Human Rights And Solidarity Delegation Information Package

July 20 ~ 21, 2013

Table of Contents:

...................................................................................................................A Brief Introduction 4

..................................................................................................The 1991 Trilateral Agreement 5

............................................................Illegal Logging at Poigan Bay In The Summer of 2012 6

Press Release: Logging proceeds without consent on territory of Algonquins of Barriere Lake.................................................................................................................................................... 9

Press Release: Barriere Lake Algonquins threatened with arrest for protecting sacred sites on their traditional territory against logging / Des Algonquin(E)s du Lac Barrière sont menacéEs d'arrestation parce qu'ils/elles protègent les sites sacrés de leur territoire traditionnel contre la

........................................................................................................................coupe forestière 10

Press Release: Algonquins threaten blockade while Montreal riot cops stand on alert / Des Algonquins menacent de bloquer une coupe à blanc, une escouade anti-émeute de Montréal

.....................................................................................................................est en état d'alerte 12

Press Release: Barriere Lake Algonquin Acquitted for Blockade Charges: Forestry Company Caught Lying on the Stand / Un Algonquin du Lac Barriere Acquitte des Accusations Portees

.....................Contre Lui Suite A Une Barricade: La Compagnie Forestiere Ment A La Barre 15

Press Release: Algonquins of Barriere Lake Affirm Opposition to Copper One’s Rivière Doré .............................Project and All Claim Staking and Mineral Exploration in their Territory 18

Press Release: Barriere Lake First Nation Protests at Annual Meeting of Mining Company Drawn to Quebec by Plan Nord: No Mineral Exploration On Our Territory Without Consultation and Community Consent / Representants D’une Premiere Nation A Nontreal Pour Protester A L’Assemblee Generale Annuelle D’une Societe Miniere Attiree Au Quebec Par Le Plan Nord: Pas d’exploration minière sur notre territoire sans consultation et

...................................................................................................consensus de la communauté 20

Press Release: Barriere Lake Algonquin affirm opposition to mine during Montreal company meeting: threat of mining on their land exposes failure of Quebec’s Mining Act / La communauté algonquine du Lac Barrière s’oppose à un projet minier lors d’une réunion de cette compagnie à Montréal : la menace minière sur leurs terres expose l’échec de la Loi sur

...............................................................................................................les mines québécoise. 23

Letter to Quebec Ministers From the Council of Elders Re: Natural Resources Exploitation .........................................................................................with Trilateral Agreement Territory 26

1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples: Barriere Lake Trilateral ..................................................................................................................Agreement, Quebec 29

Excerpts from “Algonquins of Barriere Lake: Man-Mad Impacts on the Community and Fish ...........................................................................................................& Wildlife, 1870-1979” 31

.................................................................................................The Joint 7 Recommendations 32

.......................................................................................................................Other Resources 33

A Brief Introduction

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake (ABL) live on unceded territory 300 kilometers north-east of Ottawa, 400 kilometres north of Montreal, in the La Vérendrye Wildlife Reserve in Quebec. We call ourselves Mitchikanibikok Inik, the People of the Stone Weir. We still practice hunting, fishing, trapping, and harvesting on more than 10,000 square kilometers of our territory.

Like many other Indigenous communities across this country and abroad, our struggle for land, identity and self-determination has been long-standing and takes many turns.

After years of blockades, our community signed an agreement in 1991 with both the Canadian and Quebec governments to ensure that we have a decisive say on the use of our land. It is our strategy to promote genuine sustainability and co-existence with the surrounding non-native communities. However, instead of honouring this agreement, both governments have continued to allow logging and other resource extraction activities on our land without our free, prior and informed consent, which have caused us irreparable damage and further impoverished our community.

Furthermore, despite the fact that ABL has unsurrendered Aboriginal title to its traditional territory, the community has been squeezed on to a 59 acre reserve at Rapid Lake, where they live in run-down, mould-laden and over-crowded houses. Unemployment rates run to 80%. Construction of new homes is not possible because the reserve is too small. These conditions are leading to removal of children by Youth Protection Services. While ABL's territory has generated wealth and jobs for the regional economy through forestry, tourism and hydro development, an estimate of $100 million worth of resources is extracted from our traditional territory every year; ABL has not received a cent of these benefits.

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The 1991 Trilateral Agreement

The Trilateral Agreement is a contract between the Federal Government (Canada), the Provincial Government (Quebec) and the ABL that deals with land use of 10 000 km2 of land traditionally inhabited and used by the ABL. It is an alternative to Canada’s preferred negotiation policy, called the "Comprehensive Land Claims." This negotiating process forces First Nations to extinguish their Aboriginal rights and title upon settlement, to give up communal land rights for private property ownership, and to shoulder expensive legal and land use mapping costs that eventually get docked from meager settlements.

The ABL rejected this Comprehensive land claims approach, and chose instead to sign a conservation plan called the Trilateral Agreement. In summary, the Trilateral agreement would see the ABL included in decision making about the land, and gain a financial return from any resource extraction or commerce on their land (logging, hydro-electric, tourism). It would see traditional Algonquin knowledge of the land integrated into how the territory might be used and conserved.

Both the provincial and federal governments have dragged their heels in implementing this agreement, going so far as to deny its legitimacy as a contract and orchestrating coups of the customary government in the ABL community, sowing internal foment. Instead, Canada has hired expensive diplomats to help strategize on how to break their own commitments. Proof of this has been made clear by a report penned by one of these diplomats, Marc Perron, in Dec 2007, in which he outlined strategies to disrupt the community and take them off course from pursuing the Trilateral Agreement. The imposition of band council elections under Section 74 of the Indian Act is but another tactic to try to divide and weaken this community that has shown such strength in its struggle to defend the land.

You can obtain a copy of the Trilateral Agreement here.

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Illegal Logging at Poigan Bay In The Summer of 2012

All cuttings permitted by the Province of Quebec to the logging corporations are done without any consultation with the community.

On July 4, 2012 while setting up a summer camp in the Pogian Bay area, Gabriel Wawatie, the older brother of Harry Wawatie, the late former customary Chief, discovered an illegal logging operation by Resoulte Forest Products on his family’s territory. He wrote a letter to Quebec Premier Jean Charest stating that he was not consulted, nor had he given his consent to the logging operation. As his letter explained, the Quebec government’s handling of the forestry operation in the Barriere Lake territory was in violation of the Supreme Court of Canada’s decision in the Haida case. You can read the July 4 letter from Gabriel Wawatie to Jean Charest here.

Along with Jeanette Wawatie, another of the main harvesters in the Poigan Bay sector and the daughter of the late Customary Chief Harry Wawatie, Gabriel started mobilizing other family members to support their protest against this illegal logging. They set up a camp site at their home near the logging site to keep an eye on any cutting activities. There was never a blockade during the time of this protest from July 4 to July 22.

After five days without a response to the July 4 letter, the community sent another letter on July 9 that reiterated their concerns and requested that the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources provide information regarding the actual and projected cutting plans since 2007 for the community’s traditional territory, including the volume of wood harvested in those cut blocks by species, names of logging companies, and a copy of their scale slips in order to resolve the conflict. The community emphasized in its letter that “despite the suffering our community has lived through as result of your unilateral decision, we extended our cooperation, promote co-existence, respect and harmony”. The July 9 letter is available here.

The Quebec government did not respond to either letter, but it did send the Sûreté du Québec (SQ), a helicopter and paddy wagons to intimidate and provoke the community members at the

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camp. At approximately 9:30 pm on July 9 a representative of the SQ went to the camp and told the community members that if they crossed the line to the logging site they would be arrested.

Despite the community’s reasonable demands, the members of the Barriere Lake community were treated as criminals. On July 16 during the 2nd week of the protest, Gabriel, his wife and his wife’s niece were harassed by both the loggers and SQ on their way back to the camp. You can listen to their testimony here.

The Barriere Lake community has never claimed ownership of their land. They always promote peaceful co-existence in order to protect what they have left, including the sacred sites significant to their identity, culture, and language, their connection to the Creator, the animals, trees and water. It is their belief that with their language and connection to the land intact, they will survive and be able to overcome any hardship imposed on them. The government’s services and programs will not do.

On July 20, the government agreed to do Measures to Harmonize under 2 conditions specified in the community’s July 19 letter to Bruce Byford. Measures to Harmonize is a process of consultation and accommodation under the framework of the Trilateral Agreement signed between the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, Quebec and Canada in 1991. Under this harmonization process the community was able to significantly reduce the number of cutting blocks from 72 to 7. This enabled them to protect the moose yards, bear dens, medicinal sites, and other sacred sites. However, this harmonization process has not even begun since the agreement was made with the MNR, because the government has not provided the requested information in order to do so. The community needs to know the real cut areas on their territory to be able to assess the cutting blocks they can allow to proceed.

Another reason for the delay of the harmonization process was a blockade in the same logging area by Gabriel’s niece and nephews - Jacob Wawatie, Joseph Wawatie and the late Louise Wawatie. Unfortunately, this struggle to protect the land and identity has created divisions in the community. Gabriel’s niece and nephews did not want any cutting at all; they have refused to be

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part of the harmonization process, despite the community’s endeavour to share information and dialogue with them in order to come to a common strategy to protect the forest and animals.

Since the blockade, the forest company, Resolute Forest Products, then filed a legal injunction to prevent the family members from disrupting the clear-cutting. The company was then granted a second request to extend the injunction to include anyone and everyone. This second injunction blocks the whole community from taking any action that might protect the lands from forestry operations over the coming weeks.

As of now, several historical, cultural and sacred sites at Poigan Bay have already been destroyed by Resolute. This has devastated many community members and their relationships within families. It has also further deepened the wounds of Barriere Lake’s residential school survivors who rely on their connections to the land for their health and healing.

Recently, we also learned that a US logging company, Louisiana Pacific, has set up a logging camp on our land without consulting with us.

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Press Release: Logging proceeds without consent on territory of Algonquins of Barriere Lake

July 9, Poigan Bay, QC – Resolute Forest Products, formerly known as Abitibi Bowater, began cutting last Tuesday on land of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake without proper community consultation or consent. The logging is taking place near Poigan Bay, Quebec, on land that includes sacred grounds and important moose habitat, according to community spokesperson Norman Matchewan.

In a letter sent to Premier Charest on July 4, elder Gabriel Wawatie states: “As one of the main harvesters, I was not properly consulted nor provided a written consent to this logging within our territory.”

Despite the lack of consultation, the Ministry of Natural Resources office in Maniwaki issued permits for the logging to take place.

Wawatie’s letter continues: “This clearly demonstrates your ministry’s lack of respect of the highest court ruling on the duty to consult and accommodate First Nations,” referring to the Supreme Court ruling on Haida Nation vs. British Columbia Ministry of Forests. “Therefore we are requesting that you cease logging operations in our territory.”

Last month, in a recent provincial court case, the same forestry company (Resolute Forest Products, formerly known as Abitibi Bowater) attempted to sue one of the youth leaders of Barriere Lake, Norman Matchewan. Vincent Larin, from the Maniwaki Ministry of Natural Resources office, issued two cutting permits for the same logging site (cutting block) in Barriere Lake territory that also included sacred sites. Fortunately, the forestry company lost their court case when the foreman contradicted his original statement and got caught lying on the stand.

In recent years, the community of Barriere Lake has resisted numerous resource extraction projects slated for their land. Most recently, members of the community confronted mining company Copper One at the company’s AGM in Montreal, opposing their mining exploration on Barriere Lake territory.

###

Contact: Norman Matchewan, 819-435-2171

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Press Release: Barriere Lake Algonquins threatened with arrest for protecting sacred sites on their traditional territory against logging / Des Algonquin(E)s du Lac Barrière sont menacéEs d'arrestation parce qu'ils/elles protègent les sites sacrés de leur territoire traditionnel contre la coupe forestière

[français ci-dessous]

July 10, Poigan Bay, QC – Around 20-30 members of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake were read their rights by Sûreté du Québec officers late last night, warning of arrests today if people did not allow logging to proceed.

Yesterday, families from the Barriere Lake Algonquin First Nation who are impacted by the Resolute logging operation issued a letter to Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources voicing their opposition to the Ministry’s

unilateral decision to clear-cut their territory. The impacted families also proposed to the Quebec government several resolutions to work together towards peaceful co-existence in the region.

Resolute Forest Products, formerly known as Abitibi Bowater, began cutting last Tuesday on land of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake without proper community consultation or consent. The logging is taking place near Poigan Bay, Quebec, on land that includes sacred grounds and important moose habitat, according to community spokesperson Norman Matchewan.

In a letter sent to Premier Charest on July 4, elder Gabriel Wawatie states: “As one of the main harvesters, I was not properly consulted nor provided a written consent to this logging within our territory.”

In a recent provincial court case, the same forestry company attempted to sue a youth leader of Barriere Lake, Norman Matchewan. Vincent Larin, from the Maniwaki Ministry of Natural Resources office, issued two cutting permits for the same logging site in Barriere Lake territory that also included sacred sites. The forestry company lost their court case when the foreman contradicted his original statement and was caught lying on the stand.

Contact:Norman Matchewan, 819-435-2171

=========

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10 juillet, Poigan, PQ – Entre vingt et trente membres de la nation algonquine du Lac Barrière se sont fait lire leurs droits par des agents de la Sûreté du Québec la nuit dernière. Ils ont été avertis qu'ils seraient arrêtés aujourd'hui s'ils ne permettaient pas la poursuite de la coupe forestière.

Hier, des familles de la nation algonquine du Lac Barrière qui subissent l'impact de la coupe opérée par les Produits forestiers Résolu ont envoyé une lettre au ministre québécois des ressources naturelles pour lui exprimer leur opposition à la décision unilatérale de la compagnie de faire de la coupe à blanc sur leur territoire. Ces familles ont aussi déposé au gouvernement du Québec plusieurs propositions mettant de l'avant la nécessité d'un travail en collaboration pour parvenir à une coexistence pacifique dans la région.

Produits forestiers Résolu, compagnie connue auparavant sous le nom d'Abitibi Bowater, a commencé à couper des arbres mardi dernier (3 juillet) sur la terre des Algonquins du Lac Barrière sans avoir mené de réelles consultations avec la communauté et sans son consentement. La coupe se fait près de Poigan, Québec, sur une terre qui comprend des territoires sacrés et un important habitat pour les orignaux, selon le porte-parole de la communauté, Norman Matchewan.

Dans une lettre envoyée au premier ministre, le 4 juillet, l'aîné Gabriel Wawatie déclarait : «en tant qu'un des principaux cueilleurs, je n'ai pas été consulté correctement et je n'ai pas fourni de consentement écrit pour autoriser cette coupe sur notre territoire».

Dans une récente cause en Cour provinciale, la même compagnie forestière a tenté de poursuivre un jeune leader du Lac Barrière, Norman Matchewan. Vincent Larin, du bureau des ressources naturelles à Maniwaki, avait émis deux permis de coupe pour le même emplacement sur le territoire du Lac Barrière, territoire qui inclut aussi des sites sacrés. La compagnie forestière a perdu sa cause en Cour quand le contremaître a contredit sa déclaration originale, se faisant ainsi prendre en flagrant délit de mensonge.

Contact:Norman Matchewan, 819-435-2171

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Press Release: Algonquins threaten blockade while Montreal riot cops stand on alert / Des Algonquins menacent de bloquer une coupe à blanc, une escouade anti-émeute de Montréal est en état d'alerte

[français ci-dessous]

Charest government allows logging by Resolute Forest Products in violation of Agreement, as supporters prepare casserole demo in Montreal on on Wednesday

July 16, Poigan Bay, QC – As the standoff between the Algonquin community of Barriere Lake, QC, and Resolute Forest Products (formerly known as Abitibi-Bowater) enters its thirteenth day, members of the Algonquin community are moving their protest camp site closer to logging operations to prevent further cutting.

Algonquin families have camped alongside the road where logging has been destroying the community's sacred sites and moose habitat, and have succeeded in periodically stopping the cutting. Quebec police, including a riot squad from Montreal, have escorted the loggers and maintained a large presence, issuing threats of arrest to community members.

The Montreal-based multi-national company's operations have been licensed by the Charest government without the Algonquin community's consent or consultation, and in violation of the Trilateral Agreement the Quebec government signed with Barriere Lake in 1991.

“I was not properly consulted nor did I provide consent to this logging within our territory,” said Algonquin elder Gabriel Wawatie, whose family territory is being clear-cut, in a letter last week to Premier Charest and the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources that has not been responded to by the Liberal government.

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"The Charest government has acted in bad faith, giving this company the go-ahead to log while they ignore their signed agreements with our community," said Norman Matchewan, a community spokesperson. "It has left us with no choice but to try to stop forestry operations. We have been waiting 20 years for the Quebec government to honour it."

Barriere Lake wants Quebec to honour the Trilateral agreement, a landmark sustainable development agreement praised by the United Nations. The Charest government has also ignored the formal recommendations of two former Quebec Liberal Cabinet Ministers, Quebec representative John Ciaccia and Barriere Lake representative Clifford Lincoln, that the agreement be implemented. The agreement is intended to allow logging to continue while protecting the Algonquins' way of life and giving them a $1.5 million share of the $100 million in resource revenue that comes out of their territory every year.

A casserole demonstration in support of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake has been called for this Wednesday (July 18th) at 11:30am, at the Resolute headquarters in Montreal.

###

Contact: Community spokesperson Norman Matchewan, 819-435-2171, 819-527-0414

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Le gouvernement Charest autorise la société Resolute Forest Products à déboiser un territoire, enfreingnant l’Accord, lorsque les sympathisants et sympathisantes se préparent pour une manifestation de casseroles à Montréal mercredi prochain

Le 16 juillet, Baie Poigan, QC - Alors que l’impasse entre la communauté algonquine du Lac Barrière, QC, et la société Produits forestiers Résolu/Resolute Forest Products (anciennement connue sous le nom d’Abitibi Bowater) en est à son 13ième jour, les membres de la communauté déplacent leur campement de manifestation plus près des opérations d’abbatage afin d’empêcher la continuation de la coupe.

Des familles algonquines ont campé le long du chemin où le déboisement est en train de détruire non seulement l’habitat des lieux sacrés de la communauté, mais aussi celui des orignaux. Ces familles ont vécu des petites victoires en mettant fin au déboisement pendant des périodes de temps. La police, dont certain de l'escouade anti-émeute de Montréal, a accompagné des bûcherons sur le territoire, et y maintient une présence importante. Elle a déjà menacé d’arrêter des membres de la communauté.

Les opérations de la société multi-nationale, dont le siège-social se trouve à Montréal, ont été autorisées par le gouvernement Charest sans le consentement de la communauté et sans l'avoir consultée. Cette autorisation enfreind l’Accord Trilatéral que le gouvernement du Québec a signé avec la communauté du Lac Barrière en 1991.

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“On ne m’a pas consulté et je n’ai donné aucun consentement pour autoriser le déboisement sur notre territoire,” a dit Gabriel Wawaite, aîné de la communauté, dans une lettre envoyée la semaine derniére au premier ministre Jean Charest et au ministre des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune. Bien que la coupe ait lieu sur son territoire et celui de sa famille, iln’a toujours pas reçu de réponse de la part du gouvernement libéral.

“Le gouvernement Charest a agi de mauvaise foi en autorisant cette société a déboisé le territoire en dépit des accords signés avec notre communauté,” dit Norman Matchewan, porte-parole de la communauté. “Par conséquence, nous n’avons pas d'autres options que de tenter d’empêcher la continuation des opérations forestières. Ça fait 20 ans que nous attendons que le gouvernement québécois respecte l’Accord.”

La communauté du Lac Barrière veut que le Québec respecte l’Accord Trilatéral. Il s'agit d'un accord de dévéloppement durable avant-gardiste, qui a reçu l'éloge des Nations Unies. Le gouvernement Charest a aussi ignoréles recommendations de deux anciens ministres du cabinet libéral, soit lereprésentant de Québec John Ciaccia et celui du Lac Barrière Clifford Lincon. Ceux-ci recommendaient que l'Accord soit mis en application. L’Accord vise à permettre l'abbatage tout en protégeant la mode de vie des Algonquines et Algonquins, et il leur offrirait 1,5 million de dollars des 100 million de dollars de revenus issus de l’extraction des ressources sur leur territoire chaque année.

Une manifestation de casseroles en soutient aux AlgonquinEs du Lac Barrière aura lieu mercredi prochain (le 18 juillet) à 11h30, au siège-social de Résolu/Resolute à Montréal.

###

Contact: Porte-parole de la communauté, Norman Matchewan: 819-435-2171, 819-527-0414

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Press Release: Barriere Lake Algonquin Acquitted for Blockade Charges: Forestry Company Caught Lying on the Stand / Un Algonquin du Lac Barriere Acquitte des Accusations Portees Contre Lui Suite A Une Barricade: La Compagnie Forestiere Ment A La Barre

[français ci-dessous]

VAL D'Or, QC - On June 5 2012, Norman Matchewan, a youth spokesperson for the First Nation of Mitchikanibiko'inik (the Algonquins of Barriere Lake), was acquitted on what community members alleged all along were politically motivated charges. Matchewan was acquitted of mischief and obstruction of justice stemming from a 2009 blockade protecting his people’s territory from illegal logging.

Matchewan was defending the forest from logging that had been unlawfully authorized by Quebec’s Ministry of Natural Resources. The logging was also a violation of a 1991 resource co-management agreement signed in 1991 between Barriere Lake, Quebec and Canada.

“Too many native peoples are criminalized for defending their land,” said Matchewan following the acquittal, “Today is a big victory for our community. We will not be intimidated by trumped up legal charges and court battles. We will always protect our land and custom for our future generations.”

Yves Paquette of AbitibiBowater, the forestry company behind the cutting, incriminated himself by repeatedly lying during his cross-examination. Paquette claimed that he encountered no police on the site and was not able to enter the site because the logging road was entirely blocked by the cars of the Barriere Lake community members. However, after seeing video evidence that refuted the latter claim, Paquette also admitted to speaking to two intelligence officers from the Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

Vincent Larin, of the Quebec Ministry of Natural Resources, admitted on the stand that logging permits were issued without any consultation by his Ministry of the family groups whose territories were being logged. Moreover, after first claiming that the cutting permits could not be altered once they were electronically signed and entered in the Ministry’s computer system, he presented the Court with a cutting permit that was substantially different than the version that had been disclosed to the defense.

“They got caught in their own lies,” said Matchewan following the trial. “The Crown’s case, in the end, was so weak that we were not even required to present a defense,” said Jared Will, the lawyer representing Matchewan at trial.

Last year, the community of Barriere Lake discovered a copper and nickel exploration project at the heart of the hunting and fishing area of several Barriere Lake families. The mineral claims,

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named the Rivière Doré property by Cartier Resources, were recently sold to Copper One Inc., based in Montreal. Neither the Quebec government, nor Cartier Resources had met their obligations to obtain the consent of the community before beginning work on the site.

Matchewan was a key voice in the community’s successful struggle to stop the exploration activity by Cartier Resources. Soon after he became active in the anti-mining campaign, he was issued a summons to appear in court for the logging blockade that occurred over two years earlier.

For more information, please contact: Norman Matchewan, (819) 435-2171 or his lawyer, Jared Will, (416) 835 2075.

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Val d’Or, QC – Le 5 juin 2012, Norman Matchewan, porte-parole des jeunes de la Première Nation de Mitchikanibiko'inik (Algonquins du Lac Barrière), a été acquitté d’accusations qualifiées de motivées politiquement par des membres de la communauté. Matchewan a été acquitté de méfaits et d’entrave à la justice suite à une barricade protégeant le territoire de son peuple contre des coupes forestières illégales.

Matchewan défendait la forêt contre des coupes forestières illégalement autorisées par le Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune du Québec. Les coupes étaient aussi en violation d’un accord de co-gestion des ressources signé en 1991 entre la communauté du Lac Barrière, Québec et Ottawa.

« Trop de Premières Nations sont criminalisés pour avoir défendu leurs terres », a dit Matchewan suite au verdict d’acquittement. « Aujourd’hui est une grande victoire pour notre communauté. Nous ne nous laisserons pas intimider par des accusations légales falsifiées et des batailles juridiques. Nous protègerons notre terre et nos coutumes pour nos prochaines générations. »

Yves Paquette d’AbitibiBowater, la compagnie forestière derrière les coupes, s’est incriminé en mentant à plusieurs reprises pendant son contre-interrogatoire. Paquette soutenait qu’il n’avait rencontré aucun policier sur le site et qu’il n’avait pu y accéder parce que le chemin forestier était entièrement bloqué par les voitures des membres de la communauté du Lac Barrière. Toutefois, après avoir visionné une preuve vidéo qui démentait ses propos, Paquette a aussi admis avoir parlé à deux agents de renseignements de la Sûreté du Québec (SQ).

Vincent Larin, du Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, a admis, alors qu’il était à la barre des témoins, que les permis de coupes ont été émis sans aucune consultation de la part du ministère avec les familles dont les territoires étaient soumis aux coupes forestières. De plus, après avoir soutenu que les permis de coupes ne pouvaient être modifiés suite à leurs signatures électroniques et entrés dans le système informatique du Ministère, il a présenté à la Cour un permis de coupes substantiellement différent de la version qui avait été fournie à la défense.

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« Ils se sont perdus dans leurs propres mensonges, » a dit Matchewan suite au procès. « Le dossier de la Couronne, à la fin, était si faible que nous n’avons pas eu à présenter de défense, » a dit Jared Will, l’avocat représentant Marchewan.

L’année dernière, la communauté du Lac Barrière a découvert un projet d’exploration de cuivre et de nickel au cœur de l’aire de chasse et de pêche de plusieurs familles du Lac Barrière. Les claims minéraux, nommées la Rivière Doré, propriété de Cartier Ressources, ont récemment été vendus à Copper One Inc., basé à Montréal. Ni le gouvernement du Québec ni Cartier Ressources n’ont respecté leurs obligations d’obtenir le consentement de la communauté avant de commencer à travailler sur le site.

Matchewan était une voix importante de la lutte, couronnée de succès, de la communauté contre les activités d’exploration de Cartier Ressources. Peu après sa participation active à la campagne contre l’exploitation minière, il a reçu plusieurs sommations, c’est-à-dire des ordres de comparaître en cour, en lien avec une barricade à laquelle il avait participé il y a plus de deux ans.

Pour plus d’information, veuillez contacter: Norman Matchewan au 819-435-2171 ou son avocat, Jared Will, au 416-835-2075.

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Press Release: Algonquins of Barriere Lake Affirm Opposition to Copper One’s Rivière Doré Project and All Claim Staking and Mineral Exploration in their Territory

March 13, 2013

(Rapid Lake, Quebec) Today, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake are re-affirming their opposition to the proposed exploration activities of the junior mining company Copper One (TSX-V: CUO) within their unceded traditional territory. Copper One’s Rivière Doré project is within the area of an existing co-management agreement that Barriere Lake signed with Quebec and Canada in 1991 (the Trilateral Agreement).

The Trilateral Agreement was negotiated in a spirit of coexistence with Quebec and Canada in order to share the responsibility and benefits of sustainably managing a portion of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake’s traditional territory. Mining was not a consideration in the agreement and there has not been a process established by which claim staking, mineral exploration or mining could be considered within our territory. Despite a well-established body of case law (for example the recent decisions in Ross River Dena Council and Wahgoshig First Nation) the Quebec government has not fulfilled its duty to consult, accommodate and seek our consent for claim staking or mineral exploration....

On January 16, Barriere Lake wrote letters to the provincial Ministers of Aboriginal Affairs and Natural Resources regarding the community’s concerns. To date the ministers have failed to respond.

Barriere Lake spokesperson Norman Matchewan says, “We made it clear to Copper One’s predecessor Cartier Resources that they were not welcome in our territory and they left. Maybe

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Copper One thought it got a deal picking up the claims for only $150,000 but they shouldn’t spend any more on this project. Our position remains firm.” Matchewan also says, “Our trust has been broken by the Quebec’s failure to honour past commitments, their failure to take responsibility and by them repeatedly turning a deaf ear to our requests to resolve our situation. In these circumstances, how can we negotiate with them or with private companies that the government is supposed to oversee.”

Elder Michel Thusky says, “This project is in the heart of our territory and could result in irreparable harm to our lands and culture. We are especially concerned about the spawning grounds of the threatened sturgeon population in the area of Copper One’s claims.”

The Algonquins of Barriere Lake are calling on Copper One and other companies with claims in their territory to cease activities on their projects and allow the claims to lapse. In addition to Copper One, the companies with claims in the Trilateral Agreement area include Cenit, Mundiregina, Forest Gate Energy, Mines Virginia and the Quebec government-owned corporation SOQUEM. Barriere Lake are insisting that their traditional territory be withdrawn from staking by the Quebec government – as the Ontario Government removed much of the territory of Oji-Cree community Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug in March 2012.

Copper One’s Rivière Doré Project within the boundaries of the Trilateral AgreementSource: Copper One Inc.

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Press Release: Barriere Lake First Nation Protests at Annual Meeting of Mining Company Drawn to Quebec by Plan Nord: No Mineral Exploration On Our Territory Without Consultation and Community Consent / Representants D’une Premiere Nation A Nontreal Pour Protester A L’Assemblee Generale Annuelle D’une Societe Miniere Attiree Au Quebec Par Le Plan Nord: Pas d’exploration minière sur notre territoire sans consultation et consensus de la communauté

[français ci-dessous]

Montreal – Tuesday, June 19th, 2012

At 10am today at 2000 McGill College avenue, representatives from Barriere Lake and their supporters will be gathering outside the annual meeting of shareholders of Copper One.The Algonquins of Barriere Lake will be sending a clear message to Copper One Inc. and its shareholders: no mineral exploration can take place on Barriere Lake’s territory without the community’s free, prior and informed consent.

The mineral exploration site - the Rivière Doré property located in the southeast of Val d’Or, Quebec - is at the heart of the hunting and fishing ground of several Barriere Lake families, amongst an extensive network of lakes, streams, and rivers. Rivière Doré contains a large amount of copper and nickel deposits, first claimed by Cartier Resources Inc., a junior mining company based in Val d’Or. After length community opposition, on December 15, 2011, Cartier sold its share of the Rivière Doré property to Copper One for $150,000 in cash, 2 million common shares of Copper One, and a royal fee of 1% of the net smelter return.

In May 2011, a letter by the Council of Elders, expressing the community’s opposition to natural resource exploitation within Trilateral Agreement territory, was forwarded to the former President and Chief Executive Officer of Copper One. According to Copper One’s web site, its mining exploration activities on this property have been put on hold, pending negotiations with the First Nations community of Barriere Lake.

Norman Matchewan, a community spokesperson of Barriere Lake, stressed that “there will be no discussions about mining on the territory until the signed 1991 Trilateral Agreement with Quebec and Canada is honoured.”

This is the message that will be relayed at Copper One’s annual meeting of shareholders, today.The 1991 Trilateral Agreement is a resource co-management agreement designed to protect the Algonquin community's way of life by ensuring they have a decisive say over land use in their territory. This agreement, when implemented, will also offer the community a modest share of revenues from economic activities on their lands. The federal and provincial governments have shirked their legal and political responsibility to honour this agreement, stalling sustainable development in the territory from moving peaceably forward.

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The Algonquins of Barriere Lake are concerned that the provincial government may have misled Copper One about the security of their proposed project and may have hid the costs and liabilities the company could incur should the community choose to challenge Copper One’s Rivière Doré project. At this time, the continuation of the project would violate the Trilateral Agreement and would be in contradiction to established Canadian legal precedents and international agreements such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:Norman Matchewan - Community spokesperson (English): 514-550–8706 Steve Baird – Liaison person (English and French): 514-607-838Ramsey Hart – MiningWatch Canada : phone 613-569-3439 / cell 613-298-4745

Community spokesperson Norm Matchewan speaking to the media after addressing the board and investors at the shareholders meeting.

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Montréal – Mardi 19 juin 2012

À 10h00 aujourd’hui au 2000, av. McGill College, des représentants du Lac Barrière et leurs sympathisants se réuniront à l’extérieur de l’assemblée générale annuelle de Copper One Inc.

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Les Algonquins du lac Barrière enverront un message clair à la société minière et ses actionnaires : l’exploration minière ne peut avoir lieu sur le territoire du lac Barrière sans préavis et sans le consentement libre et informé de la communauté.

Le site d’exploration minière en question – la propriété Rivière Doré située dans le Sud-Ouest de Val d’Or au Québec – est au cœur des territoires de chasse et de pêche de nombreuses familles du lac Barrière et fait partie d’un important réseau de lacs, ruisseaux et rivières. La rivière Doré renferme une grande quantité de dépôts de cuivre et de nickel initialement réclamés par Cartier Resources Inc., une compagnie minière junior basée à Val d’Or. Le 15 décembre 2011, Cartier vendait ses parts de la propriété de la rivière Doré à Copper One pour 150 000$ comptant, 2 millions en parts de Copper One et un taux royal de 1% sur les retours nets de la fonderie.

En mai 2011, le Conseil des Aînés a fait parvenir une lettre à l’ex-Président Directeur Général de Copper One exprimant l’opposition de la communauté à l’exploitation minière sur un territoire inclus dans l’Entente trilatérale. Selon le site web de Copper One, les activités d’exploration de la compagnie sont suspendues en attendant les négociations avec les communautés des Premières Nations du lac Barrière.

Norman Matchewan, un porte-parole de la communauté du lac Barrière soutient : «[qu’]il n’y aura pas de discussion en lien avec l’exploitation minière sur le territoire tant que l’Entente trilatérale signée avec le Québec et le Canada ne sera pas respectée.»

Ceci constitue le message qui sera lancé lors de l’assemblée de Copper One aujourd’hui.

L’Entente trilatérale de 1991 est un accord de co-gestion des ressources qui a été mise de l’avant pour protéger le mode de vie de la communauté algonquine en lui assurant un pouvoir décisionnel sur l’utilisation des terres sur son territoire. Cette entente, lorsque implantée, rapportera une modeste part des revenus d’activités économiques réalisées sur le territoire. En ne respectant pas cet accord, les gouvernements provincial et fédéral ignorent leurs responsabilités légales et politiques, empêchant le développement durable du territoire de se faire dans le calme.

Les Algonquins du lac Barrière craignent que le gouvernement provincial ait mal informé Copper One de la faisabilité de son projet et ait dissimulé les coûts et responsabilités qui pourraient être encourus par l’entreprise si la communauté choisissait de contester le projet de la rivière Doré. Si c’était le cas, la poursuite du projet violerait l’Entente trilatérale et contreviendrait aux précédents légaux canadiens établis ainsi qu’à des ententes internationales telles que la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones.

POUR DE PLUS AMPLES RENSEIGNEMENTS, VEUILLEZ CONTACTER :Norman Matchewan – Porte-parole de la communauté (anglais) et : 514-550-8706Steve Baird – Agent de liaison (anglais et français) : 514-607-8383Ramsey Hart – MiningWatch Canada : téléphone 613-569-3439 / cellulaire 613-298-4745

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Press Release: Barriere Lake Algonquin affirm opposition to mine during Montreal company meeting: threat of mining on their land exposes failure of Quebec’s Mining Act /La communauté algonquine du Lac Barrière s’oppose à un projet minier lors d’une réunion de cette compagnie à Montréal : la menace minière sur leurs terres expose l’échec de la Loi sur les mines québécoise.

[français ci-dessous]

Friday, May 20, 2011

Montreal /– Today, community members from the Algonquin First Nation of Barriere Lake traveled to Montreal to attend the annual general meeting of Val-D'Or-based Cartier Resources Inc., where they affirmed that the overwhelming majority of their First Nation is opposed to the company’s Rivière Doré copper mining project moving forward on their traditional territory. A solidarity demonstration will happen outside of the shareholders meeting at 11:30 am at Dorchester Square, the corner of Peel and Rene-Levesque.

“The Charest government’s planned amendments to Quebec’s Mining Act do nothing to address the basic human rights violation at its core: the fact that no communities, including First Nations, have the right to give their free, prior and informed consent to a mining project,” said Norman Matchewan, a community spokesperson for Barriere Lake.

The right to free, prior and informed consent to any development is enshrined in the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, which has been endorsed by the Canadian government.

In March, Barriere Lake community members discovered copper exploration activities on their traditional territory, south-east of Val D’Or, Quebec. The land has never been ceded by the Algonquins of Barriere Lake, who hold constitutionally-protected Aboriginal title and rights at the site of the potential mine. The land is also already covered by an agreement signed between Quebec and Canada and the First Nation in 1991. This Trilateral Agreement – a sustainable development plan for 10,000 square kilometres of Barriere Lake’s traditional territory – has been praised by the United Nations, but both Quebec and Canada have refused to implement it. The Elders Council of Barriere Lake issued a letter to the Quebec Minister of Natural Resources and Wildlife on May 2 declaring that the community will not allow any resource extraction like mining on their traditional territory until the Trilateral Agreement is implemented. “Charest’s claim that the Mining Act amendments fit the ‘principles of sustainable development’ is totally hollow,” said Matchewan."If the Quebec government were concerned about sustainable

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development, they would not allow a mining company to explore and open a mine against the wishes of a community, to engage in activities that will have negative impacts on the land, water, animals and plants that we depend on. We will not allow this mine to be built.”

The mineral exploration activities have currently stopped, after community members went to the potential mine site to request that the workers leave. The workers respected the community’s wishes.

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Media contacts:Norm Matchewan, community spokesperson: 514-578-7109

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Vendredi le 20 mai 2011

Montréal/ - Aujourd’hui, des membres de la communauté autochtone algonquine du Lac Barrière se déplacent à Montréal afin de prendre part à l’assemblée générale annuelle de Cartier Resources Inc., où ils veulent exprimer l’opposition, par la grande majorité de leur communauté, au projet Rivière Doré, projet d’exploration puis d’exploitation possible de cuivre, sur leur territoire ancestral. Une manifestation de solidarité aura lieu au Carré Dorchester, au coin de Peel et René-Lévesque pendant la réunion des actionnaires de Cartier Resources Inc.

« Le gouvernement Charest planifie des amendements à la Loi sur les mines qui ne changeront en rien la violation des droits humains de base au cœur de cette loi : le fait qu’aucune communauté, incluant les Premières Nations, n’ait le droit de donner leur libre consentement préalable et éclairé à un projet» dit Norman Matchewan, a porte-parole de la communauté du Lac Barrière.

Le droit du libre consentement préalable et éclairé à tout projet de développement est au cœur de la Déclaration des Nations Unies sur les droits des peuples autochtones, qui a été avalisée par le gouvernement du Canada.

En mars, les membres de la communauté du Lac Barrière se sont rendus compte que des activités d’exploration de cuivre avaient lieu sur leur territoire ancestral, au sud-est de Val D’Or. Cette terre n’a jamais été cédée par les Algonquins du Lac Barrière, qui possèdent le titre aborigène, protégé par la Constitution, du site minier potentiel.

Cette terre fait aussi l’objet d’une entente tripartite signée par la communauté et les gouvernements du Québec et du Canada en 1991. Cette Entente trilatérale – un plan de développement durable couvrant les 10 000 km carrés du territoire ancestral du Lac Barrière – a

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été louangée par les Nations Unies. Toutefois, tant les gouvernements canadien que québécois ont refusé de la mettre en application.

Le conseil des Aînés du Lac Barrières ont écrit une lettre au Ministre des Ressources Naturelles et de la Faune du Québec le 2 mai déclarant que la communauté n’autoriserait aucune exploitation de ressources telle qu’un projet minier sur leur territoire ancestral tant et aussi longtemps que l’Entente trilatérale ne sera pas mise en application.

« L’affirmation de Charest, selon laquelle les amendements à la Loi sur les minutes suivent les ‘principes du développement durable’ est complètement fausse, » dit Matchewan. « Si le gouvernement du Québec était préoccupé par le développement durable, il ne permettrait pas à une compagnie minière d’explorer et d’ouvrir une mine contre la volonté d’une communauté, de se livrer à des activités qui auront un impact négatif sur la terre, l’eau, les animaux et les plantes dont nous dépendons. Nous ne permettrons pas la construction de cette mine. »

Les activités d’exploration minière sont présentement suspendues : les membres de la communauté ont demandé aux employés de quitter le site minier potentiel. Ceux-ci ont respecté la volonté de la communauté.

La manifestation de solidarité se rendra aussi en bas des bureaux de Windermere Capital et de la Caisse de Dépôt et Placement du Québec, deux investisseurs importants de Cartier Resources Inc, afin d’encourager le désinvestissement du projet minier.

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Contact pour les médias:Norm Matchewan, porte-parole de la communauté: 514-578-7109

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Letter to Quebec Ministers From the Council of Elders Re: Natural Resources Exploitation with Trilateral Agreement Territory

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You can obtain a copy of this letter here.

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1996 Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples: Barriere Lake Trilateral Agreement, Quebec

The traditional territory of the Algonquin of Barriere Lake in Quebec has long been subject to encroachment by industrial and recreational interests. Earlier this century, hydroelectric development had adverse effects on wildlife resources and their habitat. Although the province of Quebec established a hunting reserve in 1928 — the Grand Lac Victoria Reserve, for the exclusive use of First Nations people — the construction of a highway through the area increased recreational hunting pressure. As a result, a significant portion of the reserve was turned over to non-Aboriginal use. The reserve became a park, and recreational and tourist use further increased. However, logging operations in the area have been the major source of conflict, exacerbated by the provincial forestry management and land use planning regime, which has made little attempt to address the ecological impact of resource extraction activities.37

In the late 1980s, when the province began to lock surrounding lands into 25-year timber supply and forest management agreements (CAAF) with logging companies, the Algonquin decided to challenge the province by seeking a court injunction as an immediate step to alleviate continuingpressure on their traditional land base and to force the federal and provincial governments into negotiations.

The Barriere Lake Trilateral Agreement, between the Algonquin of Barriere Lake, the province of Quebec and the government of Canada, was signed on 22 August 1991. The agreement covers a 10,000 square kilometre territory within La Verendrye Park, in which the Algonquin pursue traditional activities. In a strategic move by the community, the agreement was not based on recognition of Algonquin title or rights to the land and resources within the region. What the Barriere Lake Algonquin sought, rather, was to alleviate immediate resource extraction pressures and force the Quebec and federal governments into “negotiations aimed at a trilateral agreement on integrated resource management which would take Algonquin land use into account”.38

The Algonquin succeeded in reaching an agreement built on the concept of “sustainable development” as proposed in the Brundtland report (the report of the World Commission on Environment and Department).

The objective of the agreement is to reconcile the forestry operations of the various companies operating in the area with the environmental concerns and traditional ways of life of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake whose home it is.39

The trilateral agreement did not establish a board to oversee management activities in the region. Instead, it established a four-year phased process to prepare a draft integrated management plan for renewable resources (defined as forests and wildlife) involving the following activities:

• the design and implementation of interim protection measures for the duration of the agreement;

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• the analysis and evaluation of existing data and information and compilation of new inventories and information on renewable resource use, potential impact and interaction of activities related to their exploitation, and development within the perimeter of the territory;

• the initiation of an education process for this comprehensive process;• the preparation of an integrated management plan for renewable resources based on the above

work; and• the formulation of recommendations for implementing the management plan.40

To continue reading: http://sdcanada.org/images/sb1/RoyalCommissiononAboriginalPeoples-BL-relevant-content-from-Ch4.pdf

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Excerpts from “Algonquins of Barriere Lake: Man-Mad Impacts on the Community and Fish & Wildlife, 1870-1979”

Preliminary Conclusions.

A number of preliminary conclusions can be drawn from the results of this review. These can be summarized as follows:

• Impacts on the community of Barriere Lake have been severe & sustained over a long period of time, and largely negative. Historically, external impacts on fish and wildlife populations have also been severe, sustained, and largely negative, although there have been peaks and valleys in efforts to protect and sustain these populations over the years.

• Overall, the Provincial government’s approach to both the allocation of resources, and the management of those resources, has not adequately considered or accommodated Algonquin needs, interests, practises, or prior use. As a general rule, priority and benefit has been given to non-resident interests, whether they be timber companies, hydro, tourists, or sports hunters. Also as a general rule, the Algonquins have received little or no benefit, and in fact have suffered hardship and loss as a result.

• There is a long history of involvement by the federal government to intervene with the provincial government on behalf of the Algonquins of the area generally, and the Barriere Lake people specifically. This began at least as early as the 1870s’s with the provision of relief and occasional health care. It continued in the early 20th century with efforts to seek amendments to prejudicial elements of the provincial fish & game laws, and obtain reserve lands. These efforts continued in the 1940's and 1950's with the federal government taking over active management of the Grand Lac beaver preserve and paying for it’s operation, as well as signing an agreement with Quebec in 1941 regarding the Mont Laurier highway Fishing reserve. In this respect, the federal government’s participation in the original Trilateral Agreement is not something new, but rather a continuation of a long-standing pattern of commitment and acknowledgement of responsibility.

• Despite years of sustained negative impacts, Algonquin use of fish and wildlife resources within their traditional territory has persisted. Perhaps even more important, Algonquin management techniques have continued to be applied wherever and whenever circumstances have permitted.

To read the full report: http://web.resist.ca/~barrierelakesolidarity/resources/man-made-impacts-final-draft.pdf

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The Joint 7 Recommendations

Within the Trilateral Agreement, the ABL had a decisive voice on how logging (and any other resource extractive) practices should happen. It is considered a treaty by Quebec Supreme Court Judge Rejean Paul in one of his reports.

All the conflict around the land issues could have been avoided if the government had implemented the joint 7 recommendations negotiated under the framework of the Trilateral Agreement by the two former Liberal Cabinet Ministers - John Ciaccia (representing Quebec) and Clifford Lincoln (representing Barriere Lake) in 2006.

These 7 joint recommendations deal with the seven points:

1. Recognition of the Trilateral Agreement Territory,2. Integrated Resource Management Plan,3. Participation in management of renewable resources,4. Revenue sharing and access to resources,5. Expansion of the land base in Rapid Lake,6. Electrification of Rapid Lake,7. Signing of a legally binding document.

It is our community’s wish that these recommendations be implemented. This will help us protect the sacred sites for our future generations, so that they can maintain connections to the land. Only by being out on the land can our language and identity survive.

You can read about the 7 recommendations here.

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Other Resources

A good article in La Presse from 2008: http://www.lapresse.ca/actualites/national/200811/20/01-802472-des-barricades-sur-la-117.php

Short Video: http://vimeo.com/23103527#

Longer Video From Blockade of 2008: http://blip.tv/barrierlakesolidarity/blockade-on-the-117-1649598

Op-Ed by Norman Matchewan In 2008: http://solidaritelacbarriere.blogspot.ca/2008/09/lawrence-cannon-et-lac-barriere.html

Barriere Lake Solidarity Web Site: www.barrierelakesolidarity.org

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