[Indigsol] WIN! Resistance by Barriere Lake and supporters results in Quebec concession over logging

[ipsm ottawa]

*WIN! Resistance by Barriere Lake and supporters results in Quebec
concession over logging*

Thanks to the resistance and determination of the Algonquins of Barriere
Lake, the thousand people who sent online letters and the 200 who joined
the powerful Montreal demonstration two weeks ago outside the offices of
Resolute Forest Products and Premier Jean Charest, the Quebec government
and forestry company have been forced to make a significant concession.
They have agreed to respect an aspect of the Trilateral agreement by
harmonizing logging with Barriere Lake's use of their lands, which is an
important step forward in the community’s struggle to protect their land
rights and the environment.

After the protest in Montreal a week and a half ago, and after a number of
successful stoppages of the forestry operations by Algonquins camped out
for two weeks, the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources sat down for
negotiations with community representatives. What was agreed to is a
precarious but important step in the community’s long struggle to pressure
the Quebec and Canadian governments to honour their landmark Trilateral
Agreement.

The logging that had been happening on Barriere Lake’s land was illegal
because Quebec has refused to implement the Trilateral Agreement, without
which no forestry operations should be happening. The agreement is intended
to create a sustainable model of forestry in which Barriere Lake jointly
manages 10,000 square kilometres of their traditional territory with the
province. The agreement is a model for First Nations fighting to protect
their land rights.

Forest Resolute Products had refused to respect a process of consultation
and accommodation that is part of the Trilateral Agreement – called
“measures to harmonize.” Forestry companies who want to operate on Barriere
Lake’s land must not compromise the way that the Algonquins’ use the land –
meaning logging is not allowed to happen where the community has hunting
cabins, in areas of moose and bear habitat, sacred areas, medicinal sites
and many other areas of concern to the community.

Because of community's direct action and public pressure, the Quebec
government and Resolute Forest Products have now agreed to comply by the
“measures to harmonize”!

*NEXT STEPS*

Barriere Lake needs its supporters to remain vigilant to ensure Resolute
Forest Products respects the "measures to harmonize."

Even more importantly, we need to continue building pressure on the Quebec
and Canadian governments to finally implement the Trilateral and Bilateral
Agreements. The Charest government has been so brazen in its disregard for
the law and its contempt for Barriere Lake that it has refused to honour
the binding outcomes of negotiations conducted by two former Liberal
Cabinet Ministers! In 2006, a negotiator for the Quebec, John Ciaccia, and
a negotiator for Barriere Lake, Clifford Lincoln, issued the recommendation
that the agreement be implemented. Quebec does not want to implement this
agreement because it sets precedents in giving Indigenous peoples control
over developments on their territories.


For more information:
Frequently Asked
Questions<http://www.barrierelakesolidarity.org/2008/03/resources.html>
For more information about the Trilateral
Agreement<http://web.resist.ca/%7Ebarrierelakesolidarity/resources/TrilateralAgreeement.ppt>
Analysis of previous government attempts to undermine Trilateral
Agreement<http://www.zcommunications.org/top-diplomat-s-report-to-minister-laid-out-strategy-for-government-subversion-of-algonquin-community-by-martin-lukacs>


Barriere Lake Solidarity
Solidarité Lac Barrière
*******************************************
www.barrierelakesolidarity.org
www.solidaritelacbarriere.blogspot.com
barrierelakesolidarity at gmail.com
514.398.7432

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barrierelake-announce mailing list
barrierelake-announce at mvmnt.ca
https://listes.koumbit.net/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/barrierelake-announce-mvmnt.ca



--

In Solidarity,
IPSMO
on unceded Algonquin Territory
--

Web Site: http://www.ipsmo.org
Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/ipsmo
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