Constant Awashish
First Nations leader
A law graduate, Constant Awashish was elected Grand Chief of the Atikamekw Nation in 2014 and then re-elected in 2018. Days after his election as Grand Chief in 2014, Atikamekw leaders adopted a unilateral declaration of sovereignty over their ancestral territory of Nitaskinan. Lengthy and stalled negotiations with the governments of Québec and Canada to conclude an agreement or treaty with the Atikamekw Nation were a major factor in the affirmation of sovereignty. Any future development, use or exploitation of resources found on their ancestral lands will require the Atikamekw Nation’s consent.
