The Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke is pleased to inform the community that the Quebec Government passed a decree on Wednesday, May 15th to officially transfer 500 acres of land to the Territory of Kahnawà:ke. The transfer is in exchange for lands taken for the expansion of Highway 30 in 2008 within the Seigneury of Sault St. Louis land grievance.

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo says the Statistics Canada data released today from the 2011 National Household Survey (NHS) underscores the importance of investing in potential and opportunity of First Nations in Canada. “While we have concerns about the new process for collecting information, the results released today further highlight the importance of First Nations as one of the fastest growing and youngest population, and as drivers of and partners to economic development,” said AFN National Chief Shawn Atleo

 

Quebec Native Women (QNW) would like to reiterate its opposition to Bill S-2: Family Homes on Reserves & Matrimonial Interests or Rights Act as it does not adequately respond to all our concerns we presented on many occasions during the consultation process. This is the government’s fourth attempt to address the lack of legislation on this matter which has fallen short to respond to the demands of Aboriginal women’s associations. The Bill has recently been referred to examination under the Standing Committee on the Status of Women.

Assembled in the Abenaki community of Odanak on March 13 2013, the Chiefs of the AFNQL adopted a resolution which strongly and definitively opposes the exploration and exploitation of uranium. "The exploration and exploitation of uranium constitute major and irreversible health hazards to our populations, our territories and the resources it contains. The First Nations have the most sacred duty to protect their populations, their territories and their resources", stated Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL.

The James Bay Cree Nation welcomes the Government of Quebec’s decision to impose a moratorium on uranium exploration and mining activities in Eeyou Istchee and in Quebec. However, the Cree Nation calls on the Government of Quebec to ensure that the Commission concerning the uranium industry in Quebec properly respects Cree rights and the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA).

The Chiefs of the AFNQL reaffirmed in a concerted, loud, and clear voice, their opposition to the proposed federal legislation regulating First Nation education, despite threats of retaliation from the federal government representatives.

"In response to the critical situation of our youths' education, all the government has to offer is a draft legislation that solves nothing and through which it hopes to shirk its responsibilities. It is totally unacceptable and irresponsible", denounces the Chief of the AFNQL, Ghislain Picard.

Dear Mayor Ruest,
The Cree Nation of Mistissini would like to thank you for your important initiative to adopt a strong resolution against uranium development and your invitation to municipalities across Quebec to consider similar resolutions. I know, so far, over 200 Quebec municipalities have answered this call.

Two years to the day following the Fukushima disaster in Japan, First Nations, municipalities and Citizen groups unite their voices, asking the Quebec government to announce a moratorium on uranium mines. They also ask the Government to quickly act on its promise to hold a generic environmental evaluation on uranium in Quebec.

The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) today called on the Marois government to move forward with its plan to convene an independent evaluation of the uranium industry in Quebec. Poll results released today by the Canadian Boreal Initiative (CBI) confirm that a very strong majority of Quebecers are in favour of such an evaluation being held before any uranium projects are authorized in Quebec.