Quebec Cree reach agreement with Ottawa

OTTAWA, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Canadian officials signed an agreement with the Quebec Cree, ending litigation over implementation of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement.

The agreement with the Cree of Eeyou Istchee, which includes $1.4 billion in compensation, was signed Thursday by federal Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl and Matthew Mukash, Grand Chief of the Quebec Cree.

"The agreement that we sign today is another important milestone on your journey," Strahl said Thursday in a speech at a ceremony in Mistissini, Quebec. "It will empower you to make further progress on developing the local economy; it will enable you to provide vital social services to your families, friends and neighbors; and it will open the door to formal discussions with our Conservative government and the province of Quebec on how you can advance governance structures in the Cree Nation to achieve genuine self-government."

The Quebec Cree live in nine communities along the shores of James Bay and Hudson Bay, as well as further inland, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp. said.