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First Nations Chiefs in Quebec say AOO vote results point to an illegitimate process
March 21, 2016
A press release today from the chiefs of three Algonquin First Nations describes the recent Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) ratification vote as evidence of how the AOO process initiated in 1992 lacks legitimacy.
“The governments of Ontario and Canada have a legal duty to consult and accommodate the Algonquin communities who assert an interest in the AOO claim area. So far, they have refused to consult in a meaningful way, let alone accommodate. This is in breach of their legal duties to the Algonquin people, and a blot on their record,” the press release says.
The Algonquin First Nations of Timiskaming, Wolf Lake and Kebaowek (Eagle Village) in Quebec have overlapping interests in almost 900,000 acres of the territory covered by the AOO process. They first asserted those rights in 2013 and have reasserted them since. Despite this, the AOO, Canada and Ontario have not invited these legitimate Algonquin First Nations to the negotiating table.
Read the full text of the press release (PDF), which contains contact information for the Chiefs.