Credit: CBC.CA

Newfoundland and Labrador…
prepare for the storm know as the Innu Strategic Alliance. The ISA include the Innu community Chiefs of Ekuanitshit, Matimekush-Lac John, Pessamit, Uashat mak Mani-Utenam, and Unamen Shipu, representing about 12,000 people, which is 70% of the Innu nation living in Quebec. The Innu Strategic Alliance enables parties to defend their rights and, through convergent interests, to initiate joint actions of all kinds to achieve political, economic, and judicial results. An extremely sad situation has developed.

Recently 150 ISA hunters were exercising their aboriginal right to hunt on Nitassinan (Innu territory) when one of their members fell ill. At about the same time, NL conservation officers arrived and it is alleged that instead of calling for assistance to medi-vac the hunter, they detained the group for about three hours. The officers at some point realized the hunter was truly sick and called for help. The hunter was sent to Churchill Falls hospital then Goose Bay hospital and ended up in St. John’s where he passed away.

Constitutional rights, political mix ups and death of an Innu Nation member can mean only trouble for governments and companies who are attempting to extract revenues from the Innu and Nitassinan.

As for the deal that was recently inked with the NL Innu….you have been forewarned.

(PS. Mr. Jean-Marc Bellefleur age 47 of Unamen Shipu (Québec) was the Innu hunter who passed away).