The same political effervescence as in other well-established organizations can also be seen in tribal councils, such as the Council of the Atikamekw Nation
Nation
A group sharing a common culture, history and language.
, the Mamuitun Tribal Council, the Grand Council of the Waban-Aki Nation, the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat and the Algonquin Anishinabeg Nation Tribal Council. The burden of negotiating land, resource and self-government
self-government
This refers to Aboriginal peoples taking charge of their education, consolidating their political organizations, and negotiating agreements to assume responsibility for health and social services, public safety, economic development and land administration.
issues is at the core of these bodies’ mandates. Sometimes, when negotiations go on forever and the outcome is long in coming, the negotiators and communities involved begin to doubt the process. At a 2014 workshop in Montréal organized by the Centre Justice et Foi, Gilbert Dominique, former chief of the Mashteuiatsh Innu First Nation, reiterated that while he still believed in negotiation process, he also believed that “time is our worst enemy.” He feared that people would lose confidence, which he said damages the credibility of the process. (Centre Justice et Foi 2014)
Constant Awashish is part of the new generation of Indigenous leaders. He holds a law degree and 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.
Photo credit: Jean-Louis Régis
Former chief of Mashteuiatsh Gilbert Dominique in Uashat (Sept-Îles) in 2008.
A term that came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the word “Indian,” which some people found offensive. Among its uses, the term refers to the Status, Non-Status and Treaty Indians of Canada. Some Aboriginal peoples have replaced the word “Band” in the name of their community with the term “First Nation,” respecting their distinct language, culture, heritage and systems of knowledge. Although “First Nation” is widely used, it has no legal definition.
Thus, a person might say that they’re from the Naskapi First Nation of Kawawachikamach, or the Atikamekw First Nation of Manawan, or the Mohawk First Nation of Akwesasne, etc., identifying both the nation to which they belong and their place of origin or residence.
have been negotiating with the governments of Canada and Québec for nearly 40 years in the hope of signing a treaty
treaty
A very old, yet modern way of establishing peaceful relations between peoples and nations.
In Canada, there are two types of treaties with Indigenous peoples: peace and friendship treaties, and land treaties, i.e., those specifically dealing with land and land titles.
The government’s objective with land treaties was to remove obstacles to colonization and to encourage First Nations members to abandon their lands and lifestyles and assimilate.
. At the same 2014 workshop, Eva Ottawa, former Grand Chief of the Council of the Atikamekw Nation, echoed Dominique’s sentiments, saying that she believed in the negotiations with the governments. She repeatedly said that the goal was to establish a framework for harmonious coexistence. But it is by no means an easy process, and Ottawa told the audience that the best way to achieve their goal was to go on the offensive, be proactive. [TRANSLATION] “So that’s what we did. We took action.” She gave the example of the Atikamekw Authority Intervention System, a good example of First Nations governance and autonomy in the area of youth protection and services adapted to Atikamekw culture and realities. (Idem.) In January 2018, the work accomplished by the Atikamekw Nation was recognized through the signing of a youth protection agreement between the Council of the Atikamekw Nation and the Government of Québec. (Québec, Santé et Services sociaux 2018)
