On Wednesday, the band council of Wendake will announce in a public council,
the the government of Quebec's proposal concerning the Quarante Arpent land
claim.
The Quarante Arpent was sold illegally (without a referendum) by the
band council chief and by the government of Canada in 1904. On this reserve
near Quebec there were 30 traditional families living on farms. Ten years
ago, some traditional people were successful in being elected to the band
council of chiefs and they then claimed 3 pieces of land taken away from
us in the past years.
The traditional chief of Quarante Arpent was Staniclas Sioui, who
opposed for one year the sale of his reserve by the band council chiefs of
Wendake. Ten years later, the court has recognized that the Quarante Arpent
was sold illegally.
Now the same political council (band council) is re-negotiating the
price for this land. According to some people the government is offering
nine million dollars for this land as compensation for the land we have
lost. Today, Quarante Arpent is occuied by a town called Val Belair near a
Canadian Army base. The traditional people, descendants of these 30 families
are upset to see their grand-father land sold again for money by the same
political structure.
We do not need money; but, we DO need land. The traditional people hope the
band council will keep this in mind.
We are three thousand Huron and the land left to us to live on is about one
mile square. Half of the population has to live outside of the reserve
because of our lack of land.
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NOTE: The above was received from the traditional Wolf clan leader of the
Longhouse in Quebec. - Ishgooda
More news about this will be available as events unfold.