30 business elite canada
H
MAY 2018
When we insist that our rights be rec-
ognized, it is for the purpose of point-
ing out and highlighting our exclusion
from, among other things, the benefits
that our traditional lands can provide.
It is about insisting to be included and
benefiting from the development tak-
ing place on our lands.
It is our experience in northern Que-
bec that when those rights are recog-
nized, that when we are included in
both the development and the gov-
ernance of our traditional lands, then
it is possible to create win-win situa-
tions for all those concerned—for in-
dustry, for government, and for Indig-
enous peoples. What we have found
is that once industry, whether it is in
the field of energy, mining, forestry or
tourism, understands that the recog-
nition of Indigenous rights creates a
high level of “certainty” regarding the
development of proposed projects,
then there are significant benefits to
companies operating on our tradition-
al land. The rules are clear, the proce-
dures are clear, all parties have a clear
Cree Nation of Nemaska - Band Office
