The idea of boundaries and dividing lines is not rooted in indigenous cultures. However, in order to regain their ancestral territory and have a basis on which to base their claims, communities struggle with the difficult task of marking their traditional lands.
Those they went to hunt, fish, practice their traditional activities. They named the lakes, rivers and mountains there.
We will not hide it, we are a people we have tried to destroy. We want to bring back the pieces of our history one by one, so that we can assert ourselves with pride despite the legal implications.explanation by Hélène Boivin, coordinator of government and strategic relations with the Pekuakamiulnuatsh Takuhikan band council, located in Mashteuiatsh, near Roberval.
It serves us to support our requests for autonomy, to establish the zone in which we have established the management of our activities, in connection with government consultations. This allows us to see our playgroundhe explained.
When he talks about territory to an Innu, he uses the word Tshiitasinu. To those who are not Aboriginal, it will be Nitassinan.
In mid-April, Lac-Simon’s Anishinaabe chief, Adrienne Jérôme, released a map of her traditional territory. The idea is exactly the same as described by Ms. Boivin.
ant work
To establish these maps, years of interviews and research are needed.
We base ourselves on our legends, our stories and the stories of our elderssaid Constant Awashish, Grand Chief of the Atikamekw Nation Council, who obtained such a map several years ago.
We called in archaeologists, historians, and we met our elders who occupied the territory. We gave them a pencil and they showed us where there was a cemetery, where they met other people.Lucien Wabanonik, Lac-Simon community councilor, explains for his part.
Hélène Boivin said the Innu of Mashteuiatsh also went to meet with the elders to document the occupation of human memory. When did they go there, how long, to whom, where?
We went to get as much information as possible on the path they were treadinghe continued, adding that more than 250 people were interviewed.
It was not easy. Putting the contemporary map in the hands of seniors may seem daunting for them.
” These maps are made according to non -Aboriginal standards. It didn’t really work, because they didn’t have a Cartesian vision of the territory. There’s dimension, it’s a linear vision. “
Same challenge for Unamen Shipu (La Romaine), an Innu community on the Lower North Shore, which started a similar process.
The elders have a mental map of the territory. We had to see if they saw on the map what they had in mindsaid Philippe Boivin, the cartographer who worked with Unamen Shipu, in an interview on the show Hello Baybayin.
Another challenge is language. In fact, over time and sedentarization, territory -specific words have disappeared among people who speak the language today. So it was necessary to find translators, use old dictionaries, set up an advisory committee, interview linguists, anthropologists, ethnohistorians, etc.
Sharing and overlap
For the Innu of the community of Ms. Boivin, the territory stretches for more than 121,000 km2or 256 times the area of the island of Montreal.
The Atikamekw, over 88,000 km2. And even though, we watered our wine so as not to create contention with the Innu and the Anishinabé. Our map is the lowest, because the territory is in fact much largersaid Constant Awashish.
Hélène Boivin prefers to talk share that of overlap. In fact, it is not said that several cards of different countries and communities may overlap.
The last case is the community of Lac-Simon, not far from Val-d’Or. The territory it claims extends beyond its borders. It covers Val-d’Or and much more.
Something annoying to Atikamekw of the Opitciwan community, who reacted quickly via press release. Lac-Simon’s announcement was met astonishment and disbelief.
” The territorial boundaries presented by the Lac-Simon Council are not recognized or acceptable. “
Previously, many exchanges, cohabitation between countries. Now, we’ve kind of forgotten what that is. We would have liked to consult with Lac-Simon, as some of our families have been affected. They are not sad, but worriedadded the chief of Opitciwan, Jean-Claude Mequish, in an interview.
This creates an explosive situation. We know our territory and we will defend itend of Awashish Grand Chief.
Innu and the Crees on their side decided to come to an agreement. They signed an agreement in 2018 to share their common territory.
Together we manage it, we agree on how to share traditional activities, we also agree on the value of the territory and economic benefits. We also share jobsdetailed Mashteuiatsh leader, Gilbert Dominique, yielding an agreement historic.
If all goes well with the Crees, the Innu relationship will be more strained with the Huron-Wendat. Recently, Wendake signed an agreement with Quebec City regarding La Défense lands in Sainte-Foy, which Innu also claims.
We regret that we did not participate in these discussions when it is also deep Innu territory. They decided to sail together, but that didn’t stop us from talking to the federal government to make sure the parcels of Defense lands would be made accessible to the three Innu communities of Pessamit, Essipit and Mashteuiatsh.said Chef Dominique.
The battle ended when the two lands where Innu lived were raided by Wendat in the Laurentides reserve. Both countries argue that they have historical rights to this protected area.
The newly appointed Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations, Marc Miller said land claims would be the main focus of his new mandate.
Source: Radio-Canada
