The major challenge facing the Mushkegowuk communities is the influx of resource development activity that is taking place in our homelands. The member First Nations to the south including Chapleau Cree, Missanabie Cree, Taykwa Tagamou and to an extent Moose Cree First Nations have been exposed to forestry and mining operations for some time now. It is an on going challenge for these First Nations to have their voices heard and for government and resource developers alike to engage in meaningful consultation with them prior to any activity being undertaken. Likewise with the northern communities such Attawapiskat, Kashechewan and Fort Albany, not to mention the most northerly Cree Nation Peawanuck, it is increasingly evident that resource development is going to be and is a major challenge in the coming months and years.
The Mushkegowuk leadership is in the process of positioning itself through the advancement of our Aboriginal and Treaty Rights, the court process, the current Rupert’s Land Claim to assert jurisdiction over our homelands. This is going to be a challenge as resource developers and government alike have not shown a willingness to recognize Mushkegowuk jurisdiction, land claims and case law. Economic development is one of the keys to our future prosperity but we cannot be successful at this if resource developers and government cannot or will not engage in meaningful consultation.
Mushkegowuk has been undertaking work in reasserting its Nationhood over the past years. We are now in a position to take a lead role in advancing the Nationhood by organizing in ways and means that is critical to the advancement of a Mushkegowuk constitution which separates the corporate responsibilities from that of the governance structure.
Justice and more specifically policing is a major component of our Nation and this past year significant efforts have been made in taking the government to task on the habitual shortfalls in funding to effectively operate our police service. Mushkegowuk recently filed complaints in both the Canadian and Provincial Human Rights Commissions stating that the continual shortfall of funding to operate the service is a form of systemic racism. It is anticipated that both levels of the Human Rights Commissions will be responding in the coming months.
