10 Years of Struggle Over Trilateral Agreement

The implementation of the Trilateral Agreement has been slow and cumbersome, due to the reluctance of logging companies, Quebec and the Federal government to work with the Algonquins on a plan that would respect the interests and needs of the community.

 * Although the agreement was signed in 1991, neither the Federal government, nor Quebec put in any money to get the process underway until 1993. 

* In 1992, the Quebec government walked away from the process rather than agree to include Algonquin needs in the development of logging plans.  A mediator, Justice Réjean Paul of the Quebec Superior Court, made this observation about the process: 

“The Algonquins of Barriere Lake have, from their own Band budget and to the detriment of their other programs, unilaterally funded certain anthropological studies and have produced maps of an excellent quality indicating, among other things, their sensitive zones and their sacred territories ... It is David and not Goliath who is attempting to sustain the Agreement.”

Needless to say, the mediator’s observations and interventions led to the resumption of the Trilateral Agreement in favor of the Algonquins of Barriere Lake

* In February 1993, the Quebec government again left the negotiating table, criticizing the Algonquins for being unreasonable. At issue were the measures to harmonize forestry practices with Algonquin traditional activities.  The Algonquins insisted that the 20 meter provincially-mandated buffer zones of unloged forest around waterways was insufficient for the needs of moose and fur-bearing animals, as well as, to protect trees being “blown down” from wind storms. The Algonquins were requesting “buffer zones” of 60 meters around permanent bodies of water. The impasse continued for several months until the Office of Premier Bourassa intervened. 

* While the ABL leadership was struggling to keep the Trilateral Agreement from collapsing, they were facing increasing pressures from a dissident group within the community.  Also, Chief Jean Maurice Matchewan had made many enemies among the Sûreté du Quebec (SQ) during the blockades. In 1994, the SQ charged Chief Matchewan with assault based on the word of two dissident members. Bail conditions set by the Quebec prosecutor forbade Matchewan from returning to the community - this at a time when Trilateral issues were coming to a head.

 *Following Chief Matchewan’s arrest, Band Administrator Michel Thusky was arrested by the SQ, for allegedly detaining two police officers in the band office. Thusky’s bail also forbade him from returning to the community. The cases were thrown out but they did manage to tie up the leadership in legal issues for much of 1994.

 * In 1995, dissident members accused the Band of covering up sexual abuse on the reserve. Even though, the Band leadership brought in a special team to examine the allegations, Quebec officials used these charges to suspend further work on the Trilateral Agreement. The fact-finding mission later found that the issues of sexual abuse were no greater than in other communities.    

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