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the same time, we have established a
unique regional government involving
our Cree communities and the non-In-
digenous communities of the region.
As you know, northern Quebec, simi-
larly to many parts of northern Cana-
da, is an important focus of the mining
industry. There are rich deposits of a
wide range of industrial and commer-
cial minerals which can be exploited
and yield very significant economic
returns. On the basis of our rights be-
ing recognized and confirmed, we es-
tablished a “Cree Mining Policy” which
lays out the procedures which a min-
ing proponent must follow in order to
obtain our permission, and eventually
formal provincial authorization, for
the project to proceed. This policy
has led to our concluding a number
of agreements which we refer to as
“Impacts and Benefits Agreements”
involving our respective communities,
our Cree Nation Government and the
project proponents.
In these cases, once the rules are clear,
there has been not only willingness,
but also appreciation, on the part of
