When Matthew Mukash got the news that he had been elected to another term as Chief, he was waiting by the Great Whale River. The continuation of the fight against Hydro-Quebec’s proposed Great Whale River Project was one of his main platforms in seeking re-election.
The election saw more people turning out than usual to vote, with over 80 per cent voting for him. The first thing Matthew did was hurry home to tell his wife the good news. He was too late; the phone beat him to it. The phone would ring on until two in the morning with congratulations.
The Nation: How did feel when you won?
Chief Matthew Mukash: It wasn’t winning that surprised me but the number of people who turned out to vote. Usually in the past not very many people turned out to. Sometimes we had barely 50 per cent of the people voting. This election, though, we had over 75 per cent. I’m happy when you see this many people who are concerned about the community’s future.
What is the biggest challenge you face?
Well, I think the message here is that the people want to continue to fight against the Great Whale Project. The main parts of my platform were the fight and also that I would work with the other leaders to protect Cree rights. There is the question of possible Quebec separation that we have to address. The message I and the community bring to the table is that we will continue to fight for the rights of the Cree Nation.
Do you think Hydro-Quebec could go ahead and build the Great Whale Project without the agreement of both the Inuit and the Crees?
No, I don’t think they can. The main impacts will be on Cree Territory. It is within the boundaries of where the traplines are. I don’t think they can go ahead without the consent of the Crees. I can’t speak on behalf of the other nations involved, but I feel they have a right of veto also.
Were you disappointed when Makivik signed the agreement in principle with Hydro-Quebec?
It was expected. We knew it was coming. The fact is there is over a year to discuss the final agreement. With what is going to happen in the next year with the provincial elections and the question of Quebec sovereignty, the true colours of Quebec are coming out, the colours of the Parti Québécois. Already I’m hearing that the Inuit are not to crazy about the PQ. That might have an impact on the final decision of the Inuit.
Do you believe that the Crees and the Inuit have the same right to self-determination as Quebec does?
Yes, I do. I think the Crees and the Inuit as aboriginal people were always recognized as nations under international law, by the Quebec National Assembly and the federal government of Canada. There is no doubt we have the same rights.
What about the possibility of Quebec seceding? Is your band council preparing to deal with that possibility?
First of all we have to hear from the Grand Council of the Crees and how they view it. There would have to be a lot of consultation. The Cree communities would have to be consulted before anyone can decide on this issue. In this community, we are talking about it and a lot of people are saying we should go all the way to try to protect our rights.
How do you see your community progressing in the next while?
Well, we can’t always count on handouts from the government. People here, we’ve decide we are going to revive our culture. And we are going to use a lot of the values that have been handed down from generation to generation—teaching people and learning how to be independent again. You know out here there is still a lot of game and a lot of resources that our ancestors depended upon; they are out here, right at our doorstep. And a lot of people are talking about it and I think you are going to see a lot people going back to the land. That’s been happening over the last five years. More and more people are going back to the land. And there’s also a movement on spiritual development. Understanding where our place is in nature—God’s creation. So that’s a big step.
Does your community economics include eco-tourism, like white water rafting and stuff like that?
There is already a white water rafting enterprise set up at the local level. When comes down to economic development we haven’t decided, we’re studying some possibilities—tourism and so forth. But we are also examining the impacts of those industries on other aboriginal people.
Before we go anywhere, first we have to understand what our culture is all about. There’s a lot of values that have been lost over a couple of centuries. People here are talking about reviving those cultural values and making a living out on the land. If a person cannot find a job to support their family in town, there is no reason why they can’t go out their on the land and do as other Cree people do here.
When you talk of the spiritual development and cultural revival, will these be topics for this year’s Cree Nation Gathering in August?
I’ve already talked about it with other leaders, some of the other chiefs. There is a lot of what I think is confusion—confusion within the Cree Nation on spirituality. The Pentecostals are saying our way is the only way. The Anglicans are saying something else, the Catholics are saying something else.
Those who follow native spirituality seem to understand what spirituality is all about. And I find that the traditional spirituality is more open-minded. Like we’re more open to people, people’s ideas on spirituality.
What I think, for me, is that if you want to understand where your place is in the world today, you have to understand first who are you, where you came from. What is your relationship with God—the Creator and his Creation.
I think a lot of native people today have lost that and that’s how come we’re all in this mess in the communities—a lot of alcoholism, abuse and all that. But for us, you know the way is to understand first our relationship with the Creator.
That’s what we are doing. That’s the agenda for the new council, to explore these things.
Will this be in consultation with the Elders who remember those traditions?
Over the last two years there has been some research done on the knowledge of the Elders. There’s a lot of their ideas on record. We’ve taken interviews and transcribed some of those. But we know you just can’t do that; you have to go out there. You have to experience what life is all about in the bush to fully understand it. The problem we face today is the impact of living in an organized community. The characteristics of the community don’t allow teaching traditional knowledge.
Is there anything else you want to add?
Yes, we at Whapmagoostui are really serious in continuing to fight the project. Most Crees are aware of the project. There’s so much, I don’t know, people have fear about this whole thing. When you hear talk about Quebec separation and what members of the Parti Quebecois are saying. They’re saying they are going to use the army and the police to control the aboriginal peoples in Quebec if they refuse the idea of Quebec separatism. It’s kind of scary for the people here, so they’re worried. But we’ll do the best we can.
