As discussions get under way with Quebec over hydro projects and Cree rights, some readers may be wondering about where Quebec is coming from. What does the government want?

In public, Premier Bouchard and Hydro-Quebec promise a new era of openness toward Crees. But what are their true plans?

Talks have been going on and on for years with the Crees’ neighbours, the Innu and the Inuit. What have we learned about Quebec from them?

According to the Innu, the government holds a view of Native people that seems straight out of the 18th century. Quebec’s line is unchanged for the last 20 years: Natives did not exist as peoples before the Quebec government or people arrived.

Do not adjust your set. Yes, you heard right. “They’re not willing to recognize that the right to Native self-rule comes from the fact that we existed before,” said Armand MacKenzie, spokesman for the Innu.

“I know, it’s stupid. But at the bottom of it, that’s what it means. They don’t recognize that indigenous peoples of this province were here before the people and government of Quebec,” said MacKenzie, who is a lawyer for four Innu communities.

The Innu have been in negotiations with Quebec on a self-government treaty since 1977, 20 long years, with no results.

MacKenzie says the Innu could sign many deals with Quebec this moment if only they would give in on this fundamental principle: their inherent right as Natives.

Quebec’s solution is to offer the Innu a few extra powers, but treat them basically like any other municipality in the province. Quebec is unwilling to « say these powers come from any unique right that Natives may have.

MacKenzie points out: “Where does this right come from? The right comes from the fact that we were sovereign before Quebec. But Quebec doesn’t want to recognize this. They don’t recognize Natives is what this means. It means Quebec is the almighty.”

MacKenzie finds the government’s views strange given its sovereignty agenda. “They claim they have a right to self-determination, they have an inherent right, but at the same time they are denying this right to people who were there before the Quebec people.”

So what’s happening with the Inuit of Nunavik? Like the Crees, the Inuit saw Premier Bouchard paying a visit to one of their communities recently. A spokesman for the Inuit said Bouchard expressed “a lot of goodwill” during his trip in September. He promised to meet with the Inuit soon to restart talks on self-government.

Well, the Inuit are still waiting. They expected the meeting sometime in October, but November is almost over and still no meeting. The self-government talks were put on hold more than two years ago before the 1995 referendum on sovereignty.

The Inuit of Quebec saw all the attention that was given to Inuit self-government in the NWT, which led to the creation of Nunavut, Canada’s third territory. They wonder why the Quebec Inuit don’t receive the same treatment.

Makivik Corp. says there’s no reason the Quebec Inuit shouldn’t have a government commission devoted to their issues, like in Nunavut. So far, nothing like that is on the table… There isn’t even a table!