The Innu Nation isn’t mincing words, coming down hard on a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the federal government and the NunatuKavut Community Council on the eve of a federal election.
The Innu Nation calls the MOU, signed this week, a political stunt to shore up support for Labrador MP Yvonne Jones.
Grand Chief Gregory Rich says the Innu are “infuriated” by what he calls Canada’s “double-dealing.” He says by “fast-tracking the NCC through the negotiation process:” Jones is “putting her own self-interests” in front of her responsibilities as MP for all of Labrador.
The Innu Nation says it entered the land claim process over 40 years ago and it took over a decade of additional work with anthropologists and ethnographers to verify Innu land use and occupancy studies to establish land claim boundaries. A framework agreement was reached in 1996, and it took another 15 years to achieve an Agreement in Principle in 2011.
The Innu Nation is accusing the federal government of acting “dishonorably” on two separate occasions; first by embarking on exploratory talks without any detail being disclosed to the Innu Nation. And secondly with what they are calling a “secret deal with the NCC” that give them a seat at the “rights recognition table” without considering the impact on the Innu.
Peter Penashue previously called the NCC a “settler group.” The Innu Nation says NunatuKavut was only “unveiled” in 2010 and are now presenting themselves as Inuit with claims to land and rights throughout Innu territory.
They call NCC’s maps and claims offensive, and Grand Chief Rich says the NCC is now being rushed to the front of the line while the Innu “are being trampled.”
The NunatuKavut Community Council says it represents Southern Inuit and is looking for land rights recognition.
MP Jones ‘Taken Aback’ by Comments
Labrador MP Yvonne Jones says she was “taken aback” by what she called the Grand Chief’s comments.
She says NunatuKavut have filed land claims and rights claims with the federal government for well over 30 years. Jones says as a government reconciliation is a priority, and that means inclusion, not exclusion.
