“Where I disagree will the Crees is where the Crees say they could eventually choose or decide that James Bay becomes a Cree country.”
Crees are on their way to getting the reforms they want to policing services.
At least that’s the word from David Cliche, the PQ government’s point man on First Nations issues. In The Nation’s first interview with a PQ official since the Sept. 12 election, Cliche insisted that the new government wants harmony with the First Nations and wants a speedy resolution to the police problem in the Cree communities.
“We hope that this agreement-in-principle will be finalized as soon as possible, and we would hope that this agreement will be signed by the Grand Chief and the Minister for Public Security, Serge Menard, very soon,” said Cliche, who is Premier Jacques Parizeau’s parliamentary secretary on native affairs.
The word at the Grand Council is that the PQ is refusing to sign a policing agreement with the Crees unless Crees promise not to smear Quebec’s image abroad. Grand Council officials also say the PQ wants to turn the signing into a big media event, complete with press conference, in order to bolster its international image.
Cliche was evasive when asked when exactly the agreement would be signed. “Instructions have been given by the minister to his deputy minister to proceed with the finalization of the agreement, and I don’t know how many days this will take.”
The Cree communities have been without outside funds for police since April 1. After talks with the government broke down, most Cree police officers walked off their jobs on Sept. 1.
Cliche also said the police agreement won’t have to go to the cabinet to be approved, a reason the Liberals gave for their
stalling. “As far as I am concerned, it does not have to go to cabinet again,” he said.
Although it is Premier Parizeau who holds the title of Native Affairs Minister, Cliche will be doing the day-to-day work of managing relations with Quebec’s 11 First Nations. “I am the government spokesperson and responsible for native affairs,” he said.
But with Parizeau officially holding the Native Affairs job, native-related business will have top priority in the Quebec cabinet. That might be important in upcoming months as the PQ starts weaving through the often-turbulent waters of Quebec-First Nations relations.
Already, Cliche has filled himself with pro-native thoughts and has flung himself into the job of easing aboriginal peoples’ fears about the PQ and sovereignty. He has spent the last few weeks meeting with the editorial boards of the major Quebec media, promoting his idea of a “new deal” with natives. The meetings bore fruit. “Quebec proposes a new deal to natives,” said the headline above a front-page story in the influential nationalist daily Le Devoir on Oct. 6. Similar stories appeared in other major newspapers.
Cliche has yet to meet with the Crees, but he did say he hopes to in upcoming weeks. “Now is the time to sit down with every one of the native nations and come to an agreement on what self-government is—what powers and authorities will be the ones of the native local governments and what will be the land basis on which those governments will have jurisdiction,” he said.
The “new deal” may also include royalties going to First Nations from development projects on their lands. In the case of James Bay, Cliche hinted that Crees could get royalties from developments on Category II lands, as well as from both public and private development projects. But when pressed for details, all Cliche would say is: “It’s open to discussion.”
He also said Quebec is willing to open up the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, and make amendments that Crees have sought. “I know the Crees have asked in the past years that a review of Section 28, which has to do with economic development, should be undertaken by the government of Quebec and the Crees, and I think we should do that. ”
Asked for his view of the clearcutting and sports hunting in southern Cree areas, Cliche seemed sensitive to Cree concerns. “We’re open to discussing co-management of land and resources. I am fully aware of the major negative impact of clearcutting in the southern part of the James Bay area.
I have flown on several occasions over the territory and I have seen this. And I have heard some trappers describing the very major negative impacts on their way of life and their traplines of forestry,” he said.
But when asked whether Quebec’s forestry policing should be changed, he would only say: “I don’t want to say that now. I think we’re open to sit down with the Crees and talk about co-management. ”
We also discussed the thorny issue of Quebec’s borders and the idea of Crees holding their own referendum on their political future. For Cliche, on this question, well, there’s just no room for manoeuvre. “They have the right to do so [have a referendum], but we believe if the province of Quebec becomes a sovereign state that the land basis of the new Quebec state is the land which is known now as the land and the territory of the province of Quebec. I think we are on very strong political and legal ground on this,” he said.
“Where I disagree with the Crees is where the Crees say they could eventually choose or decide that James Bay becomes a Cree country, and on this I just disagree/’
