Gary
The following article is from web!csc@igc.org - Cultural Survival (Canada):
web:csc web.native 6:18 pm Jun 19, 1991
Eve of an Agreement in Barriere Lake
by Dave Good
Cultural Survival (Canada)
On Tuesday, June 18th, 1991 Chief Jean-Maurice Matchewan,
the Quebec Minister of Native Affairs, Christos Sirros, and a
Federal Representative met in Barriere Lake to sign an
undertaking for a trilateral agreement between the Algonquins of
Barriere Lake, the Quebec Government, and the Federal Government.
The terms of the agreement, worked for long and hard by the
Algonquins, recognise that these people have a say in the
land-use management of their traditional home.
The forests of the La Verendrye Wildlife Reserve have long
supplied the Saw Mills and the Pulp and Paper Mills of the
Outaouais Region. A threshold has been reached where the way of
life of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake is threatened, by the
cumulative and ongoing effects of flooding, logging, and over-
exploitation of fish and game by non-natives. The Algonquins of
Barriere Lake, in response, proposed a conservation strategy, in
the spirit of the Brundtland Report, which seeks meaningful
changes to the current land-use practises within La Verendrye.
The communities at Rapid Lake and Barriere Lake continue to
depend on the land for sustenance. Their current land-use
reflects a long history and traditional way of life. The
disturbance and destruction of the natural resources of the area
forced the Algonquins of Barriere Lake to take action. They
mounted peaceful protests, blockaded timber roads, and fought
legal battles and worked to educate the people and governments
to recognise the importance of a conservation strategy for La
Verendrye.
The signing of the undertaking, in the community of Barriere
Lake, is also of great significance. Chief Matchewan never took
any action, or partook in any negotiations, without the full
knowledge and support of the people that he represented. All the
decisions that were made, throughout all the efforts to gain a
say on their traditional lands, were made with the full consent
of the community. Chief Matchewan will now seek ratification
from his community of this undertaking, while Sirros returns to
cabinet for approval. If all goes well there should be a formal
signing of a trilateral agreement a few weeks from now.
At times the prospects seemed very bleak. In March 1990,
throughout Quebec, twenty-five years forestry agreements were
signed between forestry companies and the Quebec Government. This
included La Verendrye. The forestry agreements (Contract
d'Approvisionment d'Amenagement Forestier - CAAF's) for the area
included only a single clause which did not even recognise the
current land-use of the Algonquins. When Mr. Sirros succeeded
Mr. Caccia, as Quebec Minister of Native Affairs, after the Oka
crisis the negotiations slowed while he learned his files. In
January, 1991, Sirros visited Barriere Lake reserve and "agreed-
in-principle" to include current land-use in a trilateral
agreement on a conservation and sustainable development strategy
for the region. In exchange the Algonquins agreed to a smaller
study area for the proposed strategy.
A revision was drafted by the Algonquins and sent to Sirros.
On March 6th, Mr. Sirros met with Chief Matchewan asking him to
drop the revisions. Chief Matchewan was unable to do so without
the consent of his community. All the while the Federal
Government, represented by Louise Deschene from Indian Affairs,
was meeting with the Quebec Deputy Minister of Native Affairs,
Gilles Jolicoeur, and revising the Trilateral Agreement. The
changes were unacceptable to the Algonquins. The negotiations
had broken down.
On May 15th, the Surete du Quebec informed the Algonquins
of Barriere Lake that Canadian Pacific Forest Product Ltd. would
soon begin forestry operations near Barriere Lake. The area
scheduled to be cut included the traditional lands of Lena
Nottaway, a respected Algonquin elder, and her family for
hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering. In support, the
community announced that they would block the destruction of her
territory. The community began to plan for peaceful blockades
and sought the support of other natives and non-natives.
Only in the second week of June did relief come.
Negotiations had resumed. On June 18th, 1991, an undertaking was
signed where two outstanding points, that stopped previous
negotiations, are resolved: (1) The importance of the
traditional way of life of the community within their current
land-use area is recognised; and (2) A mechanism exists for
modifying the twenty-five year Forestry Management Agreements to
include meaningful change to land-use practises in La Verendrye
Wildlife Reserve.
A Steering Committee will be set up, composed of three
special representatives: A rep from Barriere Lake, a rep from
the Quebec Government, and a rep from the Federal Government.
They will oversee the work of a task force on the region, which
will recommend long term changes necessary to promote sustainable
development. This recommendations will be presented when the
existing CAAFs come up for review in 1995.
There is much work ahead. Forestry practises must be
integrated with traditional land-use. The study will seek to
elaborate a rational conservation strategy for the region. In
this the Algonquins can offer a gift to the world. There are
very few places around the globe where people may look and find
sustainable development. We will be able to turn and look to La
Verendrye and the Algonquins of Barriere Lake for a model. There
will be a place to learn how it is done.
Please continue to support the Algonquins of Barriere Lake
in the large task they face. For more information on how you can
help please phone: (613)729-9491 or (613)233-4653.
--
Gary S. Trujillo gst@gnosys.svle.ma.us
Somerville, Massachusetts {wjh12,bu.edu,spdcc,ima,cdp}!gnosys!gst