Cree drummers gathered in a circle to pound out a traditional beat in Quebec’s National Assembly July 24 to mark the historic signing of the Agreement on Governance in Eeyou Istchee James Bay Territory between the Crees and the Province of Quebec.
Members of the Grand Council of the Crees, including Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come, Deputy Grand Chief Ashley Iserhoff, Quebec-Cree Negotiator Able Bosum as well as Abitibi-Baie-James-Nunavik-Eeyou MP Romeo Saganash sat alongside members of the National Assembly for the ceremony.
The new Agreement was the product of over two years of negotiations between the province and the Crees. It was driven by Quebec’s need to clear away obstacles to the ambitious development plans under the Plan Nord.
The 48-page Agreement will see responsibility restored to the Crees over category Category I, II and III lands, particularly when it comes to land management and control over natural resources.
While provisions for the Crees had been made within the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, the adoption of Bill 40 in 2001 severely weakened Cree jurisdiction over these lands, while placing it in the hands of non-Native populations to the south.
Not only will the vast Municipalité de Baie James be abolished through this Agreement, a new regional government will be created in its wake that will consist of both Crees and Jamiesians sharing equal votes and powers.
The Agreement will also give the Crees exclusive jurisdiction over hydro-electric projects of 50 MW or less and wind projects within certain areas of the territory.
“I hope that this Agreement will have the same quality of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, as I want to repeat today, it is a living document, and should be recognized as a living document, able to evolve, change and adapt to circumstances,” commented Quebec Premier Jean Charest commented, “I said to the Grand Chief Coon Come earlier this morning that he and I and all of us should be able to devise Agreements able to incorporate and to adapt to circumstances that none of us will have imagined on this day but that our children and grandchildren may face.”
Cree Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come observed, “The unifying element of our governance initiatives is that we are now capable of relying on the land, as we have always done, for our future subsistence and well-being.
“We are also assured of the opportunity to put our common desire into practice for sustainable and orderly development for the benefit of all people in our region – Crees and James Bay residents – and ultimately for all Quebecers,” Coon Come added.
The Grand Chief went on to say that the signing between the Crees and the province was not only a contribution to the history of Quebec but also to the history of Aboriginal peoples in Canada. That it has aligned the great forces of history with the principles of human rights, inclusion, social justice, and harmony and this would be something that not only the Cree Nation but all of Quebec and perhaps Canada would benefit from an unshakable commitment to these principles.
Also attending the signing was Native Affairs Geoffrey Kelley, who stated, “This has considerably changed our negotiation processes and will ensure more positive, equal, and constructive relations. This new structure illustrates the Government of Quebec’s openness, attentiveness, and good faith. It speaks of a new era: one of cooperation in which other profound changes can occur faster.”
