in which local governments are not account-
able to the Minister of Indian Affairs, but to
the Cree Nation Government. Our communi-
ties are, by and large, in a much better state
than most First Nations communities across
the country.
BEC: How, in your region of northern Quebec,
have you been able to secure a recognition of
Indigenous rights?
GC: Securing that recognition of both our
Indigenous rights and our specifically Cree
rights has not been easy. It has taken us over
four decades to get where we are today. It has
taken difficult struggles which we waged in
the courts, in the court of public opinion and
on the ground. Throughout all this time we
have remained committed to the belief that
our rights are central and foundational to who
we are as Indigenous people, and keeping that
focus has been the key to our successes. And
we know that we must always remain vigilant
and alert to any efforts to erode or minimize
our rights as we continue into the future. Our
rights have been central to our past and they
will remain central for us into the future.
Justice facility Cree Nation Government
JULY 2018 | BUSINESS ELITE CANADA 33
