Shared responsibilities, defended the Minister of Forests, Wildlife and Parks after being challenged by the Federation of Manufacturing Industry and Scierie St-Michel but also the Atikamekw of Manawan to sensitive file of cuttings in a sugar bush without family consent .
Scierie St-Michel president and director Jean-François Champoux has already explained that he also cannot be held responsible because if these cuts are inconsistent, the ministry should not have allowed them.
In addition, the Federation of Manufacturing Industry (FIM-CSN) accused the MFFP to make a mistake in this matter and put in jeopardy 400 jobs. FIM-CSN accused Minister Dufour of manage the forest weekly.
But Minister Dufour’s office, in a statement sent to Espaces INDIgenes, defended itself, noting that the investigation speaks of shared responsibilities to explain the successive shortcomings observed in the field.
In February, Henri Dubé’s family from the Atikamekw community of Manawan erected a barrier around kilometer 60 between Saint-Michel-des-Saints and Manawan to prevent a forester from continuing his activities in the territory. . He blamed Scierie St-Michel for unauthorized cutting of its maple grove.
The Ministry of Forests, Wildlife and Parks investigation concluded that responsibility was shared between the ministry, which authorized the cuts, and Scierie St-Michel, which decided to proceed without family approval.
A meeting with the family
The company is not responding to the total dispute of the Dubé family or the Atikamekw Council of Manawan regarding the absence of penalties or compensation in this file.
The cabinet has only specified, in its declaration, that the MFFP heard, in cooperation with the country and business of Atikamekw, start actions as soon as possible to prevent this type of situation in the future. But without specifying which.
It discusses the areas for improvement identified in the investigation report. The minister relies on his ministry to suggest appropriate solutionssays the company.
The minister said he was still in touch with the country through discussions with Grand Chief Constant Awashish.
He also intends to meet with representatives of the Dubé family in the coming days.
On Monday, the family sent him a four -page letter in which they expressed their anger. He also asked for a quick meeting.
We consider the report scandaloushe wrote. This is entirely a hallmark of practices favorable to fait accompli ⎯ both on the part of the government and the forest industry ⎯ an unfortunately frequent habit when it comes to considering the natural rights of First Nations.
Find a common vision
A working committee between the MFFP, the Atikamekw Council of Manawan and the Atikamekw Nation Council is currently finalizing its work to better redefine the rules of the game and find a common ground aimed at respecting the Atikamekw way of life in land use planning and management.
According to a statement from Minister Dufour’s office, several meetings, in a nation-to-nation relationshipwas held.
The Minister recalled the importance of developing a common perspective on issues to find constructive solutions for all stakeholders, which should include industrysays the company.
However, some foresters indicated that they had something to say during the committee’s work, though they indicated that discussions would need to be held in the country.
According to his cabinet, the minister also intends to meet with forest companies.
The moratorium on logging in the ancestral territory of Manawan will be maintained until the next notice, as will the dam at km60.
Source: Radio-Canada
