast series will expand to a dedicated Cree listener base who will embrace and support In Eeyou Istchee because they feel their lives are enriched, entertained and improved.

In Eeyou Istchee Mission Statement (How we achieve our vision) 

In Eeyou Istchee’s mission is to strengthen and enrich the Cree communities with a podcast that is real, fresh, and promotes Cree diversity, respect, and freedom of expression.

In Eeyou Istchee is a podcast series hosted and produced by Nick Wapachee, with help from Amanda Quinn.

Map of Iiyiyuuschii (Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee)

We are East Cree, also known as James Bay Cree. We are about 18,000 Cree speakers still practicing our traditions and way of life. We are governed by the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement under the Cree Nation Government and a New Relationship Agreement with the Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada.

The Cree Nation consists of nine communities with two spoken dialects: Coastal and Inland. The northern Coastal dialect communities include Whapmagoostui, Chisasibi and Wemindji. The southern Coastal include Eastmain, Nemaska and Waskaganish. The southern Inland dialect include Mistissini, Oujé-Bougoumou and Waswanipi.