Conference Announcement/Call for Book Contributors
New Partnerships or Old Relationships:
Hydro-Development on Aboriginal Land in Quebec and Manitoba
University of Winnipeg
Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Monday, 23 February 2004
For further information, please contact:
Thibault Martin, Ph.D. (t.martin [at] uwinnipeg.ca)
or go to:
http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/
The University of Winnipeg announces a call for contributors to a
conference, New Partnerships or Old Relationships: Hydro-Development on
Aboriginal Land in Quebec and Manitoba, to be held Monday, 23 February
2004 in Winnipeg.
CONFERENCE GOAL
The goal of this conference is to debate the new agreements signed or in
progress between First Nations and hydro-corporations. Manitoba and
Quebec were chosen to be the main focus of the discussions since the two
provinces have a similar and long history of hydro-development and are
both interested in exporting electricity to the United States. The two
provinces signed, in the mid 1970's, 'modern treaties' with First
Nations to allow several large hydro-projects to be developed over Cree
territories: The Northern Flood Agreement as well as The James Bay and
Northern Quebec Agreement. Both provinces also postponed their hydro-
projects in the 1990's, and resumed them in recent years in order to
take advantage of the anticipated soaring demand for energy in the
United States.
Recently, Hydro Quebec, at one time heavily criticized by Aboriginal
leaders, scholars, and international institutions, has signed agreements
with the Grand Council of the Crees and with Innu communities that are
characterized by several as a groundbreaking move toward the
establishing of a new paradigm in terms of the partnership between the
State and the First Nations. In October 2003, Manitoba Hydro signed a
summary of understanding with the Northern Manitoba Nisichawayasihk
Nation that is proposing to create a business partnership between the
state utility and the Cree Nation to develop the Wuskwatim
hydro-project. During the conference the merits and limits of these new
projects and agreements will be debated. The notions of "fair deal",
"partnership", "nation to nation relationship" will also be questioned.
Can Quebec's and Manitoba's recent hydro agreements offer the basis for
the establishment of new standards in terms of hydro-development?
In sum, this conference will raise a crucial question: are we at the eve
of a new relationship with the First Nations, or underlying these new
agreements is there, still, the old colonial attitude prevailing? The
debates held during this colloquium will allow the public to better
develop an informed opinion.
REGISTRATION INFORMATION
If you wish to attend the conference and need information about the
program or about lodging please contact:
Thibault Martin, Ph.D. (t.martin [at] uwinnipeg.ca)
PEER REVIEWED BOOK
Papers submitted by scholars during the conference will constitute the
basis for the publication of a scholarly book. If you are an expert in
hydro-developments in Northern territories and wish to contribute to
that publication please send an abstract or contact the conference
organizing committee.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Thibault Martin Ph.D., (t.martin [at] uwinnipeg.ca)
Conference organizing committee
Department of Sociology
The University of Winnipeg
515, Portage Avenue
Winnipeg R3B 2E9 (MB)