NationTalk: MOOSE FACTORY, ON, March 7, 2023 – On March 7, 2023, in Moose Factory, Ontario, an Opening Ceremony will take place to mark the beginning of a year-long celebration featuring our Cree culture and heritage and commemorating “More than 350 Years in the Making.”

Established as Moose Fort in 1673, on a much older Cree gathering site, Moose Factory is Canada’s oldest continuous hub of Indigenous-European relations and intermarriage and a national historic site. The significance of the years 1673 to 2023, extends well beyond the establishment of a fur-trade post on Moose Factory Island.  It presents an opportunity to explore the broader and deeper history of the James Bay region, with emphasis on the heritage of hospitality and reciprocity that has seen the Moose Cree First Nation, the MoCreebec Eeyoud, and diverse Indigenous and European peoples living together in the region as friends and family for centuries. Our motto is Šawelihcikewin – translated as “receiving with gratitude with a desire to give back”.

The “More than 350” is led by the Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association (MRHHA) and the Moose Cree First Nation – the lead co-founding jurisdictional member of MRHHA – along with our partners MoCreebec Eeyoud, and the Town of Moosonee. The MRHHA has assembled many partners inside our region and beyond. Our events are taking place on location at Moose Factory and Moosonee, Ontario, and virtually by Facebook live stream.

Our events will feature music, entertainment, feasts, and workshops that are focused on reclaiming our culture, language, and heritage. An international Knowledge Keepers Conference will take place in the fall following on our annual Gathering of our People. This year of celebrations offers significant opportunities to further our community and economic development and for reconciliation in and beyond our region. We are now “Building a Future with our Shared Past.”

For further information: For interviews and more information about the “More than 350” events, please contact:

Cecil Chabot, Executive Director, Moose River Heritage and Hospitality Association, 613-894-6283, cecilchabot@mrhha.ca, www.mrhha.ca/morethan350;

Stan Kapashesit, Director of Economic Development, Moose Cree First Nation, 705-658-4619, ext. 231, stan.kapashesit@moosecree.com, www.moosecree.com