(in Wotanging Ikche, volume 2, issue 17)
> --------- "RE: Meeting with Gilbert Pilot" ---------
>
> Date: Wed Apr 20, 1994 17:56 EDT
> From: J.AUDLIN James D. Audlin (Distant Eagle) <Invisible Band>
> Subj: Meeting with Gilbert Pilot
>
> GE Electronic Mail
>
> O'siyo, folks!
>
> Last night I had dinner with Gilbert Pilot (zhee-BARE pee-YO) and his
> family, and then went with him as he presented a speech in Springfield on
> the subject of the attempts by Hydro-Quebec to build the Sainte-Marguerite
> III (SMIII) Dam in the Innu traditional land of Nitassinan...
I was glad to see the previous posting, especially in light of the recent
agreement between the Uashat/Maliotenam Band Council and Hydro Quebec on
April 14 about the construction of SM3, due to begin soon.
There are however some basic factual errors, and other questionable
assertions to which i would like to add my 2 cents worth. I work with Peace
Brigades International and spent some months up in Sept-Iles at the
invitation of the Coalition for Nitassinan as an international non-partisan
observer, so my agenda is to clarify some of the issues, rather than to take
sides.
First, the number of Innu given of 10 000 - that's for all of Quebec and
Labrador (I have also seen higher numbers). The Innu that live on the
combined reserve of Uashat (the part in Sept-Iles) and Maliotenam are only
about 2,500, split about equally between the two parts. The article implies
that the Band Council was set up by the government as a puppet to push
through their agenda on the dam. Of couse, the Band Council was set up more
than 50 years ago, and while in a general sense the Indian Act can be seen
as a tool of the Canadian government to exploit native lives and lands, in
its current incarnation and practice it is somewhat more complicated, i.e.
not all Band Councils support the Canadian government.
The Coalition itself is not, as implied in the article "traditional" in the
sense of being an organization with a long history, since it's only been
around for about five years. It is "traditional" in the sense of espousing
a return to traditional practices of hunting and fishing, but so do those
who support the dam, just in a different way. I don't find the use of the
word "traditional" to be a useful distinction here, anyway, although
obviously i respect a group's right to call themselves what they wish.
In summary, although i think in a general way much of the contents of the
posting is true, it is quite misleading, particularly in how it frames the
conflict within the Innu community, and does not give enough respect to the
Innu who are opposed to the Coalition (i.e. the Band Council). If any
readers are interested, i'd be happy to send more detailed information about
the situation in Sept-Iles. And I hope all of you who read this will
continue to follow the events sure to unfold in the coming months.