Paris, February 2 (No.2001-18) - Three leaders of indigenous communities and the minister charged with indigenous affairs in Quebec today discussed the state of relations between the government and the communities and their hopes for their future development at a meeting organized by the Permanent Delegation of Canada to UNESCO and the General Delegation of Quebec in Paris in co-operation with UNESCO’s Division of Cultural Policies, within the framework of the International Decade of the World’s Indigenous People 1995-2004 at Organization Headquarters.

Following an introduction by Mounir Bouchenaki, UNESCO Assistant Director-General for Culture, Guy Chevrette, Minister of Transport and Minister Responsible for Aboriginal Affairs of the government of Quebec, explained there were a total of 54 indigenous communities in Quebec, ranging from small groups to one of 8,000. There are around 115,000 indigenous people in Quebec, of which 75,000 live in indigenous communities and 40,000 live within cities or municipalities. A striking feature of this population is its youth: 60% are under 30, of which 34% are under 15.

Mr Chevrette said the Quebec government had changed its approach to indigenous people: “We have successfully moved from an approach of confrontation to an approach promoting dialogue and negotiation to resolve the most difficult issues.” The minister said his aim in the next few years was to reduce the inequalities between indigenous people and the rest of the population, especially to create jobs for young indigenous people among whom unemployment is particularly high.

Pita Aatami, President of the Makivik Corporation and representative of 10,000 Inuits in Nunavik, explained how his community was attempting to survive in the modern world while keeping their traditions alive. “The Inuits were nomadic people before the signing of the James Bay Agreement; they started to live in [settled] communities and had to adapt to a different world and it wasn’t easy,” he said. Despite the 90 million Canadian dollars received from the 1975 James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, which were invested and used to create a caribou processing company, two airlines and a seafood company, the changes have caused upheaval, especially for the older people in the community, he said.

Simon Awashish, Chief of the 2,000-strong Attikameks of Obdejwan, fully agreed that the invasion of the modern world - especially rapid changes in transportation and communication - in the indigenous communities could cause shock, but he said: “The most dangerous thing is to remain isolated. We must open up to the outside world.”

Clifford Moar, Chief of the Innus of Mashteuiatsh, said the key to the future was building a society which would suit the children of his community and lead his people to happiness. Mr Moar was convinced that his people can live in harmony with the 290,000 non-indigenous people who used his people’s land: “The land belongs to the Creator. It is up to us to strike a balance and to play our role as custodian of the land, but we need to be given the means to do that.”

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