Indigenous Rights: Delegation denounces Quebec at the UN

First Nations representatives denounced Quebec’s inaction regarding the implementation of Indigenous rights at the 24th session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII), taking place this week at UN headquarters in New York.

On Monday afternoon, former Chief of the Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador (AFNQL), Ghislain Picard, spoke at UN headquarters to denounce “Quebec’s lack of respect for the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP)” particularly in the caribou issue.

The former Chief of the AFNQL spoke on behalf of the Innu Nation at a side event at the 24th session of the UNPFII.

“Despite Canada’s adoption of UNDRIPDA, our communities must continually fight to assert what the declaration already clearly recognizes: our inherent right to self-determination, the protection of our territories, and the obligation to be consulted, listened to, and respected. In court, representatives of the (Quebec) government even deny the direct application of UNDRIPDA in Canadian law,” he said.

During this speech, broadcast on the UN Web TV platform, Picard also accused the Quebec government of fueling “a permanent legal confrontation” with the Innu and deplored the fact that “this systematic recourse to the courts exhausts our communities and diverts our energy, human resources, and financial resources.”

“While we are fighting in court, development projects are being implemented and irreversible decisions are being made that impact and harm our ancestral rights,” added the former chief of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador, emphasizing that the decline of the caribou is, in his opinion, caused by logging and government inaction.

“The Innu Nation is calling on the UN to take action to ensure respect and full implementation of the UNDRIP by Canada and its provinces,” concluded Picard during his presentation at UN headquarters.

The Example of British Columbia

Before delivering his speech, Picard was introduced at the UN podium by his replacement as head of the AFNQL, Francis Verreault-Paul.

In an interview with The Canadian Press, the newly elected chief explained that Quebec should follow the example of British Columbia, which adopted legislation respecting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

“That province has established an UNDRIP secretariat that is responsible, in a way, for ensuring that any bill passed by their national assembly respects UNDRIP. Of course, that involves its share of work. But the fact remains that it’s a positive example for all our nations, and I think it’s an example to follow.”

For Chief Verreault-Paul, originally from Mashteuiatsh, Ottawa’s adoption of the UNDRIP Act in 2021 is “an important step forward,” but several challenges remain, including “harmonizing this legislation with provincial and territorial jurisdictions.”

“I like to use the term ‘legislative reconciliation,'” explained the young chief.

The 37-year-old former professional hockey player, who holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration, is one of the keynote speakers during the three-day mission of a delegation of chiefs, elected officials, and representatives of the First Nations of Quebec and Labrador.

Three Issues Highlighted

At the side event of the 24th session of the UNPFII on Monday, a handful of Quebec chiefs spoke.

The following themes were on the agenda: “the reform of the forest regime in Quebec, analyzed in the context of the territorial dispossession of First Peoples,” the “concept of free, prior, and informed consent in the context of the Chalk River nuclear waste disposal project,” and “the Innu Nation’s constant recourse to the courts to assert its fundamental rights, particularly in relation to the protection of the caribou.”

A New, Feverish Chief

On Monday morning, a few hours before addressing international delegates, AFNQL Chief Verreault-Paul felt “very nervous.”

“Ghislain Picard has been at the head of the AFNQL for over 30 years, so this is a big change for everyone,” but “the chiefs have given me their support, and I realize this week at the UN. It’s special to be here, and it’s an opportunity to mobilize and look to the future,” the man who was elected head of the AFNQL last February explained to The Canadian Press.

This mission “aims to send a clear message on the international scene,” according to a press release issued by Indigenous representatives: “the governments of Quebec and Canada must go beyond words and fully implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).”

–This report by La Presse Canadienne was translated by CityNews