49th anniversary of the signing of the James Bay Northern Quebec Agreement

The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement was signed November 11, 1975. The year leading up to the historic signing consisted of some of the toughest negotiating in Cree history by some of our most revered leaders.

The signing of the Agreement-in-Principle on November 16, 1974, a year before the final signing of the JBNQA, effectively ended the dispute over the James Bay hydro-electric mega project which threatened our land and our traditional way of life. Defying all odds, an Indigenous group had successfully negotiated the recognition of Aboriginal rights leading to the first modern-day treaty in Canada. These negotiations were nothing short of historic, reshaping the future of our Nation and marking a turning point in the relationship between the Cree Nation and the governments of Canada and Quebec.

Demonstrating that we were not mere bystanders but rightful stewards and protectors of Eeyou Istchee, our leaders, with great vision and deter

Marking this important milestone, we look back with pride on the strength and resilience of our past leaders, and we celebrate the enduring legacy of their efforts. This is a time for us to remember the path that brought us here and to honour their vision, fighting for our rightful place at the table and creating the partnerships and alliances we benefit from today.

Throughout the upcoming year, leading up to the 50th Anniversary of the JBNQA on November 11, 2025, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee)/Cree Nation Government invites everyone across Eeyou Istchee and beyond to join us in commemorating these important dates in our history, celebrating our resilience as a strong Indigenous Nation.

mination, worked tirelessly to ensure that our voices were heard and that our rights were recognized.

ᑳ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐆᓱᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᒋᒥᔅ ᐯᐃ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐊᑎᒪᐲᓯᒻ ᑯᐯᒃ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓐ ᑭᔅᑭᑎᓐ ᐲᓯᒻ 11 ᑳᐦᑐᒋᓯᐦᒀᓯᑦ 1975 ᑳ ᐃᑎᔅᑖᒡ ᐋ ᐱᐳᐦᒡ᙮  ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᐱᐳᐦᒡ ᒑ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐅᓱᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᒋᔅᑖᒫᐆᐦᒡ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓐ ᐊᑯᑎᐦ ᑳ ᐅᐦᒋᐱᔨᒡ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐋ ᒌ ᐊᔨᒥᔨᑯᒡ ᐊᓂᒌ ᑳ ᐊᔨᒥᔅᑎᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐊᓂᒌ ᐱᔥᒡ ᐋ ᒋᔅᑖᒫᐙᔨᐦᑖᑯᓯᒡ ᑳ ᓂᑳᓂᓯᒡ ᐊᓂᑎᐦ ᐊᓐ ᒫᒀᒡ᙮

ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐅᓱᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓐ ᓅᒻ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓐ ᑭᔅᑭᑎᓐ ᐲᓯᒻ 16 ᑳᐦᑐᒋᓯᐦᒀᓯᑦ 1974 ᑳ ᐃᑎᔅᑖᒡ ᐋ ᐱᐳᐦᒡ, ᐹᔨᒄ ᐱᐳᓐᐦ ᐊᓂᑖᐦ ᐃᔑ ᐅᑖᐦᒡ ᐋᒸᔮᐦ ᐊᓐ ᐙᒋᐦᒡ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓐ ᐅᐦᒡ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐆᓱᓈᓂᐎᒡ, ᑳ ᐄᔅᒀᔮᒡ ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᐅᐦᒡ ᐊᔨᒥᐦᐄᑐᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᒋᒥᔅ ᐯᐃ ᑳ ᐆᔅᑯᑎᒥᐦᒑᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓂᑎᐦ ᒑᐦ ᐅᐦᒡ ᓂᓲᓈᒋᐦᑖᑭᓅᑯᐱᓈᐦ ᒋᑎᔅᒋᓅᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᐃᔑ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐦᐃᒄ ᐊᓂᑖᐦ ᐃᔑ ᐸᒋ ᐅᑖᐦᒡ, ᐋᑳ ᐅᐦᒡ ᐄᔮᐱᑖᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒑᒀᓐ, ᒋᐦᑖᐅᒡ ᐊᓂᒌ ᑳ ᐊᔨᒥᔅᑎᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐎᔨᐙᐤ ᐋ ᒌ ᓵᐱᔨᒡ ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤ ᑳ ᐃᔑ ᐎᐦᑎᐦᒡ ᐋ ᒋᐦᑳᑖᑯᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔅᒋᒫᐅᒡ ᐅᑭᔥᒋᐦᐆᐎᓂᐙᐤᐦ ᐊᓂᑎᐦ ᐙᐦᒡ ᒌᐦᑖᔨᒄ ᐊᓅᐦᒡ ᐆ ᑳᔑᑳᒡ ᐋᐦᑖᔨᐦᒄ᙮  ᐅᑎᐦ ᐆ ᑳ ᐊᔨᒥᔅᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐋᐅᒄ ᑳ ᐊᐱᒋᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᐸᒋ ᐃᔑᓈᑯᐦᒡ ᐱᒫᑎᓯᐎᓐ ᐅᑖᐦ ᐃᔑ ᐸᒋ ᐅᑖᐦᒡ, ᐋ ᒌ ᐆᐙᑎᔅᑐᐙᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒋᑎ ᐄᔨᔨᒥᓄᐎᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐊᔨᐦᒡ ᐋ ᐃᔑᓈᑯᐦᒡ ᐋ ᐎᒑᐱᑎᓯᒥᑐᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐊᓂᒌ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐅᒡ ᐊᓂᑎᐦ ᑳᓈᑖᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒫᒃ ᑯᐯᑭᐦᒡ᙮

ᐋ ᒌ ᓄᑯᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐋᑳ ᒥᒄ ᐅᐦᒡ ᑖᔨᐦᒄ ᐅᑎᐦ ᐋ ᒌ ᓄᑯᐦᒡ ᑖᑆᐦ ᒋᔮᓂᐤ ᐋ ᒌ ᐅᐦᑖᒋᐦᐆᔨᐦᒄ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒫᒃ ᐋ ᒌ ᑭᓂᐙᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᒄ ᐆ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ, ᐊᓂᒌ ᑳ ᓃᑳᓂᔅᑳᑎᐦᑯᒡ, ᐋ ᒌ ᐙᐱᐦᑎᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐋ ᒌ ᒑᔅᑎᓈᑎᔅᑖᒡ, ᓲᐦᒃ ᐋᒌ ᐋᐱᑎᓰᔅᑎᐦᒡ ᔭᔨᑖᐃ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐹᐦᑖᑭᓂᔨᒡ ᒋᑎ ᐊᔨᒧᒮᓂᐤᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒋᑭᔥᒋᐦᐆᐎᓂᐤᐦ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐙᐱᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᔨᒡ᙮

ᐋ ᒋᐦᒋᓂᐙᒋᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒫᒃ ᐆ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐋ ᒋᔅᑎᒫᐅᐦᒡ ᒥᓐ ᐋ ᐅᑎᓵᐱᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ, ᐅᑖᐦᒡ ᒋᑎᑖᐱᓈᓂᐤ ᒥᒥᐦᑕᑯᓯᐎᓂᐦᒡ  ᒥᔅᑯᓯᐎᓂᐦᒡ ᐋ ᒌ ᓲᐦᒋᑳᐱᐎᒡ ᐙᔅᑭᒡ ᑳ ᓂᑳᓂᔅᑳᑎᐦᑯᒡ, ᑭᔮᐦ ᒌ ᒧᒑᔨᐦᑖᓈᓂᐤ ᑳᒋᒡ ᐋ ᒌ ᐊᐱᑎᓰᔅᑎᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤ ᑳ ᐃᔑ ᑳᐳᔅᑎᐦᒡ ᑳ ᐃᔑ ᑯᒋᐦᑖᒡ᙮ ᐊᑯᑎᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒑ ᒋᐦ ᒌᔅᒋᔨᐦᒄ ᐊᓂᑖᐦ ᑳ ᐅᑐᐦᑖᔨᐦᒄ ᑳ ᐹᓯᔨᑯᔨᐦᒄ ᐅᑎᐦ ᐆ ᐋᐦᑖᔨᐦᒄ ᒫᒀᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᒋᔅᑖᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᒄ ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤ ᑳ ᐃᔑ ᐙᐱᐦᑎᐦᒡ, ᐋ ᒌ ᒪᓯᐦᑎᒫᑎᐦᑯᒡ ᐊᓂᑎᐦ ᒑ ᑖᐅᐦᑯᐱᓈᐦ ᒥᒋᓲᓈᐦᑎᑯᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐋ ᒌ ᐅᐙᔨᐦᔥᑖᒡ  ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤ ᐋ ᐎᒑᐱᑎᓯᒥᑐᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᑳᐱᐦᑯᑣᑎᐦᑯᒡ ᐊᓂᔮᔨᐤ ᐄᔮᐱᒋᐦᑖᐅᐦᒄ ᐊᓅᐦᒡ ᑳᔑᑳᔨᒡ᙮

ᐅᑎᐦ ᒫᒃ ᐆ ᒑ ᐊᑎ ᐱᐳᐦᒡ, ᒑ ᐊᑎ ᐅᑎᐦᒋᐱᔨᒡ 50 ᒑ ᐊᐦᑐᐱᐳᓍᔮᒡ ᐆ ᒋᒥᔅ ᐯᐃ ᐊᑎᒫᐲᓯᒻ ᑯᐯᒃ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓐ ᑭᔅᑭᑎᓐ ᐲᓯᒻ 11 ᐊᐦᑐᒋᓯᐦᒀᓯᒑᐦ 2025 ᐃᑎᔅᑖᒑᐦ ᐊᐱᐳᐦᒡ, ᐊᓂᒌ ᐎᓂᐹᑯ ᓄᐦᒋᒥᐎᔨᐤ ᐋᐦᓈᑎᒫᑐᒡ (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌᐦ) ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᓂᑐᒫᐅᒡ ᒥᓯᐙ ᐅᑎᐦ ᐊᔅᒌᐦᒡ ᐋᐦᑖᔨᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒫᒃ ᑕᓂᑎᐦ ᒥᒄ ᐋᐦᑖᐄᐙᐦᒀᐦ ᒑ ᐎᒋ ᒧᒋᒑᔨᐦᑎᒧᒥᐦᑰᒡ ᐅᑎᐦ ᐅᔮᔨᐤ ᐙᑎᐦᒋᐱᔨᒡ ᐋ ᒋᔅᑎᒫᐅᐦᒡ ᐋ ᒋᔑᑳᒡ ᐊᓂᐦᐄ ᐅᑖᐦᒡ ᑳ ᐸᒋ ᐃᔅᐱᔨᒡ, ᐋ ᒨᒑᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐋ ᒌ ᓲᐦᒋᑳᐱᐎᔨᐦᒄ ᐆ ᒋᔮᓂᐤ ᐋ ᒥᔅᑯᓯᔨᐦᒄ ᐋ ᐄᑎᔅᑳᓈᓯᔨᐦᒄ᙮