Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada developed the Community
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.
well-being “score.” In 2011, 975 communities in Québec were assessed and 36 of the 50 communities with the lowest CWB scores were Aboriginal. Considering only First Nations
The James Bay and Northern Québec Agreement, signed between the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee (James Bay), the Inuit of Nunavik and the governments of Québec and Canada in 1975, unquestionably helped improve living conditions for the beneficiaries of this first major, modern-day land 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.
Half of the Cree population aged 15 and over does not have a high school diploma. There is a high prevalence of health problems such as diabetes. There is a housing shortage. The distribution of wealth remains unequal. The rate of low-income families is nearly three times higher than in Québec as a whole. (Dubuc 2011)
It would therefore be overstating things to claim, as is the deeply ingrained belief, that all’s right with the world in the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee and that every Cree is rich thanks to the agreements signed with the governments. The bulk of the financial compensation received under the agreements goes toward social and economic development in the Cree communities concerned.
Photo credit: Pierre Lepage