Born into a treaty and raised on resistance: Cree Youth mark 50 Years of the James Bay Treaty at the UN

Every seat was filled as attendees gathered to hear from Cree youth at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues in New York on Tuesday. They represent the first generation raised entirely under the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, Canada’s first modern treaty, signed Nov. 11, 1975. The landmark deal between the Eeyou (Cree), Inuit, Quebec, and Canada settled a comprehensive land claim and launched 11 Cree communities on a path to self-government. “I think what’s different for us is that we have a certain standard to live up to and a legacy to continue to carry for our future generation,” said Tanisha Bear, 18, from Mistissini. “It’s a lot of pressure, but it’s also, they gave us, they provided us with the tools so that we can sustain that. We can sustain our land and our practices and our language.” The James Bay hydroelectric project that sparked the agreement devastated traditional lands. Launched in 1971, without Cree consent, it flooded vast areas of Eeyou Istchee, destroyed hunting and fishing grounds, raised Mercury levels in some lakes, and forced the relocation of entire communities. The agreement that followed created a land classification system. Category one lands are reserved for Cree use; category two lands give Cree people exclusive hunting, fishing, and trapping rights; and Category three lands are shared with non-Indigenous users under regulation. “As youth, we were born into that agreement,” said law student Esquay Masty of Nemaska. “We had our rights protected, we had our lands protected, our territories were available. “I’m able to go to my camp and there’s no dam there. I’m hoping to have that available for my children, for my grandchildren.” The agreement also laid the groundwork for Cree self-government and economic development. Over time, more than 20 supplementary agreements have built on the original deal. Today, the Cree Nation Government oversees justice, policing, education, health, language revitalization, and sustainable development — all rooted in Cree law and values. Cree youth are now looking ahead “We’re very lucky that they grounded those values in us and they were role models to us,” said Bear, reflecting on leaders like Billy Diamond, who became the youngest chief in Canada at the age of 21, and Matthew Coon Come, who entered politics the same age and later served as grand chief. “So, I’m not saying we’ll have an easier time, we have something to build off.” Kevin-Joseph Mianscum, 22, one of the youngest councillors in Mistissini, is part of that next generation. He’s studying accounting at Harvard University online and would like to see the nation have its own post-secondary education system close to home. The community of Chisasibi, the most northern Cree community that sits on the James Bay coast, is trying to build a college with a focus on science and technology. “Where they’re trying to move forward is like studying our land and the plants and the water and where we can better understand what we can protect, what we have to protect,” said Mianscum. Masty added, “We need to be thinking of science and research through an Indigenous lens, moving away from a Western lens.” Still, the youth did not shy away from acknowledging ongoing challenges, particularly in healing from intergenerational trauma. “Residential schools, they taught us to be ashamed of ourselves, to turn to drugs, to turn to alcohol, to just wipe out our feelings,” said Masty. “And I think it’s very important that as Cree youth, we show that you can break the cycle. You can turn away from drugs, you can turn away from alcohol. It’s not the only path.” Self-government has allowed for the development of land-based healing programs. “There’s a land-based program where people can go out onto the land and use the land to heal. I think it’s very important to break that cycle,” said Masty. Mianscum emphasized that healing programs must go deeper. “Although we have these many programs and services available for our people back home, we have to integrate love into these programs. The soul love, that’s something that they need. All of the issues they faced in the past is something that really encloses them. If we don’t move with love, nothing can really happen. We have to be genuine in everything we do, especially with the programming we provide and the advantages we have right now.” While at the UN, the Cree youth delegation connected with their counterparts from the Tŝilhqot’in Nation and are now planning a cultural exchange. Continue Reading