If anyone has the right to break up Canada, it’s the First Peoples of this country, says Albert Tenasco, Grand Chief of the Algonquins. “The non-treaty people of Quebec, the Algonquins, should have the main say in which direction this province should go, not the people that came after us,” says Tenasco, a resident of Maniwaki, who represents five of the nine Algonquin First Nations in Quebec. The Nation caught up with Tenasco last week at a meeting in Montreal of Quebec chiefs from the Assembly of First Nations.
What do you consider to be the main issues facing the Algonquin Nation?
Right now, we are looking at land claims. We’ve been at it a few years now and we’re still pushing for it. We’re non-treaty people. We’ve never signed any kind of treaty or agreement with any government.
Do you find any difficulties in dealing with Ottawa or Quebec?
Well, they’re willing to accept our claim. There are always some snags, small minor details that have to be taken care of. But the main issue is the Algonquin Nation has got together to push for the land claims.. We submitted our claim about six years ago. There are matters of occupancy. A mix-up on territory. We are trying to get monies to complete research on this.
Will you be looking at something similar to the James Bay Agreement, geared to the Algonquin culture and needs?
Yes, we do have a different culture and will need a different model. There will be some mistakes made, I know that. If you look at the Attikamik/Montagnais, they’ve been at it for almost 20 years. They’re still negotiating today. After 20 years, can you imagine that? Can you imagine how long it’s going to take us? In another 20 years, will we be still sitting at the table? Twenty years ago we didn’t have this Quebec movement of separation hanging over our heads.
What is your position on separation? Do you think native people have the right to secede if they wish to?
My feeling is always my feeling and I guess I will always feel this way. I think the First Nations of Quebec, they are the ones who should have the main say if anyone’s going to break up the country. We are the first occupants of this country. We’ve signed no agreements and have no treaties. This is what’s left after the James Bay Agreement and at that time there was a lot of lost territory that was Algonquin. That’s in the territory we have in our claims.
My feeling is that we, the non-treaty people of Quebec, the Algonquins, should have the main say in which direction this province should go, not the people that came after us.
