Ancestral rights decision inspires Atikamekw declaration of sovereignty

TheAtikamekw First Nation declaration of sovereignty was influenced by Supreme Court decision of B.C. ancestral rights case,Grand Chief ConstantAwashishtoldCBCMontreal's morning radio programDaybreakthis morning.

• Tsilhqot'in First Nation granted B.C. title claim in Supreme Court ruling
• First Nations 'ecstatic' over historic Supreme Court ruling
• Atikamekw First Nation declares sovereignty over its territory
• SCOC title claim decision could apply to large parts of Quebec, expert says

In June, the Supreme Court of Canada granted declaration of aboriginal title to more than 1,700 square kilometres of land in British Columbia to the Tsilhqot'in First Nation, the first time the court has made such a ruling regarding aboriginal land.

Awashish said the Atikamekwpeople, much like other First Nations within Quebec's boundaries, never signed a treaty with the Canadian government and that it deserved the right to self-government under the landmark Supreme Court decision.

"We never received, we never sold, we never exchanged anything about our land,"he told Daybreak host Mike Finnerty.

He said the only nation in Quebec to sign a treaty with the Canadian government are the James Bay Cree.

• On mobile? Listen to the interview here

Awashish said Monday that elected members of the aboriginal First Nation adopted the unilateral declaration of sovereignty to assert their right to self-government on theNitaskinanregion.

"We believe in a strong Atikamekw Nation in a strong Quebec within a strong Canada. Thats the way were thinking," Awashish said.

• FROM THE ARCHIVES| James Bay Project: Cree surrender land in historic agreement

Awashish said the declaration of sovereignty means that any company looking to develop any of the natural resources on their territory need to go through the nation first.

He told The Canadian Press that35 years of territorial negotiations with governments have provided nothing.

An attempt at reaching an agreement about resource development with the former Parti Qubcois government proved to be futile, he said.

"Our people decided that they were losing more than gaining. It was not a win-win situation,"Awashish said.

"We are still very open to get to an agreement, but we want something serious."

Read the declaration (in French)