The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL) announced Thursday the creation of an Office of Self-Determination and Self-Government, as part of a strategy to ensure these rights.
The Office will be used to pool the resources and expertise of the various Nations, but also to conduct research on issues related to self-determination. A strategic and media watch will also be done on this subject.
“I would like to remind you of the obvious: that the First Nations are distinct peoples with fundamental rights, including the right to self-determination and self-government,” said AFNQL Chief Ghislain Picard on Thursday. accompanied by the Chiefs of the Nations of the AFNQL, during a press conference in Montreal.
He added that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which was adopted in June 2021 by the Canadian Parliament, recognizes this fact. In 2019, the National Assembly unanimously adopted a motion asking the government “to recognize the principles and commit to negotiating the implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples with First Nations and the Inuit”.
“I want to make it clear that exercising this right to self-determination is not an action against Quebecers and Canadians. It is rather an action taken by and for our Nations and our communities, mentioned Chief Picard. This is a legitimate assumption of the responsibilities that are attributable to us as elected officials and governments of our Nations. »
From government to government
“Historically, what has happened very often is that we have been legislated about us, we have been considered subordinates, that we were not equal, but this era is coming to an end”, commented the Grand Chief of Kahnawake, Kahsennehawe Sky-Deer, during the conference. “We need to move beyond structures like the Indian Act and other colonial laws that affected our peoples. »
“We are going to stand up before the colonial governments, who would prefer to see us sit in silence,” said Chief Picard, as the Chiefs of the AFNQL Nations stood behind him.
He recalled that Indigenous decision-making bodies are not simply members of the civil community, but independent governments in their own right.
Despite this, “governments [du Québec et du Canada] no longer leave us a choice: too many decisions come from a paternalistic ideology that we thought was over,” he argued.
He thus referred to several points of tension that have accumulated over the past few years, in particular the choice of Quebec to challenge before the courts federal law C-92, which recognizes the authority of the Aboriginal peoples with regard to their services. in childhood. Quebec argues that C-92 encroaches on provincial jurisdictions.
Chief Picard also deplored a lack of listening on the part of the provincial government. “We have lent ourselves to the exercise that has been regularly offered to us, to propose solutions, in particular to propose amendments to key bills” which could have consequences on First Nations communities, he said. said. “And we find that the door, contrary to what we would have expected, is far from open and is even completely closed. »
He cited Bill 15 on youth protection, Bill 96 on the French language, as well as “the notion of cultural security, which has been the subject of numerous recommendations”.