Cree land claim includes Algonquin territory, chiefs say – CBC

Mar 15, 2016

Two Algonquin chiefs say they were shocked by a recent announcement that the James Bay Cree Nation had filed a lawsuit seeking title to a huge piece of land in northeastern Ontario.

”Our right to this land has been formally recognized, which makes the initiation of such proceedings all the more shocking,” stated Abitibiwinni chief David Kistabish in a press release.

“We received no forewarning nor a request to consult on this matter from the Cree authorities prior to them submitting this request.”

The Cree lawsuit, which has been filed with Ontario’s Superior Court of Justice, names the federal and Ontario governments and claims damages of $495 million in relation to the lands, which extend from the bottom of James Bay, south to Abitibi Lake on the Ontario-Quebec border.