Two years after announcing the creation of a protected area for sustainable use to conserve the old-growth forest of Lac à Moïse, northwest of Quebec, the Legault government still does not dare to start the project because there is no agreement on the territorial relationship between them the Huron-Wendat and the Innu of Mashteuiatsh.
According to several sources close to the file consulted by Radio-Canada, it is clear that the conflict between Wendake and Mashteuiatsh is currently causing hesitation in the Quebec government, so much so that the protected area project led by Wendake is stalling.
The agreement between Quebec and the Huron-Wendat Nation Council provided for the establishment of two vice-presidencies, one from the Huron-Wendat First Nation and the other from the provincial government, while the Innu did not appear in the plans.
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Lake Batiscan is part of the planned zone for the protected area
Photo: Nionwenstïo office
Despite an announcement by Environment Minister Benoit Charette in June 2021, no working committee has yet been set up to ensure the creation of the protected area.
The next big step in making this sustainably-used protected area a reality is the establishment of a steering committee, the Environment Ministry said in an email to Radio-Canada.
Pristine forest
The Ya’nienhonhndeh Protected Area, which means the place where medicinal plants are collected in the Wendat language, should cover 300 km2 of forest untouched by human activities.
The project was developed entirely by the Huron-Wendat Nation over the past decade. Working with many scientists, Wendake drew a portrait of the fauna, flora and ecosystems.
The aim of this protected area was, among other things, to protect old forest areas from forestry, which targeted certain quantities of wood in the industry.
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About 450 km2 of protected area could be added to this area, under conditions to be determined, as part of a pilot project for this type of area, which does not yet exist in Quebec.
So far, neither the jungle nor any other part of the territory has been included in the province’s register of protected areas, although Minister Benoit Charette has promised immediate protection of the Ya’nienhonhndeh protected area, namely the older forest massifs.
Nevertheless, logging there was suspended for several years by a moratorium, particularly under pressure from Wendake.
Wendake is getting impatient
More than two years have passed since the Legault government promised to create the protected area.
For its part, Quebec ensures that dialogue is maintained with Wendake. Discussions are currently underway between the Huron-Wendat Nation and the Department of Environmental Protection to determine a course of action, a department spokesperson said via email.
In fact, the First Nation has been stamping its feet and saying it is ready to move forward for more than a year.
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Grand Chief Rémy Vincent becomes impatient and asks the government to move forward with the protected area project. (archive photo)
Photo: Radio-Canada / Marika Wheeler
Under the leadership of Grand Chief Rémy Vincent, the Council of the Huron-Wendat Nation decided to move forward without Quebec.
A first working meeting took place on August 24th at the request of the Huron-Wendat. Representatives of the provincial government, both from the Ministry of Environment and the Ministry of Natural Resources, were present, but only as observers.
The Huron-Wendat Nation Council understands that this was not a meeting of the official Coordinating Committee. Above all, Wendake wanted to send the signal that the First Nation was ready for action.
If it was not the coordination committee promised by the Government of Quebec when formalizing the pilot project, the Huron-Wendat Nation, through this table, assumes responsibility for initiating a consultation process to implement the protected area project.
Although Quebec has refused to become more actively involved in the project, the Council of the Huron-Wendat Nation welcomed the presence of government officials. We are confident that this meeting is the first of several and that the dossier we have been working on for more than ten years can finally move forward with the Government of Quebec.
territorial conflict
Quebec’s concerns arise at a time when tensions between the Innu of Mashteuiatsh and the Huron-Wendat remain.
The day after the announcement of the creation of the protected area, the Innu regretted their absence at the table, those who claim territories spanning the Nionwentsïo Huron-Wendat, including the part targeted by the proposed area. protected from Lake Moses.
The Innu First Nations Mashteuiatsh, Essipit and Nutashkuan, which make up the Petapan group, are demanding territorial recognition in a part called the southwest part. According to them, Nitassinan, the name of the traditional Innu territory, would extend through Charlevoix to Quebec and further west to the forest of Lac à Moïse.
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The 2004 Comprehensive Agreement of Principles demarcates in green the territories of four Innu First Nations, including Mashteuiatsh. The blue portion is the southwestern portion claimed by the Innu and lies in the heart of Nionwentsïo, the red-bordered ancestral territory of the Huron-Wendat Nation.
Photo: Council of the Huron-Wendat Nation
The boundaries of this part of the territory were established in a general agreement in principles signed by the Petapan Group with Quebec and Ottawa in 2004. However, the document does not serve as an official treaty and tensions between the Innu and Wendake have persisted ever since.
Innu and Huron Wendats, who disagree about the boundaries of their respective territories, particularly in the Laurentides Game Reserve, are calling on governments to sit down with them and draw a boundary.
Current tensions
The conflict took a new turn last summer when Innu camps in the Laurentides Game Reserve were destroyed. The Innu First Nation of Mashteuiatsh accused Wendake of vandalism. The case will go to trial in the fall.
At the same time, the Quebec government, through Prime Minister François Legault, committed to signing an agreement with the Petapan group before the end of March 2023. This agreement was rejected by Quebec and is still pending.
In the case of the Lac à Moïse forest reserve, a source familiar with the matter admits that Quebec remains cautious in this regard due to the absence of the Innu at the coordination table. They don’t acknowledge it’s an official committee due to the absence of the Innus, this source said.
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In 2021, a pilot project for a sustainable use protected area was announced to protect the ancient forest of Lac à Moïse, north of Quebec, from any deforestation.
Photo: Radio-Canada
For their part, the Innu of Mashteuiatsh claim that their presence is essential to the realization of the protected area project. Our First Nation must actually be included in the development of this Lac à Moïse protected area, which is part of our traditional territory, writes Karen Robertson, communications advisor for the First Nation.
We remain in favor of protecting this territory. Currently, the formula and terms of our engagement and participation are still being analyzed.