Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Eeyou Istchee James Bay
Regional Government Gouvernement régional d’Eeyou
Istchee Baie-James ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ ᒉᐃᒥᔅ ᐯᐃ ᐊᔅᒌᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᐎᓐ |
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Municipality
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Quebec |
| Region | Nord-du-Québec |
| RCM | None |
| Established | January 1, 2014 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Regional government |
| Area | |
| • Total | 297,355.46 km2 (114,809.58 sq mi) |
| • Land | 283,123.42 km2 (109,314.56 sq mi) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 2,638 |
| • Density | 0/km2 (0/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−05:00 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−04:00 (EDT) |
The Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government (which is also known as French: Gouvernement régional d’Eeyou Istchee Baie-James in French, and Cree: ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ ᒉᐃᒥᔅ ᐯᐃ ᐊᔅᒌᐤ ᑎᐹᔨᐦᒋᒑᐎᓐ in Cree) is a special kind of local government in Quebec, Canada. It helps manage a huge area of land in the Nord-du-Québec region. This government was created to share power and make decisions together between the Cree Nation and other residents of the region, called Jamésiens.
Contents
How This Government Started
This special government officially began on January 1, 2014. Before that, a different local government called Baie-James managed the area. The Quebec government and the Cree people signed an important agreement on July 24, 2012.
This agreement was all about giving the Cree Nation more say and control over their traditional lands and resources. The new government was designed to have an equal number of representatives from both the Cree and the Jamésien communities. This helps ensure fair decisions for everyone living in the area.
What Land Does It Cover?
The Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government manages a very large area. This area includes almost all of the Jamésie region in Quebec.
However, there are some parts it does not directly manage. These are four specific local municipalities (sometimes called 'enclosed municipalities'):
- Chibougamau
- Lebel-sur-Quévillon
- Chapais
- Matagami
It also does not directly manage eight of the nine Cree communities within the Eeyou Istchee territory.
Even though it doesn't manage those specific towns and communities, the territory does include four smaller places that are not formally organized as municipalities:
- Radisson
- Valcanton
- Val-Paradis
- Villebois
How the Government Works
Who Makes Up the Government?
The Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government is run by a council. For its first ten years, this council has 23 members.
- There are 11 representatives from the Cree Nation.
- There are 11 representatives from the Jamésien communities.
- There is one non-voting representative from the government of Quebec.
The Cree representatives include the Grand Chief of the Cree Nation Government. The other ten Cree members are chosen by the Cree Nation Government.
The Jamésien representatives come from the local councils of towns like Chapais, Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, and Matagami. They are appointed by the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs.
The Quebec government's representative is chosen by a Deputy Minister from their staff.
Working with Other Communities
The towns and Cree communities that are "enclosed" within the territory are not automatically under the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government's direct control. However, these communities can choose to work with the regional government.
If a local council votes unanimously to partner, the regional government can then help them. It can act like a regional county municipality (RCM) for those areas, providing services and support.
