Crees fine government

Year Published:  1989
Resource Type:  Article
Cx Number:  CX3684

Abstract: 
A Native court has found the Government of Canada guilty of tax evasion and has ordered the government to pay $50 million to the Ouje-Bougoumou band in Northern Quebec. The Native judges heard testimony that forestry and mining on lands belonging to the Crees had produced at least $4 billion worth of revenue. The band has been forced to relocate several times since the 1920s by resource companies working on the land with government authorization. The federal government refused to attend the hearing, and has said that it will refuse to pay the $50 million.