As noted before, the environment is one of the areas of agreement between Quebecers and Aboriginal peoples
There are 11 Aboriginal nations recognized in Québec: Abenaki (Waban-Aki), Algonquin (Anishinabeg), Atikamekw Nehirowisiwok, Cree (Eeyou), Huron-Wendat, Inuit, Maliseet (Wolastoqiyik), Mi’gmaq (Micmac), Mohawk (Kanien’kehá:ka), Innu (Montagnais) and Naskapi. Across Canada, there are nearly sixty Aboriginal nations.
In 1997, the chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations
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.
Environmental Protection: A Shared Concern
The James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement marked the awakening of concern for the environment in Québec.
If, in 10 years, the James Bay territory has become the most studied and best-known region of Québec and Canada, it will largely be because the first environmental groups and the Aboriginal peoples joined forces for the first time in calling for respect for the environment and Aboriginal rightsAboriginal rights. That’s the environmental history of the James Bay region, and it’s pretty much the environmental history of Québec as well.Since 1982, the Canadian Constitution has formally recognized that Aboriginal peoples have special rights because they occupied the territory prior to the arrival of Europeans: this is what is meant by “Aboriginal rights”. In the case of the Cree, Inuit and Naskapi beneficiaries of treaties with the governments of Québec and Canada, they are referred to as “treaty rights and freedoms”, according to Section 35 of the Constitution.
The FNQLSDI started in 2000. Since then, it has made its expertise available to the chiefs of the AFNQL. The FNQLSDI also has a consultant service that supports First Nations communities in the sustainable management of territories and resources as well as in local initiatives.
For the past several years, the FNQLSDI has been invited to participate regularly “as an observer in several tables and committees with a mandate to advise the ministers or their representatives on wildlife conservation and development.” These working groups provide an opportunity for the FNQLSDI to highlight the interests of First Nations on “these issues that they hold particularly close to heart.” (Activity Report 2016-2017, FNQLSDI) The Institute sits on various tables and committees, including the Ouranos Maritime Environment Committee, the steering committee of the Acting on Climate Change: Indigenous Innovations project, the Table nationale de la faune, the salmon and migratory birds tables, and the woodland caribou recovery team. “These meetings are also an opportunity for the FNQLSDI to become aware of the positions and interests of the different actors of the territory on these subjects and thus to assess their possible convergences and divergences with those of the First Nations.” (Idem.)
In Nunavik, the Kativik Environmental Advisory Committee (KEAC) was established in 1978 pursuant to the James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement. It is a tripartite body made up of members appointed by the governments of Canada and Québec and the Kativik Regional Government. The KEAC is a consultative body to responsible governments in matters relating to environmental and social protection in Nunavik and, as such, it is the preferential and official forum for the governments of Canada and Québec, the Kativik Regional Government and the northern villages.
Sustainable Development: Our Common Future
A Lesson Learned from the Brundtland Commission
Tribal and indigenous peoples will need special attention as the forces of economic development disrupt their traditional life-styles – life-styles that can offer modern societies many lessons in the management of resources in complex forest, mountain, and dryland ecosystems. Some are threatened with virtual extinction by insensitive development over which they have no control. Their traditional rights should be recognized and they should be given a decisive voice in formulating policies about resource development in their areas.
Through its five-year action plan, 2015-2020, the KEAC aims to pursue actions related to its concerns regarding, in particular, sustainable development, the safeguarding of biodiversity, climate change and the quality of life of the residents of Nunavik. (KEAC 2015)
In matters of resource development on the traditional territories of Aboriginal peoples, the Supreme Court of Canada has held in a number of decisions (in particular, Haida Nation 2004, Taku River Tlingit First Nation 2004 and Clyde River 2017) that governments and companies have a duty to consult and accommodate Aboriginal claims or Aboriginal and treaty
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.
It goes without saying that these legal developments are a promising way forward for First Peoples, enabling them to play a key role in the use and protection of resources on their lands.
An Innovative Partnership Between Wemotaci and Bionest for Wastewater Treatment
“We want to be first in something positive now. We’ve been first in too many negative things,” said Dany Chilton, from the Atikamekw community
The new product, marketed as KAMAK, an Atikamekw word meaning “living lake,” is the result of a partnership between Bionest, a Québec business specialized in wastewater treatment, and the Atikamekw community of Wemotaci. Bionest describes the advantages of KAMAK as follows:
It’s now the only technology in Canada that combines with existing aerated lagoons, so it saves on infrastructure costs. This innovative and exceptional product was recognized by the Ministry of Environment, Éco Entreprises Québec and the Québec Environment Foundation, which awarded Bionest the Phénix de l’environnement. The KAMAK was also awarded the Gustave Prévost Distinction by Réseau Environnement.
Photo credit: TC Media/Patrick Vaillancourt