James Bay Cree hydroelectric conflict

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The James Bay Cree hydroelectric conflict refers to the resistance by James Bay Cree to the James Bay Hydroelectric Project and the Quebec Government, beginning in 1971.

[edit] A brief timeline of the James Bay Cree

1600s - As French explorers move westward in the early 17th century, they encounter the Swampy Cree, whom they call the ‘Cristinaux’, an Ojibwa word denoting a member of a band living south of James Bay. This term is later shortened and came to be used to refer to all Cree.

May 2, 1670 - The Hudson's Bay Company is incorporated. From the beginning, the Cree are closely related with the company. As hunters and prime suppliers of pelts the Cree are drawn into the fur trade with the French and the English, soon becoming middlemen by establishing treaties with other First Nations, notably the Plains Assiniboine and the Blackfoot.

1971 – The Quebec government announces plans for a hydroelectric project in the Baie-James region of northern Quebec. The James Bay Cree, fearing the project would flood lands traditionally used for hunting and trapping, lobby against the project.

15 November 1973 - The Quebec Association of Indians, an ad hoc association of native northern Quebecers, wins an injunction, blocking the construction of the hydroelectric project until the province has negotiated an agreement with the First Nations. Although the judgement is overruled by the Quebec Court of Appeal seven days later, the judgement confirmed Quebec's legal obligation to negotiate a treaty covering the territory, even as construction proceeds.

1974 - The Grand Council of the Crees, representing the Cree villages of Northern Quebec, is created in order to better protect Cree rights during negotiations with the governments of Quebec and Canada.

November 11, 1975 – The governments of Canada and Quebec and representatives from each of the Cree villages and the most of the Inuit villages sign the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

1981 - The new village of Chisasibi, on the southern shore of La Grande River, replaces the Fort George settlement on an island at the mouth of the river.

1986 – The Quebec government announces plans for the Grande-Baleine hydroelectric project involving the creation of three power plants and the flooding of about 1,700 square kilometres of land (3% of the Grande-Baleine watershed) upstream from the Whapmagoostui village.

1991 – Under the direction of Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come, the Cree launch a very visible protest of the Grande-Baleine project in New York City.

1992 - Following agreements in 1989 and 1992 with the Governments of Canada and Quebec, a new Cree village, Oujé-Bougoumou, is created for the 600 Cree of the Chibougamau area.

1994 – The Quebec government cancels the Grande-Baleine hydroelectric Project.

2002 - The Cree and the Government of Quebec sign the landmark Agreement Concerning a New Relationship, also known as Paix des Braves. Far more than an economic deal, this is seen as a "nation to nation" agreement. The agreement paves the way for the construction of a final element of the original James Bay Project, the Eastmain-1 power station.