The President of the NunatuKavut Community Council is categorizing court action being taken against the federal government by the Innu Nation a form of “racism.”

Todd Russell was responding to the Innu Nation’s attempt to quash the MOU signed last month with the federal government.

NCC condemns Innu Nation's attempt to quash our Memorandum of Understanding with Canada as form of #racism and lateral violence. @NTVNewsNL @VOCMNEWS @APTNNews @CBCNL @CBCCanada @globeandmail @GlobalNational pic.twitter.com/1DMOkLTnZ5

— NunatuKavut (@NunatuKavut) October 8, 2019

The Innu Nation says it is very concerned that the NunatuKavut land claim, which overlaps Innu land claim territory by 85 per cent, is being expedited even as the Innu continue their decades-long process.

The Innu have long questioned the legitimacy of NunatuKavut’s Indigenous claims.

NCC President Todd Russell calls that, and the language used against them, appalling. He goes as far as to call it a form of racism.

Russell says it’s sad that it’s come to this. He says there’s a better way, but it’s not through the courts in his opinion.