Resolution No.14/90

Lewis Staats
Proxy, Six Nations of the Grand River

Seconded By:

Georges Watts
Proxy, Kyuquot First Nation

Adopted

Certified copy of a resolution adopted on December 11, 1990 at Ottawa, Ontario

Georges Erasmus National Chief

WHEREAS the government of the Canadian province of Quebec and its electric power company, Hydro-Quebec, plan to construct a number of massive hydro-electric projects in northern Quebec collectively known as phase II of the James Bay project, which would begin with the Great Whale River project; and

WHEREAS the Cree and Inuit peoples of northern Quebec have lived in their homelands for thousands of years and continue to be economically self-sufficient by carrying on a way of life based on hunting, fishing and trapping in productive harmony with the natural environment and its populations of fish and wildlife; and

WHEREAS the environmental impacts of James Bay II would be extremely severe, with several major rivers to be dammed and/or diverted, new reservoirs to be filled which would cover a total area larger than Lake Ontario, and wildlife habitat to be drastically altered throughout an area half the size of Texas, including habitat that supports large numbers of migratory birds; and

WHEREAS the Grand Council of the Crees (of Quebec), in recognition of the massive environmental destruction and cultural disruption that have resulted from phase I of the James Bay project, is actively working to stop James Bay II, including the Great Whale River project; and

WHEREAS the leaders and elders of the Inuit communities that would be adversely affected by the Great Whale River project have also joined in the fight to save James bay II; and

WHEREAS the construction of James Bay II as planned would violate internationally recognized standards for the protection of fundamental human rights by depriving these peoples of their means of subsistence, in violation of article 1 of the International Covenant of Civil and Political Rights, and would also be contrary to a number of the principles contained in the First Revised Text of the Draft Universal Declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples; and

WHEREAS a coalition of environmental groups based in Canada and the United States has been formed to help the Cree and Inuit peoples in their right to stop James Bay II; and

WHEREAS the government of Quebec and Hydro-Quebec are committed to proceeding with the Great Whale project as quickly as possible, without even conducting an environmental review of the entire project before commencing construction, despite the demands of the Grand Council of the Crees (of Quebec) that such a review be conducted prior to commencing construction; and

WHEREAS the Indian and Native Tribes and Nations of the United States, and the National Congress of American Indians adopted a resolution calling for international attention to this project and the need for a comprehensive review of environmental, socio-economic, and cultural impacts before Hydro-Quebec is allowed to begin construction of any part of the proposed project,

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the First Nations-in-Assembly call upon the governments of Canada and the province of Quebec to require the completion of a comprehensive study, with full involvement of the affected Cree and Inuit communities, of the environmental, socio-economic, and cultural impacts of James Bay II before construction activity is allowed to begin on any portion of the project, including the access infrastructure of the Great Whale River Project; and

FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT the First Nations-in-Assembly call upon all governmental entities in Canada that have any connection with, or any means of exercising influence over, James Bay II to take whatever steps may be required to prevent the commencement of construction work on any component of James Bay II, including the access infrastructure of the Great Whale River project, until after a comprehensive study, with full involvement of the affected Cree and Inuit communities, of the environmental, socio-economic, and cultural impacts has been completed.