Cree-Quebec love-in short-lived

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A surprise breakthrough has occurred in relations between Crees and Quebec, but not all Cree leaders are certain it's a step in the right direction. Grand Chief Matthew Coon Come, and the Cree chiefs held their first meeting with Quebec Premier Jacques Parizeau on May 23. They agreed to resume formal talks on a wide range of disputed issues-economic devel-opment, infrastructure, services for Elders and the "modernization" of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement of 1975.

The deal put an end to six years without formal talks between Crees and Quebec. Talks were suspended in 1989 when the Quebec government announced plans for the $13.3-billion Great Whale River Project.

The new deal is outlined in a two-page "memorandum of understand-ing" negotiated by Chief Billy Diamond of Waskaganish and David Cliche, the Parti Quebecois' adviser on Native issues.

"We can go to court but we still have to talk. We can go to the inter-national community and make speeches but we still have to talk," said Coon Come. "We haven't given up anything. But I think we have an obligation to Crees to take this government to task."

Coon Come said that Quebec sovereignty is not on the table. "We agreed to disagree to disagree on the issue of sovereignty," he said, adding that Crees will discuss their future at upcoming hearings of the Eeyou-Astchee Commission on the Cree Future.

In the deal, Quebec agreed to start talks on giving Crees funds for sewers and water distribution, economic development and care for Elders and people with disabilities. Talks are also supposed to start on revenue-sharing from development projects, reorganizing Quebec government enti-ties in James Bay, and eventually larger questions like self-government.

In return, the Cree Chiefs temporarily shelved their court challenges to the Great Whale project. But some Cree leaders have concerns about the deal.

"I strongly recommended to the Cree chiefs not to sign," said Deputy Grand Chief Kenny Blacksmith. "Basically we do everything for them and they do nothing for us."

Blacksmith said that he and other chiefs "only learned at the 11the hour" about the deal and Crees didn't have enough time to discuss it inter-nally. He said the deal gave the PQs "a photo-op for their own agenda," while Crees got only minor concessions on services which other Canadians take for granted as basic rights. Larger questions like self-government, Abo-riginal rights and the recognition of Crees as a nation are getting shoved aside, he added.

"I'm not against everything that's being done," he said. "I'm just concerned."

Chief Matthew Mukash of Whapmagoostui (Great Whale) was also concerned about the lack of debate on the deal before the signing. He only learned the day of the signing that the deal was about to be signed.

"The people should've been given an opportunity to examine this be-fore it was signed," he said. "No band councils got a chance to see this."

Chief Abel Bosum of Ouje-Bouboumou said the deal will benefit those Cree communities that urgently require money for infrastructure, but overlooks issues important to other communities and to the Cree Nation as a whole.

"We shouldn't have to negotiate to be eligible for existing programs. If we're going to negotiate, we should negotiate fundamental issues-jurisdiction, rights and resources," he said. "This is why I have difficulty to understand why we have to go through these elaborate negotiations to get these basic things."

The benefits of the deal will only be clear with time, but already it seems that the love-in between the province of Quebec and Crees was short-lived. Cree representatives have started meeting Quebec officials to request funding for specific projects in their communities, but so far virtually all the projects have been turned down.