The Cree Nation Government and the Gouvernement du Québec sign a $6 million agreement to support Indigenous leadership in biodiversity conservation

The Cree Nation Government and the Gouvernement du Québec have signed a historic $6 million agreement over four years (2025–2028) to support Indigenous leadership in biodiversity conservation throughout the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region.

NEMASKA (Eeyou Istchee), Sept. 23, 2025

The Cree Nation Government and the Gouvernement du Québec have signed a historic $6 million agreement over four years (2025–2028) to support Indigenous leadership in biodiversity conservation throughout the Eeyou Istchee James Bay region. This agreement is made possible through the 2030 Nature Plan – which lays out its vision through foundational commitments, including the active involvement of First Nations and Inuit, marking a major step forward in the shared commitment to Indigenous environmental governance.

This partnership will enable Cree communities and organizations to carry out projects focused on ecosystem restoration, habitat protection, conservation planning, promotion of traditional knowledge, and environmental resilience.

” We are grateful for the support of Quebec Government through the Indigenous Leadership fund for biodiversity conservation. This partnership will enhance our communities’ capacity in conservation, advance our priorities and ensures that Cree knowledge and leadership continue to guide the protection of our lands and waters while advancing the goals of the 2030 Nature Plan. ” — Nadia Saganash, Director of Quebec and Indigenous Relations and Acting Director of Environment and Remedial Works, Cree Nation Government

“This partnership reflects our shared vision for a more sustainable and inclusive Quebec. Through the 2030 Nature Plan, we are proud to support the leadership of the Cree Nation in biodiversity conservation and to build a future where nature and people thrive together.” — Ian Lafrenière, Minister Responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit, on behalf of Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks

The agreement will be implemented under a co-governance model between Cree and Quebec representatives, ensuring transparency and alignment with the environmental objectives shared by both the Gouvernement du Québec and the Cree Nation Government. As part of this implementation, projects and opportunities will be announced under the Eeyou EcoFund, the Cree Nation Government’s flagship initiative for environmental action.

To learn more, visit: www.cngov.ca/ecofund

To learn more
  • ᓀᒥᔅᑳ (ᐄᔨᔨᐅᔅᒌ), ᐅᐦᐱᐦᐆᐲᓯᒽ 23, 2025 - Cree Press Statement

    ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᑯᐯᒃ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᒌᐦ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐅᓱᐎᒡ ᓂᔅᑯᐎᓂᔨᐤ $6 ᒥᓕᔨᐅᓐ ᐋᐦ ᔒᑐᔥᑭᐦᒡ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᑭᓂᐙᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒥᓯᐙ ᐋᐦ ᐄᔑᓈᑯᐦᒡ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐎᓐ ᐅᑎᐦ ᐊᔅᒌᐦᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᒡ ᒑ ᐐᔓᑎᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᓃᑳᓂᔥᑭᐦᒡ ᒑ ᐄᔅᐱᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ

    ᓀᒥᔅᑳ (ᐄᔨᔨᐅᔅᒌ), ᐅᐦᐱᐦᐆᐲᓯᒽ 23, 2025 – ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᑯᐯᒃ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᒌᐦ ᒥᓯᓂᐦᐅᓱᐎᒡ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓂᔨᐤ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐋᐦ ᒋᔥᑎᒫᐎᓂᔨᒡ $6 ᒥᓕᔨᓐ ᐄᔥᐱᔥ ᓈᐅᐱᐳᓐᐦ ᒑ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᔨᒡ (2025 ᐲᐦᐃᒻ 2028) – ᐋᐦ ᔒᑐᑎᑭᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᒡ ᒑ ᓃᑳᓂᔥᑭᐦᒡ ᒑ ᐐᐦ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᑭᔮ ᒑ ᐐᐦ ᑭᓂᐗᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒥᓯᐙ ᐋᐦ ᐄᔑᓈᑯᐦᒡ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᐎᓐ ᐅᑖᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᔅᒌᐦ ᒉᐃᒥᔅ ᐯᐃᐦ ᐄᑖᐦᒑ᙮ ᐋᑯᑎᐦ ᑳ ᐅᐦᒋᐱᔨᒡ ᐆ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓐ ᐋᐦ ᒌᐦ ᓂᐦᐋᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᐄᐙᒡ 2030 ᑳ ᐎᔮᔨᐦᑖᑯᐦᒡ ᒑ ᐄᔑ ᓈᓈᑭᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᔅᒌ – ᐊᓂᑖᐦ ᐋᔑ ᐱᑯᓵᔨᒧᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓐ ᔮᔨᑖ ᒑ ᐐᐦ ᐃᐦᑐᑎᑭᓂᐎᒡ, ᔮᔨᑖ ᒑ ᐐᒋᐦᐄᐙᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔥᒌᒫᐅᒡ, ᐋᐦ ᓅᑯᐦᒡ ᐅᑖᐦ ᐄᔑ ᓃᔥᑖᒥᐦᒡ ᒑ ᐐᐦ ᒥᔪᒫᒨᐐᒑᐱᑎᓰᒥᑐᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐅᑖᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᓈᐦᒡ ᒑ ᐅᐦᒋᐱᔨᒡ ᐊᓐ ᒑ ᐄᔑᓈᓈᑭᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐊᔅᒌ ᐋᐦ ᐐ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᒥᔪᑭᓂᐙᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ᙮   

    ᐆ ᒑ ᐐᒑᐱᑎᓰᒥᑐᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐋᑯᑎᐦ ᒑ ᒌ ᐅᐦᒋ ᒥᔪᐱᔨᐦᐄᑯᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᒡ ᐊᓂᔮ ᐙᐦ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᐦᑖᒡ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᒌᐦᑳᓈᑯᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐊᔅᒌ ᒦᓐ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᒦᓄᐱᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ, ᐊᓂᑖᐦ ᐋᑎ ᐃᔨᐦᑖᔨᒡ ᐦ ᐋᐙᓰᔅ ᐦ, ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᔨᐤ, ᒑ ᒌᐦᑳᔮᐱᐦᑎᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᒋᔅᒑᔨᐦᑎᒧᐎᓂᔨᐤ, ᑭᔮᐦ ᒦᓐ ᑳᐤ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᓂᐦᐄᓈᑯᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐱᒫᑎᓰᒥᑭᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒦᓐ ᑳᐤ ᒑ ᒦᓂᐙᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᐄᔑ  ᐎᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ᙮

    “ᓂᓈᔅᑯᒫᓈᓐ ᑯᐯᒃ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᐋᐦ ᔒᑐᔥᑭᐦᒃ ᐋᐦ ᐱᒋᔅᑎᓈᑦ ᔓᐎᔮᓐᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᐤᐦ ᐋᐦ ᓃᑳᓂᔥᑳᒑᔨᒡᐦ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᒥᓯᐙ ᐋᐦ ᐄᔑ ᓂᐦᑖᐅᒋᓂᔨᒡ ᒑᒀᔨᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᓈᑭᑎᐙᔨᐦᑖᑯᓂᔨᒡ᙮ ᐆ ᒫᒃ ᐋᐦ ᐐᒑᐱᑎᓰᒥᑐᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᒋᑭ ᐐᒋᐦᐄᐙᐱᔨᔨᐤ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᒡ ᐊᑎᑎᐤ ᑯᐃᔅᒄ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᓈᓈᑭᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᔨᐤ, ᒑ ᒋᔅᒋᓰᑎᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐊᓂᔮ ᒑᒀᔨᐤ ᐙᐦ ᓃᔥᑖᒥᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᒋᔅᒑᔨᐦᑎᒧᐎᓂᔨᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᐎᓂᔨᐤ ᐋᑳ ᒑ ᐴᓂᐱᔨᔨᒡ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᑭᓂᐙᔨᐦᑖᑯᓂᔨᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᔨᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᓂᐲᔨᐤ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐃᐦᑐᑎᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐊᓂᔮ ᔮᔨᑖ ᒑ ᐃᐦᑐᑎᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᑯᐱᓈᐦ ᑳ ᐄᔑ ᐎᔮᔨᐦᑖᑯᓂᔨᒡ 2030 ᐋᐦ ᐐ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᔨᐤ᙮” – ᓈᑎᔮ ᓵᑭᓈᔥ ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᐋᐦ ᐐᒑᐱᑎᓰᒥᑐᒡ ᑯᐯᒃ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᓅᒻ ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᐋᐦ ᓈᑭᑎᐙᔨᐦᑖᑯᐦᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐋᐦ ᒦᓂᐙᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᔅᒌ, ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ

    “ᐆ ᒫᒃ ᐋᐦ ᐐᒑᐱᑎᓰᒥᑐᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᐋᑯᑎᐦ ᓅᑯᐦᒡ ᑖᐱᔥᑯᓐ ᐋᐦ ᐄᔑ ᐱᑯᓵᔨᒧᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᒨᔥ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐐᒋᐦᐄᑯᔨᐦᒄ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒑ ᒫᒨᐐᒋᐦᐄᑐᔨᐦᒄ ᐅᑎᐦ ᑯᐯᒃ ᐋᐦ ᐃᐦᑖᔨᐦᒄ᙮ ᐊᓐ ᑳ ᐄᔑ ᐎᔮᔨᐦᑖᑯᐦᒡ 2030 ᐅᐦᒋ ᐋᐦ ᐐ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒥᓯᐙ ᐹᒫᑎᓰᒥᑭᐦᒡ, ᓂᒥᒥᐦᑖᑯᓯᓈᓐ ᐋᐦ ᔒᑐᔥᑭᒫᐦᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᓈᐦᒡ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐅᐦᒋ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᑖᑯᐦᒡ ᒑ ᐄᔅᐱᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒥᓯᐙ ᒑᒀᓐ ᐹᒫᑎᓰᒥᑭᐦᒡ ᒑ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐅᑖᐦ ᐄᔑ ᓃᔥᑖᒥᐦᒡ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐐᒑᑐᔨᐦᒄ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᓈᑭᑎᐙᔨᐦᑎᒥᐦᒄ ᐊᔅᒌ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒥᓯᐙ ᐊᐙᓂᒌ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᒥᔪᐐᒋᐱᒫᑎᓰᒥᑐᒡ᙮” – ᐄᔨᓐ ᓛᕕᕃᓂᔦᕐ, ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᓂᔮᓈᑭᒋᔥᑖᑦ ᒑ ᒥᔪᐐᒑᐱᑎᓰᒥᑐᔨᒡ ᐦ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᐤᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔥᒌᒫᐤᐦ, ᐋᐦ ᐋᔨᒦᔥᑎᒧᐙᑦ ᐯᓂᐙ ᔖᕃᑦ, ᐅᒋᒫᐤᐦ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᔨᐤ, ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᓃᐳᐎᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐄᔨᐦᒡ ᔖᔥ ᐋᐦ ᐄᑖᔨᐦᑖᑯᓂᔨᒡ ᒌᔑᑯᔨᐤ ᒥᓯᐦᑖᔅᑭᒥᒡ, ᐋᐙᓰᔅᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐙᒋᐦᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᔨᐤ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᓈᑭᑎᐙᔨᐦᑖᑯᓂᔨᒡ

    ᐆ ᓂᔅᑯᒧᐎᓐ ᐋᑯᑖᐦ ᒑ ᐄᔑ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᑖᐱᔥᑯᓐ ᒑ ᑭᓂᐙᐱᐦᑎᐦᒡ ᐄᔨᔨᐅᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᑯᐯᒃ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ, ᐋᑳ ᒑ ᑳᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᒑᒀᓐ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒑ ᐐᒑᐦᑐᒥᑭᐦᒡ ᐊᓂᑖᐦ ᐙᐦ ᐄᔑ ᒥᓈᒋᔥᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᔅᒌ ᐋᐦ ᐐᒋᐦᐄᑐᒡ ᑯᐯᒃ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᑭᔮᐦ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ᙮ ᐊᓐ ᒑ ᐄᔑ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᒡ, ᒑ ᐄᔑ ᐋᐱᑎᓰᓈᓂᐎᒡ ᑭᔮᐦ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐄᔑ ᐐᒋᐦᐄᐙᓂᐎᒡ ᐋᑯᑖᐦ ᒑ ᐅᐦᒋ ᐐᐦᑎᑭᓂᐎᒡ ᐊᓐ Eeyou EcoFund ᑳ ᐄᔑᓂᐦᑳᑖᒡ, ᐊᓂᔮ ᓈᔥᑖᒥᔥᑖᑦ ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᓯᐤ ᐅᐦᒋ ᓈᔥᒡ ᐋᐦ ᐐᐦ ᓈᑭᑎᐙᔨᐦᑖᑯᓂᔨᒡ ᐊᔅᒌᔨᐤ ᒑ ᐄᔑ ᐱᒥᐱᔨᐦᑖᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ᙮

     

    ᐊᑎᑎᐤ ᐐᐦ ᒋᔅᒑᔨᐦᑎᒥᓈ, ᐅᑖᐦ ᒑ ᐄᔅᐱᔨᔨᓐ ᓂᑐᐙᐱᐦᒋᑭᓂᐦᒡ: www.cngov.ca/ecofund

    ᑎᐹᒋᒧᐎᓂᐦᒡ ᒑ ᒌᐦ ᐊᔨᒥᐦᐋᑭᓂᐎᑦ

    ᐅᓕᕕᔦᐃ ᑯᓪᒣᓪ, ᐅᒋᒫᐤ ᔓᐎᔮᓐᐦ ᒑ ᐄᔅᐱᔨᐦᐋᑭᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡᐦ ᑭᔮᐦ ᑯᐃᔅᒄ ᒑ ᐐᒑᐱᑎᓰᒥᑐᓈᓂᐎᐎᔨᒡ

    olivier.kolmel@cngov.ca