BARRIERE LAKE INDIAN GOVERNMENT GOUVERNEMENT AUTOCHTONE DU LAC BARRIRE

PRESS RELEASE

Only Green Party and NDP Respond to Algonquins of Barriere Lake as the BQ and Conservatives Ignore Issues While Liberals Refuse to go on Record

(Kitiganik, Algonquin Territory/October 16, 2015) Today a Quebec First Nation released the Green and NDP responses to questions issued to political parties to determine who is best capable of respecting their rights in northwest Quebec. The Bloc Quebecois and the Conservative Party of Canada did not even give the courtesy of acknowledging receipt of the letter from the Chief. The Liberal Party of Canada sent Pontiac Candidate William Amos to meet with Chief Casey Ratt, but declined to provide any written responses to the questions sent by Chief Ratt. Chief Casey Ratt sent a letter to the main Federal Leaders and Candidates in the federal ridings of Abitibi-Baie James-Nunavik-Eeyou and Pontiac asking the following questions. The questions were:

1. If your party forms the government, will you agree to resuming full federal participation in the Trilateral Agreement, including those aspects of the 1998 Agreement signed with Quebec, which require federal involvement?

2. If your party forms the government will you agree to engaging in good faith

negotiations to clarify the financial situation of our First Nation as provided in the Special Provisions attached to and forming part of the Funding Arrangements between ABL and DIAND from September 1997 until March 31, 2007, including the issue of compensation for the decision by DIAND of January 23, 1996, to place our First Nation into Third Party Management?

3. If your party forms the government will you agree to fulfilling the terms of the

Memorandum of Mutual Intent (MMI) signed by then ABL Chief, Harry Wawatie, and then DM of DIAND, Scott Serson, on October 21, 1997, and to this end, to negotiate a schedule and budget for fulfilling the elements of the Global Proposal, attached to the MMI, including funding to enable the ABL to participate in negotiations with AANDC?

BARRIERE LAKE INDIAN GOVERNMENT GOUVERNEMENT AUTOCHTONE DU LAC BARRIRE

4. If your party forms the government will you agree to negotiate a suitable joint administration regime for the delivery of federal programs and services?

5. If your party forms the government will you agree to the appointment, as soon as

practicable after forming government, of a federal negotiator to negotiate the above-noted items on behalf of the federal government, mandated by and reporting directly to the Minister or the DM of AANDC in consultation with our Special Representative Mr. Clifford Lincoln and myself as Chief to identify a federal negotiator mutually acceptable to AANDC and our First Nation?

We have attached the responses to these questions from Green Party Leader Ms. Elizabeth May and NDP Leader Tom Mulcair. Chief Casey Ratt stated We are pleased that the Leaders of the Green Party and the NDP took the time to respond to our questions, which affect the future of our First Nation and we urge those who intend to vote in the federal election to support either of these two parties. We expected that the Bloc Quebecois and the Conservatives would just ignore our letter and they did, but the Liberal candidate William Amos told us that the Liberal Party didnt know enough about our issues to respond in writing, even though Mr. Amos has been involved in the region and the Liberal Party for years. We just dont find his position or that of the Liberal Party of Canada credible, because the Liberals were the federal government who first broke agreements with our community, which the Harper government has just continued to ignore.

-30- For More Information Contact: Chief Casey Ratt Cell: (819) 441-8002 Tony Wawatie, Interim Director-General Cell: (819) 355-3662 Michel Thusky (French) Spokesperson Telephone: (819) 435-2171 & 435-2172

ChiefCaseyRattAlgonquinsofBarriereLake

September30,2015

DearChiefRatt,Pleasefindattachedourresponsestoyourquestionnaire.Forfulldisclosure,in199192IworkedundercontracttoassisttheAlgonquinsofBarriereLakeimplementtheTrilateralAgreement.Thankyouagainforwriting.Sincerely,

ElizabethMayLeaderoftheGreenPartyofCanada

AlgonquinsofBarriereLake

1. Ifyourpartyformsthegovernment,willyouagreetoresumingoffullfederalparticipationintheTrilateralAgreement,includingthoseaspectsofthe1998AgreementsignedwithQuebec,whichrequirefederalinvolvement?

TheGreenPartyrecognizesthetraditionalAboriginalrightsandtitleoftheAlgonquinsofBarriereLakeundertheTrilateralAgreement.WearecommittedtohonouringCanadasfiduciaryresponsibilityandtherightsofIndigenousPeoples,includingtreatyrightsandinherentrightstoselfgovernment.AsElizabethMayhassaid:ThefederalgovernmenthasconsistentlytriedtoviolateagreementsandinterferewiththeinternalaffairsofthisFirstNation,allinanefforttoaccessthenaturalresourcesoftheirtraditionalterritory.Obviously,theyhopetoweakenthiscommunitytothepointwheretheloggingcompaniescantakeover.Itisshameful.OurpoliciesareguidedbytherecommendationsmadeintheRoyalCommissiononAboriginalPeople(RCAP),theUnitedNationsDeclarationontheRightsofIndigenousPeople(UNDRIP),andtheTruthandReconciliationCommission(TRC).WewillseektoreestablishatruenationtonationrelationshipandresumefederalparticipationintheTrilateralAgreement.

2. IfyourpartyformsthegovernmentwillyouagreetoengagingingoodfaithnegotiationstoclarifythefinancialsituationofourFirstNationasprovidedintheSpecialProvisionsattachedtoandformingpartoftheFundingArrangementsbetweenABLandDIANDfromSeptember1997untilMarch31,2007,includingtheissueofcompensationforthedecisionbyDIANDofJanuary23,1996,toplaceourFirstNationintoThirdPartyManagement?

TheGreenPartywillengageingoodfaithnegotiationstoclarifythefinancialsituationofyourFirstNation.Weopposedtheheavyhanded,paternalisticFirstNationsFinancialTransparencyAct.IfGreensweretoformgovernment,wewouldspendourtimeconsultingandworkingwithFirstNationsinequalpartnership,insteadofimposingthistopdownlegislation.

3. IfyourpartyformsthegovernmentwillyouagreetofulfillingthetermsoftheMemorandumofMutualIntent(MMI)signedbythenABLChief,HarryWawatie,andthenDMofDIAND,ScottSearson,onOctober21,1997,andtothisend,tonegotiateascheduleandbudgetforfulfillingtheelementsoftheGlobalProposal,attachedtotheMMI,includingfundingtoenabletheABLtoparticipateinnegotiationswithAANDC?

TheGreenPartywillfulfillthetermsoftheMMIandtoengageinnegotiationstofulfilltheGlobalProposal.TruenationtonationnegotiationsarenotconditionaluponaFirstNationsfinancialhealthindeedthefutureprosperityoftheFirstNationdependsonameaningfulpartnership

betweenthefederalgovernmentandtheFirstNationsleadership.WewillseektomovethispartnershipforwardinawaythatrespectstherighttoselfgovernmentoftheAlgonquinsofBarriereLake,andfulfillsfederalagreements.

4. Ifyourpartyformsthegovernmentwillyouagreetonegotiateasuitablejointadministrationregimeforthedeliveryoffederalprogramsandservices?

ItisregrettablethattherelationshipbetweenthefederalgovernmentandtheAlgonquinsofBarriereLakehasnotbeenasproductiveandpositiveasitcouldbe.However,theimpositionofIndianActelectionsandathirdpartymanageronanunwillingcommunityisnotthewayforward.TheGreenPartywillenterintonegotiationsforasuitablejointadministrationregimeforthedeliveryoffederalprogramsandservicesinawaythatmeetstheFirstNationsneeds.

5. Ifyourpartyformsthegovernmentwillyouagreetotheappointment,assoonaspracticableafterforminggovernment,ofafederalnegotiatortonegotiatetheabovenoteditemsonbehalfofthefederalgovernment,mandatedbyandreportingdirectlytotheMinisterortheDMofAANDCinconsultationwithourSpecialRepresentativeMr.CliffordLincolnandmyselfasChieftoidentifyafederalnegotiatormutuallyacceptabletoAANDCandourFirstNation?

Greenswillworktobuildanew,nationtonationpartnershipbasedonmutualrespectandunderstandingwiththeAlgonquinsofBarriereLake.Wewillseektoappointamutuallyacceptablefederalnegotiatortoresolveoutstandingissues,includingthemethodofselectionforbandcouncil,thefinancialmanagementoftheFirstNation,andsupportforeconomicdevelopment.

O T T A W A October 12, 2015

Chief Casey Ratt

Mitchikamibikok Inik

Algonquins of Barriere Lake

Kitiganik

Rapid Lake, Quebec J0W 2C0

Dear Chief Ratt:

Thank you for your letter outlining issues relating to your

relations with the federal government, including its failure to

implement the resources co-management agreement signed

between Mitchikamibikok Inik, Quebec and Canada in 1991,

known as the Trilateral agreement. As the Leader of the New

Democratic Party of Canada, I am pleased to have the

opportunity to respond.

First and foremost, I want to express my deep personal

commitment to strengthening Canadas Nation-to-Nation

relationship with Indigenous Peoples in this country. Over the

last several years as the Official Opposition, my NDP colleagues

and I have dedicated ourselves to working with First Nations to

develop a Nation-to-Nation relationship between Indigenous

peoples and the Crown.

After 150 years of Liberal and Conservative federal governments

fighting Indigenous people in court and making cuts to social

transfers, the NDP want to create a new relationship with

Indigenous peoples that is built on respect and, above all, makes

meaningful progress. Part of our approach means honouring

past agreements and treaties. Canadas New Democrats

recognize we cannot move forward together if Canada does not

uphold its existing obligations.

-2-

With respect to the Trilateral agreement of 1991, we recognize

that current and previous federal governments have not acted in

a timely fashion to meet and resolve the obligations of this

agreement, including failing to live up to subsequent agreements

around its implementation.

If the NDP are elected to form the next federal government, we

will work with you to review the state of the Trilateral agreement,

including all federal obligations, and establish a process by

which Canadas obligations are fulfilled. We understand that you

are particularly concerned with the expansion of the land-base

and electrification at Rapid Lake. We commit to appointing a

federal negotiator to work with you to resolve these and other

outstanding obligations on issues. Well make meaningful

progress for your community.

We recognize that the relationship between Canada and

Mitchikamibikok Inik needs to be carefully repaired through

respectful dialogue. Upon forming government, we would move

to begin this process, including addressing issues around the

imposition of third party management and measures taken by

the Conservative Government around their First Nations

Financial Transparency Act. The NDP voted against the Act as

we felt the Conservatives did not meaningfully consult and get

input from First Nations. As a result, it was deeply flawed, as

were the Conservatives actions of enforcement. The Act only

further damaged the relationship between Canada and First

Nations. The NDP would seek to repair this situation in

consultations with First Nations.

This election, Canadas NDP has made a set of strong

commitments to Indigenous peoples. We see these

commitments as a starting point from which we can move

forward together as partners.

-3-

One of my main commitments is that, as Prime Minister, I will

create and chair a cabinet-level committee to ensure that all

government decisions respect treaty rights, inherent rights and

Canadas international obligations, including the principles of the

United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

I presented this and the other NDP commitments to the

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Open Forum in Edmonton on

October 7. I attach a copy for your review and feedback.

For the first time in history, the New Democrats are positioned to

become the next federal government. We are on the verge of

what could be a true Nation to Nation relationship with

Indigenous peoples. We hope that you will support us in this

goal. I am convinced there is much we can accomplish by

working together.

Sincerely,

Tom Mulcair Leader, New Democratic Party of Canada attachment