WENDAKE, QC, Aug. 19, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador asks that the sacred territory of the Anishnabe-Algonquins situated on Îles Akikodjiwan (Chaudière River) between Ottawa and Gatineau be recognized and protected. These sacred and never ceded territories are still being used today by the Anishnabe-Algonquins, and this, despite the plundering and illegal industrial development which have taken place for decades without the consent of First Nations.
"It is incredible that settler governments should continue to impose their law without regard for the title and aboriginal and treaty rights, and that they dare do so right in the heart of Canada's Capital, which is the seat of the institutions responsible for ensuring that the commitments of the Crown are respected!", stated Ghislain Picard, Chief of the AFNQL.
Chief Picard was responding to the housing development project announced on a territory known to be historically sacred to the Anishnabe-Algonquin Nation, including the Islands now called Albert and Victoria, which are regularly used for ceremonial purposes by First Nations.
The AFNQL asks that the governments which have made these territories their own, come to an agreement with the First Nations, first to ensure the protection, and then, to determine a respectful use which could be of benefit to all.
About the AFNQL
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec and Labrador is the political organization regrouping 43 Chiefs of the First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. www.apnql-afnql.com.
SOURCE Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
Mélanie Vincent: [email protected], Cell.: 418 580-4442
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