Struggle to protect the forest: The Algonquins of Barriere Lake

For decades, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake have been fighting to protect their ancestral lands. Located five hours northwest of Montreal, they continue to live a semi-nomadic lifestyle, subsisting to a large degree on wild animals hunted in their traditional territory, much of which is now part of Quebec's Verendrye Wildlife Reserve. In the last few decades, clear-cut logging has wiped out large swaths of the forest – over 50 percent of their territory has now been clear-cut. Clear-cut logging severely affects local wildlife populations on which the Algonquins’ way of life depends. Through logging, the generation of hydro-electric energy, and fishing and hunting permits, some 100-million dollars are earned annually off the territory. Despite the wealth of their traditional lands, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake are living in extreme poverty, with almost no job opportunities and little government services. Their reserve is overcrowded, with up to 16 people living in dilapidated housing that has been condemned by Health Canada. In 1991, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake signed a landmark agreement with the Provincial and Federal governments to provide for sustainable development that would benefit all users of the Park, and for revenue sharing of the profits earned from the territory. Despite being lauded by the United Nations, the Trilateral Agreement, as it is known, has yet to be implemented by the Federal government.

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Keywords algonquins logging hydro blockade indigenous