First Nations call off talks on forestry bill, say Quebec disrespecting rights

"The zoning principle, which lies at the heart of the current bill, would pave the way for a form of land privatization," they said. But the chiefs say the government has refused to commit to the co-management of forests or to respecting First Nations' ancestral and treaty rights. In an email statement, the office of Natural Resources Minister Maïté Blanchette Vézina said the government is taking the summer to prepare amendments to improve the bill, particularly with regard to Indigenous communities.

Author: Maura Forrest

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