"This agreement sets a precedent for relations between First Nations communities and the government in that the community would have a decisive say on the way that their territories were used," explains Martin Lukacs from the Barrière Lake Solidarity committee in Montreal. "Also, this agreement would mean that the community would be given their share of the revenue from the logging industry and resource extraction done on their land."
Canada, as represented by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, unilaterally walked away from this agreement in 2001. The Quebec government has also reneged. The dispute surrounding the groundbreaking 1991 agreement stems from the share of profit revenues from natural resources harvested within the 10,000 square kilometres that the agreement spells out. Today, industrial logging continues within the territory as the small community is stepping up both a grassroots protest campaign
Representatives from Barrière Lake will be travelling to Montreal to stage a protest with supporters outside the offices of Jean Charest on Friday, May 23, at noon at the corner of McGill College and Sherbrooke Street.
Info: Barrière Lake Solidarity at www.barrierelakesolidarity.blogspot.com
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