<Cultural Genocide, Cree Chief Says

James Bay Development Will Cause Cultural Genocide, Cree Chief Says

Grainne Ryder

The Quebec government is forging ahead with the mammoth second phase of the James Bay Power Project, the world's largest planned hydroelectric complex, without public hearings, without a thorough environmental review, and in violation of a 1975 land claims treaty with the Inuit and Cree people of northwestern Quebec.

Described by Quebec's Premier Robert Bourassa as “the project of the century”, the scheme calls for the damming or diversion of nine rivers flowing through 350,000 sq. km. of northwestern Quebec into James and Hudson Bays. If completed, Phase One and Two combined would have a staggering hydroelectric capacity of 27,000 megawatts (MW), dwarfing Brazil's 12,600 MW Itaipu Dam and the proposed 16,750 MW Three Gorges Dam in China.

Phase one, known as La Grande (10,282 MW), was constructed by the state-owned utility, Hydro-Quebec, along with other giant engineering firms such as Lavalin Inc. and Bechtel Canada Inc. In 1985, the megaproject was completed without an environmental review.

To date, four rivers have been diverted, and nine dams and five reservoirs have been built, flooding over 13,000 sq. km. of Cree teritory. Several communities have been uprooted and, in 1984, 10,000 caribou drowned when water was released from one of La Grande's reservoirs. The reservoirs have submerged huge tracts of forest and released mercury from the bedrock, causing methyl mercury contamination of fish and fish-eating wildlife upon which the Crewe and Inuit depend for food and income.

“Hydroelectric development is flooding the land, destroying wildlife and killing my people,” says Grand Chief Matthew Cooncome, leader of the Crees of Quebec.

The Inuit and Cree learned of Hydro-Quebec's plans nearly two decades ago. Without secure land title they fought a losing battle with Hydro-Quebec against La Grande and, in 1975, they reluctantly signed the James Bay and Northern Agreement with the federal and provincial governments, Hydro-Quebec and several other state-owned corporations. They were granted a small area of their rightful territory and $225 million over a period of twenty years which has helped to pay for housing and other basic serrvices The communities are also exploring ways to broaden their economic base by investing in road and air transport, commercial fisheries and local enterprises.

Today, a younger generation of Cree, highly disturbed by the economic impacts of La Grande, are more determined than ever to save their land and rivers from Phase Two, not just for their own cultural survival and social well-being, but for future generations.

Phase Two, including the Great Whale Developmment (3080 MW), which is scheduled to be built by 2001, followed by the Nottaway Broadback Rupert Development (8400 MW), would mean the damming of every last river on the Quebec side of James and Hudson Bays, and the flooding of over 10,000 sq. km. To do this, Hydro-Quebec plans to spend $40 billion over the next 10 years and is expected to raise more than half of this in the United States, France, Germany and Japan.

Operation of the dams to respond to electricity demand involves the total diversion of rivers and the reversal of seasonal patterns of flow. The increased flow of freshwater into James Bay, during the six month season of ice cover on the bay, has the potential to disrupt coastal eco-systems, including some of the most productive sea-grass beds in the northern hemisphere, which are critical for migratory waterfowl. The high and rapidly varying winter flows would threaten the survival of fish populations in the estuaries of the rivers. Beluga whales and marine and freshwater seals could also be affected.

The Inuit living on the Belcher Islands in Hudson Bay, who were not included in the James Bay Agreement, and who travel on the sea ice to hunt and fish, write: “As island people, the majority of our foods come from Hudson Bay and we need these foods to survive. If Hydro-Quebec goes ahead it could cause sickness to those people living on sea life. What will happen to the large families that can't afford to buy food, if the food from the sea can no longer be eaten?”

Premier Robert Bourassa of Quebec, the chief proponent of the James Bay Power Project, views the project as the key to the province's economic self reliance. Over the years Hydro-Quebec has built dams for power exports to the United States and to provide cheap electricity to Quebec's aluminum and metal refinig industries. While Hydro-Quebec maintains that the James Bay Power Project is an economic winner, it refuses to reveal its cost analysis. Its current $23 billion deficit is expected to reach $60 billion by the year 2000 once the Great Whale Project is nearly completed.

A coalition of Cree and environmental groups are fighting to block power sales from Hydro-Quebec to the northeastern United States, armed with evidence that investing in energy efficiency, rather than buying new power from James Bay is the environmentally responsible, economically prudent energy choice. U.S. energy consultants Goodman and Marcus estimate that by adopting simple conservation measures, Quebec - one of the most inefficient energy users in the world - could free up electricity equivalent (to) more than twice the capacity of the Great Whale River development before the year 2001.

Despite increasing heated opposition from native people and environmental groups across Canada and the United States, the Quebec government is determined to bring the Great Whale and the Nottaway Broadback Rupert dams on line as fast as it can. To do this, the Quebec government has approved construction of hundreds of km. of access roads, airports and workers' camps, to begin in the spring of 1991, without an adequate environmental review.

From New Catholic Times, February 17, 1991
Grainne Ryder is a water resources researcher for Toronto-based Probe International.

(CX5100)

 

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