Algonquins of Barriere Lake
Rapid Lake Indian Reserve, Quebec
J0W 2C0
Phone: (819)824-1734
PRESS STATEMENT
BY CHIEF MATCHEWAN
Ottawa, May 23, 1991 -- We have not run out of patience, but we
are running out of time. The Surete du Quebec visited our
community last week and informed us that C.P. Forest Products
intends to begin clear-cutting operations within our traditional
lands on May 27, 1991. The area that is scheduled to be cut
includes that which is used by Lena Nottoway for hunting,
fishing, trapping and gathering.
Lena Nottoway is a most respected Algonquin elder. She is the
mother of 15, grandmother of 50 and great-grandmother of 40. She
has lived on the land for 78 years and depended upon it for her
survival. To her credit, she still uses and respects the land.
We are here today to announce that we are going to fully support
Lena Nottoway. We are going to block any effort by C.P. Forest
Products to destroy her territory.
We are also here to announce that this does not have to come to
a confrontation. We have negotiated in good faith with Quebec
and the Federal Government for at least two years to try to come
to an agreement on developing a conservation strategy for the
area we use and occupy for our traditional activities. Never
have we said that we want to exclude all logging. We just want
to make sure that our way of life and land uses are also
respected.
We have been through three Quebec Ministers and three Federal
Ministers of Native Affairs in our negotiation efforts. At times
we have come very close to agreement. There are only several
issues which remain outstanding. A major issue is the
inflexibility of the 25-year forestry agreements (CAAFs) covering
the area.
Another major issue involves the lack of recognition for our
land-use activities in the agreement and the current land-use
area over which we practice these activities. The Quebec
Minister of Native Affairs has refused to budge on these issues.
However, Mr. Sirros did communicate with us in writing last week
that he would like to resume discussions. We are fully prepared,
as we have always been, to talk, however we think it may be
useful to introduce an independent facilitator or mediator into
the talks at this time. The Quebec Chiefs, in assembly last
week, endorsed this proposal by resolution.
We are communicating this proposal to Premier Bourrassa's office
directly, asking him to intervene in order to avert a
confrontation. We are also putting the Federal Minister of
Indian Affairs, Tom Siddon, on notice.
For more information contact: Veronique Thusky or Russell Diabo
at 613-729-9491
BRIEFING NOTE ON THE SITUATION OF THE
ALGONQUINS OF BARRIERE LAKE
MAY 23, 1991
1. Since 1988 this Community of 450 people has been trying to
negotiate with the governments of Quebec and Canada for the
development and implementation of a Conservation/Sustainable
Development Strategy in order to balance the uses of Natural
Resources in the geographic area in Quebec now known as the La
Verendrye Wildlife Reserve (13,610 sq. km.). Over 50% of the
Wildlife Reserve has already been either clear-cut or
partial-cut. It was also flooded in the 1920's with the
construction of two huge storage reservoirs, the Cabonga and
Dozois. Also over the past few decades non-native exploitation
of fish and game has increased resulting in the depletion of fish
and game in the area.
2. The cumulative effects of flooding, clear-cut logging and
over-exploitation of fish and game by non-natives has caused
a situation whereby the Algonquins of Barriere Lake feel
that a threshold has been reached and that the current and
on-going effects of these resource activities are now
threatening their livelihood and way of life.
3. With 95% unemployment and only a 59 acre Indian Reserve at
Rapid Lake, the Barriere Lake Community is virtually outside
of the wage economy. They do not benefit from the forestry
or tourism economic activities in the Outouais and Abitibi
regions. Yet, as permanent residents and land-users they
receive the direct social, economic and environmental
impacts.
4. Faced with the disturbance and destruction of the natural
resources that they have depended on for centuries, the
Algonquins of Barriere Lake took action for the future of
their community and their children. In 1988, they began in
earnest, a peaceful non-violent protest on Parliament Hill
in Ottawa. They set up tents which were removed almost
immediately by the R.C.M.P., 18 charges are still
outstanding under the Public Nuisance Regulations. In their
defense the Algonquins assert that Parliament Hill is still
unsurrendered Algonquin Territory. The result of this
protest was an agreement-in-principle for their proposed
conservation strategy, by the Government of Canada through
Bernard Valcourt, then Minister of State for Indian Affairs.
5. Having received support for their conservation strategy from
the federal government the Algonquins of Barriere Lake
turned their attention to the Government of Quebec. It was
not until, September 1989 that the community met with
Quebec's Native Affairs Minister Raymond Savoie, after the
community had peacefully blocked 6 new logging roads in
their hunting territory. This began negotiations with the
Quebec Government on the conservation strategy, at the same
time Quebec was negotiating 25 year Forestry Agreements with
forestry companies in Barriere Lake's land-use area.
Canadian Pacific Forest Products withdrew a court injunction
they had against the community. However, the community
blockades remained in place.
6. In 1989, shortly after the Quebec election, Mr. Savoie was
replaced by John Ciaccia as the Minister Responsible for
Native Affairs. In December 1989, Mr. Ciaccia, along with
Mr. Albert Cote, Quebec's Forests Minister, assured Chief
Matchewan that a series of clauses taking into account
Barriere Lake's concerns would be negotiated with Barriere
Lake in the 25 year Forest Management Agreements (Contract
d'Approvisionment d'management Forestier - CAAFs). But in
February 1990 Chief Matchewan was informed by a letter from
Albert Cote, Forests Minister, that they had inserted A
SINGLE CLAUSE in the CAAFs located in Barriere Lake's area.
The content of this single clause was not officially
revealed to Barriere Lake until March 1991, 1 year after the
CAAF's were signed with the Forestry companies. This clause
is inadequate to accommodate Barriere Lake's proposed
conservation strategy.
7. In March 1990, Barriere Lake initiated a legal action for
an interim injunction to stop Albert Cote from issuing,
signing or registering the CAAF's in Forestry Management
Units 73 & 74 which apply to the community's land-use area.
Judge Orville Fernette held that the action was "premature"
and further that although Barriere Lake did not present an
aboriginal rights argument, that if they did, they don't
have any aboriginal rights in Quebec anyway. With no relief
from the Quebec courts the community continued their
peaceful protest by blocking logging until a formal written
agreement was reached between themselves and the Governments
of Quebec and Canada.
8. Following the events in Quebec during the summer of 1990,
Mr. Ciaccia was replaced by Christos Sirros as the Quebec
Minister of Native Affairs. Negotiations on Barriere Lake's
conservation strategy were slow during the fall of 1990 as
Mr. Sirros learned his files. In January 1991, Mr. Sirros
visited the Barriere Lake reserve and "agreed-in-principle"
that the results of the studies provided for in the draft
Trilateral Agreement would apply to the Community's current
land-use area. In exchange the community agreed to a
smaller "study area" for the "study-recommendation process"
intended by the draft Trilateral Agreement.
9. On February 19th, 1991 Barriere Lake sent a revised draft
Trilateral Agreement (ABL Version 19/02/91) to Mr. Sirros
for their consideration, there was no response. Instead,
Mr. Sirros asked Chief Matchewan to meet him in Val d'Or on
March 6, 1991, without any advisors. At this meeting Mr.
Sirros attempted to get Chief Matchewan to drop his demand
that the results of the studies should apply to Barriere
Lake's current land-use area, the Chief responded that only
his community could give an answer. While Chief Matchewan
was meeting in Val D'Or with Mr. Sirros, Ms. Louise
Deshenes, a federal Indian Affairs official, was meeting
with Mr. Gilles Jolicoeur, Quebec's Deputy Minister of
Native Affairs, to revise the Trilateral Agreement, the
re-draft was received by Barriere Lake on March 7th, 1991.
10. Chief Matchewan's response to Mr. Sirros was that several
of the federal changes were unacceptable. Mr. Sirros
replied that the Chief should forget about the version of
the Trilateral Agreement with the federal changes and that
the S.A.A. Version 13/02/91 of the draft Trilateral
Agreement was then to be the Government of Quebec's final
offer. Mr. Sirros then indicated Chief Matchewan should
sign the agreement "as is".
11. On April 3, 1991 Chief Matchewan held a press conference to
announce that negotiations on the Trilateral Agreement with
the Government of Quebec had "broken down" on 2 outstanding
points:
1. It fails to recognize the importance
of the traditional way of life of
our community within our current
land-use area, and;
2. There is no mechanism for modifying
the 25 year Forestry Management
Agreements, which thereby constrain
our efforts to make any meaningful
changes to land use practices in La
Verendrye Wildlife Reserve.
12. Mr. Sirros held a press conference on April 16, 1991 to ask
the Algonquins of Barriere Lake to sign the draft Trilateral
Agreement (S.A.A. Version 13/02/91). Mr. Sirros stated that
"There can be no further negotiations".
13. During a meeting of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec
and Labrador held in Val d'Or, May 14 - 16, 1991, Chief
Matchewan and Mr. Sirros met briefly on May 14, 1991, Mr.
Sirros indicated that he might be prepared to review the
outstanding issues that Barriere Lake has raised as
obstacles to their signing the draft Trilateral Agreement.
14. On May 15, 1991, while Chief Matchewan was attending the
Quebec Chiefs' Meeting in Val d'Or, Mr. Andre Champagne of
the Surete du Quebec met with Michel Thusky, the community
administrator at Rapid Lake. Mr. Champagne informed Mr.
Thusky that Canadian Pacific Forests Products was going to
begin forestry operations near Barriere Lake on May 27th,
1991. This information was transmitted to Chief Matchewan
in Val d'Or, who then informed the Chiefs in Assembly.
15. On May 16, 1991, the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and
Labrador passed a resolution of support for the Algonquins
of Barriere Lake which stipulated that the Chiefs in
Assembly:
1. Support the struggle of the Algonquins of Barriere
Lake to protect their lands and way of life.
2. Condemn the plans by CP Forest Products and other
logging companies to proceed to cutting operations
within lands used by the Algonquins of Barriere
Lake prior to the completion of a trilateral
agreement between Canada, Quebec and the Algonquins
of Barriere Lake.
3. Condemn any proposed police action by the S.Q. in
support of C.P. Forest Products or any other
logging companies seeking to operate within the
lands used by the Algonquins of Barriere Lake.
4. Support the efforts of the Algonquins of Barriere
Lake to develop and implement a conservation
strategy and urge Quebec to return immediately to
negotiations with the Algonquins of Barriere Lake
in order to come to an early agreement.
5. Propose the appointment of an independent mediator
agreeable to Quebec and the Algonquins of Barriere
Lake to mediate outstanding issues in the
negotiations between Quebec and the Algonquins of
Barriere Lake in the event the said parties are
unable to come to an early resolution.
16. On May 17, 1991, Christos Sirros sent a letter to Chief
Matchewan which stated that he wants to meet with the Chief
within the next two weeks. The Community wants this meeting
to occur within their territory.
17. After two days of meetings, the Barriere Lake Community has
confirmed that they will be barring forestry operations from
their land-use area until the Trilateral Agreement is
finalized between the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, the
Government of Quebec and the Government of Canada. This
must include an "interim arrangement" until all the
necessary studies are complete to modify the 25 year
Forestry Agreements (CAAFs).
18. This situation has the potential to become a national issue.
Their intent is to maintain non-violent resistance to
logging until an agreement is reached. There is support
from Native and non-Natives from across Canada. There is
still time to avoid confrontation. The Community awaits
negotiations to begin again with the governments.