What is the significance of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement?

The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement gives expression to the inherent Cree right of self‑government, providing key support for modern Cree Nation governance. It establishes a partnership between the Cree, Quebec and Canada in the governance and development of Eeyou Istchee.

What did the James Bay Cree agree to give up what did they gain by making this agreement?

In return for their signatures, the governments of Quebec and Canada and Hydro-Québec agreed to provide northern Quebec Indigenous peoples with extensive direct financial compensation – some CA$225 million to be managed and used for economic development through three Indigenous-owned development corporations: The Cree …

What happened in James Bay Canada?

In the agreement, the Cree and Inuit surrendered their land claims for $225 million, retaining special hunting and fishing rights (see Fisheries). The project flooded 11,500 km2 of wilderness land that was home to the James Bay Cree and Inuit.

When was the James Bay agreement?

November 11, 1975
The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) was signed on November 11, 1975, by the Cree and Inuit representatives, the Governments of Quebec and Canada, the “Société de développement de la Baie James”, the “Société d’énergie de la Baie James” and “Hydro-Québec”.

What is the James Bay hydroelectric project?

The James Bay Project (French: projet de la Baie-James) refers to the construction of a series of hydroelectric power stations on the La Grande River in northwestern Quebec, Canada by state-owned utility Hydro-Québec, and the diversion of neighbouring rivers into the La Grande watershed.

Where is Treaty 9 located?

Ontario
Signed in 1905-6, Treaty 9 covers most of present-day Ontario north of the height of land dividing the Great Lakes watershed from the Hudson and James Bay drainage basins.

What are the benefits of the James Bay project?

The James Bay project provided considerable financial and administrative resources for the Cree to provide for future economic development. At a time when hunting and fishing activities were declining in the Cree communities, the James Bay project caused a social modernization of both the Cree and Inuit communities.

Where is the James Bay?

eastern Canada
James Bay, the southern inlet of Hudson Bay in eastern Canada, is located between the provinces of Quebec (right) and Ontario (left), Canada. The bay, 443 km long and 217 km wide, contains numerous islands. The crescent-shaped Akimiski Island (visible) is the largest with an area of 3002 sq km.

What does the James Bay project create?

Why was the James Bay hydroelectric project created?

The over CAD$20 billion project was intended to be built in two phases 1) La Grande and 2) La Grande Baleine and was meant to dam and divert water flow from nine rivers and eventually flood an area the size of Belgium [1, 3, 11].

Who signed treaty Number 9?

9 (also known as The James Bay Treaty) is a numbered treaty first signed in 1905-1906 between Anishinaabe (Algonquin and Ojibway) and Omushkegowuk Cree communities and the Canadian Crown, which includes both the government of Canada and the government of the province of Ontario.

Where is the James Bay Treaty located?

The treaty, first entered into in 1905-1906, covers the James Bay and Hudson Bay watersheds in Ontario, about two thirds of the province’s total landmass. The treaty embodies the nation-to-nation relationship between First Nations and the Crown.

What is the James Bay and northern Quebec Agreement?

Thanks for contributing to The Canadian Encyclopedia. The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) is a legal agreement signed on 11 November 1975 by the government of Quebec, the government of Canada, Hydro-Québec and two of its subsidiaries, the Grand Council of the Crees of Quebec and the Northern Quebec Inuit Association.

What was the result of the James Bay Treaty?

With this arrangement in place, the Indigenous peoples stopped all legal action and agreed to negotiate with the government directly. The latter committed to reach an amicable settlement on the issue of Indigenous land rights for the James Bay and Northern Quebec region through a bilateral treaty (see Charlie Watt).

What is the history of the James Bay region in Quebec?

In the 1970s, the Quebec government under Robert Bourassa undertook a vast development of the James Bay region. The prime minister announced the construction of several hydroelectric dams with the goal of expanding the province’s energy potential and reviving its economy.

When was the JBNQA signed?

July 3, 2019. The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) is a legal agreement signed on 11 November 1975 by the government of Quebec, the government of Canada, Hydro-Québec and two of its subsidiaries, the Grand Council of the Crees of Quebec and the Northern Quebec Inuit Association.