{"id":8563,"date":"2025-04-21T12:02:15","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T16:02:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/aaqnaq.com\/?p=8563"},"modified":"2025-04-21T12:02:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T16:02:15","slug":"voices-from-the-margins-recognizing-off-reserve-indigenous-rights-in-quebec","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/aaqnaq.com\/en\/voices-from-the-margins-recognizing-off-reserve-indigenous-rights-in-quebec\/","title":{"rendered":"Voices from the Margins: Recognizing Off- Reserve Indigenous Rights in Quebec"},"content":{"rendered":"

Native Alliance of Quebec Denounces Systemic Violation of the Rights of Off-Reserve Indigenous Peoples Before the United Nations <\/b><\/p>\n

Gatineau, April 21, 2025 \u2014 In a historic move, the Native Alliance of Quebec (NAQ) today submitted its report titled “Voices from the Margins: Recognizing the Rights of Off-Reserve Indigenous Peoples in Quebec” to the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII). The report highlights the ongoing exclusion of M\u00e9tis, Inuit, status and non-status First Nations communities living off-reserve\u2014an exclusion that NAQ characterizes as a serious violation of human rights.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is unacceptable that the majority of Indigenous people in Quebec are treated as second-class citizens in their own homeland. We are not asking for permission to exist \u2014 we are asserting our right to be recognized, funded, and respected.\u201d Grand Chief Gerard Coulombe <\/i><\/p>\n

Although over 65% of Indigenous people in Quebec live off-reserve, these populations receive less than 15% of available public funding and are systematically excluded from decision-making in health, housing, education, and economic development.<\/p>\n

The NAQ report is grounded in legal evidence and damning statistics that reveal a two-tiered system rooted in enduring colonial structures. It outlines the devastating impact of this exclusion on Indigenous women, youth, and non-status individuals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are denied access to resources simply because we do not live on a reserve or because our ancestors were erased from colonial registries. This policy is not only archaic\u2014it is unlawful and inhumane<\/i>.\u201d Grand Chief Gerard Coulombe <\/i><\/p>\n

The report submission aligns with UNPFII\u2019s 2025 theme: \u201cThe Rights of Indigenous Peoples to Self-Determination and Sustainable Development<\/i>.\u201d NAQ calls for urgent reform of Canadian laws, full implementation of UNDRIP, and the inclusion of off-reserve Indigenous voices in all public policy processes.<\/p>\n

\u201cJustice cannot depend on geography. Reconciliation must include all of us.\u201d <\/b>ALLIANCE AUTOCHTONE DU QU\u00c9BEC INC. <\/span><\/p>\n

Report Highlights:<\/strong><\/p>\n