Abel Bosum facts for kids

Abel Bosum CM (born November 4, 1955) is an important Cree leader and negotiator from Quebec, Canada. As of 2019, he serves as the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees of Northern Quebec. He is also the President of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government.

Mr. Bosum has worked for the Grand Council of the Crees since 1977. From 1984 to 1998, he was the Chief of his home community, the Oujé-Bougoumou Cree Nation. During this time, he successfully negotiated a major agreement with the governments of Quebec and Canada. This agreement helped build a new village for his people. This was very important because his community had been forced to move seven times before due to mining and forestry activities.

Since 2015, Abel Bosum has also been the President of the Aanischaaukamikw Foundation and the Aanischaaukamikw Cree Cultural Institute.

Early Life

Abel Bosum was born on an island in Dore Lake, Northern Quebec. He was the oldest of 11 children. When he was 14, his stepfather, Sam Neepoosh, who had been like a father to him, passed away.

For ten years, Bosum attended the La Tuque Residential School in La Tuque. After leaving school, he worked in underground mines near Chibougamau. He also took fishing jobs to help support his family.

Career

Grand Council of the Crees

At age 22, Abel Bosum began working for the Grand Council of the Crees (GCC). The GCC is a group that represents the Cree people in Quebec. He became the head of their economic development department for six years. During this time, he realized that his own community, the Oujé-Bougoumou, needed help to improve their living conditions.

Chief of the Oujé-Bougoumou

In 1984, when he was 28, Bosum became the Chief of the Oujé-Bougoumou Cree Nation. He held this position for 14 years. The Oujé-Bougoumou people had faced many challenges. For over 50 years, they had struggled to survive as a group.

Between 1926 and 1970, they were forced to move their homes seven times. This happened because of new mineral discoveries in their traditional homeland, the James Bay region. By the 1970s, many Oujé-Bougoumou people lived in simple shacks without running water or heat. They were split into different family groups.

Before becoming chief, Bosum helped connect community members and elders. The elders wanted to take action to improve their situation. When Bosum became chief, his main goal was to negotiate with the Canadian and Quebec governments. He wanted to get better living conditions for his people. He also wanted to protect their Indigenous rights.

Negotiating for the Oujé-Bougoumou

Abel Bosum faced several challenges in his negotiations. One big problem was that the Oujé-Bougoumou were left out of an important agreement from 1975. This agreement was called the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA). It provided money and support to other Cree communities.

The Oujé-Bougoumou were excluded because of a mistake made in 1936. A government employee had wrongly combined their nation with another Cree nation, the Mistassini Cree. This meant the Oujé-Bougoumou had no recognized land rights in their own territory. So, they couldn't get the benefits from the JBNQA.

Bosum's plan was to get his people officially recognized. He arranged for a study to be done about his community. This study proved that the Oujé-Bougoumou were a unique and distinct people. This gave them a stronger reason to claim their rights. Bosum then created a plan to get land for his people. The Grand Council of the Crees supported them in this fight.

During the negotiations, Bosum held many meetings with his community. He wanted to bring people together and rebuild their spirit. He helped unite the Oujé-Bougoumou around a shared vision for their future. Elders shared their knowledge, and younger people started to push the government for action.

Political Obstacles

The Canadian government said the Oujé-Bougoumou needed land to be recognized. But the Quebec government did not want to create new federal lands in Quebec. After much effort, Quebec's Premier, René Lévesque, agreed to give a small piece of land for an Oujé-Bougoumou village. With this promise, the federal government agreed to start talks to officially recognize the Oujé-Bougoumou.

The Quebec government also said the Oujé-Bougoumou could only settle in areas without mining or forestry claims. This limited their options for economic growth. Their traditional territory was already used by mining companies and forestry operations.

Bosum then contacted John Ciaccia, a politician who had helped create the JBNQA. Ciaccia advised Bosum on how to meet the agreement's rules. Bosum was able to expand his people's territory to be similar in size to other Cree nations. Some Oujé-Bougoumou were registered under the Mistissini nation, which was part of the treaty. This allowed a strategy to transfer Mistissini land to the Oujé-Bougoumou, bringing them under the treaty.

The Grand Council of the Crees also helped. They said they would not sign any government agreements unless the Oujé-Bougoumou were included. This helped Bosum get meetings with the Prime Minister of Canada. In 1986, he was able to choose a site for their new village.

Human Rights Issues

While negotiations were happening, the Oujé-Bougoumou lived in temporary shelters along remote roads. Bosum called their situation "urgent." He worked to protect their health and well-being. He got money to install trailers with washrooms and running water in their camps.

Bosum also showed the media the difficult conditions his people were living in. The Oujé-Bougoumou also attended conferences about human rights and housing. They shared their struggles with others. By showing these human rights problems in a developed country, Bosum put more pressure on the governments. This led to more serious negotiations.

Civil Disobedience

The federal government offered $14 million to build the new Oujé-Bougoumou settlement. The community felt this was not enough. After much discussion, Bosum refused the offer on behalf of his people.

After a year of silence from the government, the Oujé-Bougoumou decided to take stronger action. Bosum encouraged his people to occupy the land they had chosen for their village. They also decided to block a nearby forestry road. This road was used by mining companies and loggers. This action caused a lot of tension and affected businesses in the area.

A Final Agreement

Eventually, the provincial minister of natural resources, Raymond Savoie, led a group from Quebec to work out a deal with the Oujé-Bougoumou. The governments agreed to support building the village. They also agreed to create a fund for social and economic development. This fund would help the Oujé-Bougoumou people find jobs and create future opportunities.

The federal government later pulled out of the agreement because they didn't agree with the development fund. Bosum continued to negotiate only with the province. This led to a final deal. The Oujé-Bougoumou received money for their village's buildings, $20 million for social and economic development, and 167 square kilometers of land.

Bosum used this agreement to push the federal government for their support. He launched a media campaign. By the early 1990s, the Oujé-Bougoumou's struggle became a symbol for Indigenous rights in Canada. In 1992, Bosum and the Oujé-Bougoumou signed a deal that brought them $43.6 million from the federal government for their village.

The Oujé-Bougoumou Village

The new Oujé-Bougoumou village is located at Opémisca Lake, Quebec. It was built with the help of the Oujé-Bougoumou people. About 750 Cree people live there. The United Nations has recognized it as one of 50 model communities worldwide. This is because it meets the community's needs while also being good for the environment and using modern technology.

Even though it's in a remote area, the village has low unemployment. New houses are still being built for young Cree people who want to own their own homes. The village is special in Canada because it offers excellent living conditions in modern houses for Indigenous peoples. The design of the village reflects the "values and culture of the Oujé-Bougoumou people."

Later Career

Village Chief

As Chief of the Oujé-Bougoumou, Bosum worked to help his people grow socially and economically in their new home. This included getting access to natural resources so the community could support itself financially. He also addressed social issues that had developed during their difficult times. Bosum wanted to show that Indigenous groups in Canada can use resources well and become politically and economically independent.

GCC Negotiator

In 1998, because of his success with his own nation, Bosum was chosen to negotiate for all the Crees of Quebec. In 2000, he helped solve a two-year disagreement between the Crees and Quebec.

In 2002, Bosum led the talks for an important agreement called the Agreement Respecting a New Relationship Between the Cree Nation and the Government of Quebec (also known as La Paix des Braves). This agreement helped the Crees take part more in the economy of their region. It also allowed them to make their own decisions about their development using funds from the provincial government.

Bosum has also negotiated for the Cree Board of Health and Social Services of James Bay and the Cree School Board. He represented the Grand Council of the Crees in talks with other Indigenous nations. He also negotiated with five mining companies. He made sure that Cree people received financial benefits, jobs, and environmental protection in areas where mining was happening.

Between 2000 and 2012, he negotiated with Quebec about the JBNQA. This led to a new agreement for sharing control of the region. It gave the Crees more power over their traditional territory. The agreement also created new ways for the Cree to govern themselves.

Charitable Work

On April 2, 2015, Bosum became president of the Aanischaaukamikw Foundation and Cree Cultural Institute. He helped raise $25.6 million to build this non-profit institute. Money came from Cree and non-Cree governments, companies, private foundations, and individuals.

Grand Chief

On July 24, 2017, Abel Bosum was elected Grand Chief of the Council of the Crees of Northern Quebec for a four-year term. He won with 55.9% of the votes. He took over from Matthew Coon Come, who had been Grand Chief for five terms.

As Grand Chief, he has overseen the Canadian government's adoption of Bill C-70. This bill gives the Eeyou Istchee more political self-determination. It allows the Grand Council of the Crees to create their own laws that fit their culture. It also gives them more say on local issues, including development. Bosum believes this bill is a big step towards full Cree self-governance.

Recognition

In 1998, Bosum received Canada's National Aboriginal Achievement Award. He won in the Community Development category for his work with the Oujé-Bougoumou Cree community.

In June 2016, Bosum received an honorary doctorate from Bishop's University in Sherbrooke, Quebec. In 2018, he was appointed a member of the Order of Canada. This is a special honor that recognizes amazing achievements and service to the nation.

See Also

• Grand Council of the Crees
• Oujé-Bougoumou, Quebec
• James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement