The People of the Kattawapiskak River

Plywood walls. Unsanitary drainage systems. No water, no electricity. Outside, the temperature can reach minus-50, a cold beyond bitter. This is Attawapiskat, a Cree reserve on the subarctic western shore of James Bay. In the 1970s, the community was home to 600 people; today, there are nearly three times as many residents, adding new layers of complexity to already serious housing and public health problems. In October 2011, chief Theresa Spence was forced to declare a state of emergency.