Indigenous leaders remind Quebec: you can't legally separate without our say
While loud about stance on Quebec referendum, party leaders quiet on plans for Indigenous sovereignty
asserted
leaders → remind → sovereignty
But Indigenous leaders who have followed the debate closely are reminding Quebec that it needs to consult First Nations and Inuit communities before even considering independence.
“Quebec can’t unilaterally just say that they’re leaving, there are historical land grievances, there’s traditional territories that we need to talk about," said Mohawk Council of Kahnawà:ke Grand Chief Cody Diabo.
asserted
Diabo → follow → ke
He says a referendum is out of the question, arguing much of the province’s territory belongs to First Nations.
asserted
much → say → Nations
While his community won’t participate in the Oct. 5 provincial election, Diabo says he will work closely with the next government.
asserted
he → participate → government
He’s calling for a bigger conversation surrounding land agreements with all levels of government at the table before talks of a referendum take place.
asserted
talks → call → place
“The lines that are on the map right now, those lines were imposed by the Crown and then the federal government — First Nations weren’t included in that,” he notes.
asserted
he → impose → that
Diabo argues governments must right the wrongs from the past before thinking of Quebec’s future.
asserted
governments → argue → future
While Quebec sovereignty isn’t a new concept, it’s the first time there’s serious momentum for a third referendum since 1995, when federalists won by a razor-thin margin, with 50.58 per cent of the vote.
asserted
federalists → ’ → vote
Nadir André, an Aboriginal and Natural Resources lawyer based in Kahnawà:ke, argues that even then, many First Nations and Inuit communities were against the idea, and he’s not convinced the outcome would be different today.
asserted
outcome → base → idea
What has changed, he notes, is the legal reality following a 1998 Supreme Court of Canada ruling that barred Quebec from unilaterally splitting from Canada.
asserted
that → change → Canada
Paired with existing constitutional law, that decision means the province cannot legally separate without involving and consulting First Nations and Inuit communities.
asserted
province → pair → communities
Find out how your views align with Quebec's major parties
- Platform Tracker
asserted
views → find → Tracker
Compare the promises of Quebec’s major parties in the 2026 election
That government would also need to create a constitution which they approve — something André argues would be very difficult.
asserted
André → compare → something
There hasn't been any type of discussion or resolution since [1995] and here we are going back to the same rules … as if it’s going to work,” André said.
asserted
André → go → rules
He argues efforts to recognize Indigenous rights at the international and federal level have only grown since the last referendum, pointing to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and duty to consult as examples.
asserted
efforts → argue → examples
‘Will they respect the sovereignty of First Nations?’
asserted
they → respect → Nations
For Francis Verreault-Paul, chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (AFNQL), it’s much too early to be for or against a referendum.
asserted
it → ’ → referendum
He says many questions still have to be answered.
asserted
questions → say → ?
“How are we going to really work on this together?
asserted
we → go → this
How is the National Assembly in Quebec [going to] recognize us First Nations as governments?” he asked.
asserted
he → go → governments
Verreault-Paul is concerned about Indigenous sovereignty and how an independent Quebec would operate.
asserted
Quebec → operate → sovereignty
“We are a distinct people, we have our own stature of governance, we have our cultures, we have our languages.
asserted
we → have → languages
Will they respect the sovereignty of First Nations?”
asserted
they → respect → Nations
He wants to ensure First Nations rights are respected, to see UNDRIP fully implemented, and to advance issues that impact communities such as housing and infrastructure, public safety, education, and self-determination.
asserted
that → want → housing
“Because all of the bills that are passed at the National Assembly have a direct impact on us First Nations, so we need to collaborate, we need to work together,” he said.
asserted
he → pass → us
What are the parties planning to do?
asserted
parties → do → What
In May, he consulted with Verreault-Paul and more than 40 chiefs from First Nations communities on his Livre bleu — spanning more than 500 pages — which outlines steps to create an independent Quebec.
uncertain
which → consult → Quebec
Each chief was asked to give their feedback on a dedicated chapter that addressed Indigenous relations.
asserted
that → ask → relations
Verreault-Paul says it’s a good first step, applauding the PQ leader for being "transparent and clear,” but he says more consultations and discussions will be needed at every stage of the process.
asserted
consultations → say → process
Québec Solidaire also has visions for an independent Quebec and says it will establish a constituent assembly with Indigenous leaderships and other members of the National Assembly.
asserted
it → have → Assembly
Sol Zanetti, co-spokesperson for Québec Solidaire, says they’d like to become the first government to have First Nations and Inuit communities at the table to create a constitution.
asserted
they → say → constitution
“To ask them, what kind of process could we make in which you would feel fully sovereign and in which you would trust us to be able to work together in order to get out of this system,” he said.
uncertain
he → ask → system
Quebec parties face scrutiny over silence on Indigenous election priorities
Indigenous turnout remains low in Quebec amid calls for political inclusion
The leaders of the Conservatives, Liberals and Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) have all said they’re against a referendum.
asserted
they → face → referendum
However, the Liberals committed to continue endorsing a nation-to-nation approach to Indigenous relations, prioritizing the protection of their languages and rights.
asserted
Liberals → commit → languages
The Conservatives are expected to make an announcement outlining their plan for Indigenous relations on Wednesday.
asserted
Conservatives → expect → Wednesday
The CAQ did not respond to CBC’s request for comments.
asserted
CAQ → respond → comments
The Aporia
