After many years of doing battle with the Province of Quebec over our fundamental rights, Quebec finally came to understand the importance of our relationship to the land and our need to be involved in all matters related to the development of the resources within our lands. We have now entered a new relationship with Quebec based on mutual understanding and mutual respect.

Part of this new relationship has been that we have had our fundamental rights within our traditional territory finally acknowledged.

Our historic claim to the ownership of our traditional territory has had as its objective to be able to exercise a significant measure of control over development, and to also derive benefits from the resources within our lands. This “paix des braves”, this New Relationship Agreement between the Crees and Quebec has provided us with recognition of our claim and we are now ready—as we have always maintained—to participate as active players in the economy of the region.

This agreement represents a radical departure from history. Historically, our ability to be seriously involved in mainstream economic development was denied to us. The Crees, as other indigenous peoples in Canada, were systematically excluded from economic development through policy and practice. There was no acknowledgement of our social, cultural and economic ties with the land. And consequently there was no provision of the full range of tools necessary to allow for our serious involvement in the region’s economy.

Participating in the economic development of the territory is not something we should feel fearful about entering. If we do not become the masters of our own house and develop the resources within our territory for the benefit of our own people, then we can certainly expect that the resources will be developed by others with little benefit coming to the Cree Nation.

This is the challenge which is now before the Cree Nation. Will we be responsible for charting the course of our own future or will we be passive observers who allow things to happen to them, and then complain about it afterwards?

We are no longer victims and we can no longer play that role. We now enter this new era not as victims of historical injustice, but as the self-confident and proud permanent residents of our territory who are ready to fully realize the potential which the future holds for us. Our future is truly in our own hands. We have thrown off the yoke of colonialism and we should now be setting our sights on genuine nation-building.

The challenge before is to steer our canoe in a river of change in a way that will be of long term benefit to the Cree Nation.

There is now emerging a very striking and hugely important demographic reality in northern Quebec (demography is the study of population trends). It is clear from the data which has been developing over the last few years that in a relatively short period of time—perhaps ten to fifteen years—and if things continue as they have been, the Crees will be the dominant population group of northern Quebec. The Cree population has been, and continues to increase at a significant rate while at the same time the Jamesian population is decreasing at a rapid rate. By the year 2021, if the current trends continue the Cree population will be approximately 20,000, and the Jamesian population will be under 10,000. 

This demographic reality combined with the opportunities which are present in the New Relationship Agreement with Quebec means that the Cree communities and the Cree Nation as a whole, as the permanent and majority population, could and should become the major economic force in northern Quebec. Any serious understanding of this territory, and any serious planning for the future, must acknowledge this reality. It must be recognized that the future of resource development activities—and indeed most economic development sectors—in northern Quebec will to a significant degree involve the Cree communities as the permanent and growing population in the region.