[LINK] "Atikamekw First Nation declares sovereignty over its territory"

[rfmcdonald]

The CBC carried the Canadian Press article regarding the declaration of sovereignty made by the Atikamekw, an Algonquian-speaking group related to the Cree living in north-central Québec. My impression is that this is much more of an opening negotiating position than an attempted UDI.

The Atikamekw First Nation in Quebec has declared its sovereignty over 80,000 square kilometres of territory and says any development in that area must get its approval.

Armed with a Supreme Court of Canada judgment recognizing ancestral rights for First Nations in British Columbia, the Atikamekw want to have their say on projects located in the Nitaskinan region.

Constant Awashish, grand chief of the Atikamekw First Nation, says 35 years of territorial negotiations with governments have provided nothing.

Awashish said Monday that elected members of the aboriginal First Nation adopted the unilateral declaration of sovereignty to assert their right to self-government on the Nitaskinan region.

The grand chief says any companies thinking of pursuing projects in the area will have to do it in co-operation with the Atikamekw.