This, without question, is a book that every Cree should have as required reading in school. If you have ever had a question on what, why or how Native people should look at themselves in terms of the Quebec sovereignty question, then this is it.
This is the Everest that Bouchard and Company will have to climb. It is clear and concise on what the position and logic of the Crees are in relation to the question. While the Fed’s and PQists talk about hypothetical questions, the Crees surge ahead and look at them realistically. The Grand Council of the Crees and the Cree leadership look at the local, provincial, federal and international implications of the desires of the Parti Québécois. They look at them from a legal viewpoint as well as a moral viewpoint.
Never Without Consent also looks at the attitudes of the sovereignists and the resulting fears of Native people that force would be used to include in an independent Quebec. The book is a shorter, more readable version of Sovereign Injustice, which the Grand Council put out in 1995. When that book came out, some journalists attending the press conference described it as a “war manifesto.”
As Never Without Consent points out, “This suggests the extraordinary atmosphere in the province: Even when we Crees pursue our aims by exercising all the instruments of democratic debate – books, studies, referendums, for example -as we have done for many years, we are attacked for being belligerent and warlike. It is strange to point out that books and democratic votes are the antithesis of war.”
Within the book, the words echo the words of many of the Cree leadership when they say, “Let us repeat: we Crees have never been and are not secessionists. There is no Cree independence movement, and we are not looking to secede in the present context. Actually we are looking to retain and strengthen our links with Canada and Quebec. We do, however, reserve our right to secede if we are forced into a secessionist Quebec.”
Therein lies the problem for an independent Quebec. The Natives want the devil they know, not the one they don’t know. At the launching of the book in Montreal earlier this month, Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come said if Crees were forced into an independent Quebec against their will they would become “Quebec’s Quebec.” Indeed, this is the basis for many of the arguments. The Crees use Quebec’s argument for sovereignty against them, claiming there is a double standard when you say, “Do as I say, not as I do.”
The book disagrees with the sovereigntist claim that force isn’t implied in Quebec’s“effective control” in its perceived territory. The book points past Oka to the riotpolice flown into Inuit territory to put down a difference in language and the raid on
Restigoush’s fishing nets.
Cree leadership felt “we Crees have been described as warlike and hostile,” according to the book. They talk about Great Whale, saying that they were accused of waging “judicial guerilla warfare.” When Coon Come announced 96 per cent of Crees voted not to be separated from Canada without our consent, a journalist asked, “Mr. Coon Come, is this a declaration of war?”
The book also talks about the desires of the Crees, the illogic and double standards of the sovereign desires of the Parti Québécois, the legality of secession both under Canadian and international law, the unilateral imposition of Quebec territorial integrity, the effects secession would have on the JBNQA, the lack of informed discussion in Quebec, the limitations of any Quebec referendum, the fiduciary responsibilities of Canada and
Quebec to the Aboriginal peoples, and many other subjects of interest to any Native person living in Quebec.
Grand Chief Coon Come promised Cree schools would be getting copies for their use. I would recommend all try to read this book. At times it is a little dry, but always interesting.
All in all this book looks at the questions both the federal and provincial governments refused to even consider, as they were “hypothetical.” It is good to see that someone had. Unfortunately, .his book is only available in English, but Coon Come said a French version is possible if there is enough demand. I would recommend that francophones out there create a demand. It would give a clear insight into the Crees and how they view secession.
Never Without Consent can be bought at any book store or you can order it by callingGeneral Distribution Services toll-free at 1-800-387-0141 (Quebec and Ontario),1-800-387-0172 (all other provinces) or fax: 416-445-5967.
Cost is $21.95 and the ISBN number is 1-55022-301-1.
But hurry. Only 5,000 copies were printed.
