Territorial Integrity Quebec: You are Forgetting the Right of First Nations to Self-determination
WENDAKE, QC, April 10, 2019 /CNW Telbec/ - After the National Assembly passed a motion on the territorial integrity of Quebec, the Chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL), Mr. Ghislain Picard, reminds us that Indigenous Peoples have the right to self-determination.
"The Government of Quebec, in defending the territorial integrity of Quebec by denying our aboriginal and treaty rights, our Indigenous title and our political sovereignty, is blatantly ignorant. Must we remind you again that this 'territory' is still unceded indigenous land? It is not up to anyone but ourselves to decide our future. We will never accept that our self-determination be subordinated to that of another nation," said Ghislain Picard, AFNQL Chief.
Article 3 of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples clearly states that "Indigenous peoples have the right to self-determination. By virtue of this right, they freely determine their political status and freely pursue their economic, social and cultural development." Moreover, Article 26 confirms that "Indigenous peoples have the right to lands, territories and resources that they have and traditionally occupy or have used or acquired."
Chief Picard salutes the consistency of Québec Solidaire MPs who recognize that the rights of Indigenous Peoples are inescapable and non-negotiable. "The elected representatives in the National Assembly should all recognize that our peoples form separate nations with the right to freely choose their destiny and not be subjected to the will of another nation. Pretending the contrary shows a complete lack of respect towards our peoples," concluded the AFNQL Chief.
You can consult the full text of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples at the following address:
About the AFNQL
The Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador is the political organization regrouping 43 Chiefs of the First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. Follow us on Twitter @APNQL.
SOURCE Assembly of First Nations of Quebec and Labrador
News published on and distributed by:
