UQAT and INRS highlight the historic scope of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement  

As part of the 50^th anniversary of the signing of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA), the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT) and the Institut national de la recherche scientifique (INRS) jointly marked the historic scope of this founding agreement.

The event was held at the UQAT campus in Val-d’Or on November 6, 2025, to mark the occasion, INRS loaned an original copy of the agreement, taken from its archives, to the UQAT.  

Signed on November 11, 1975 by the Quebec Grand Council of the Crees, the Northern Quebec Inuit Association, Hydro-Québec, and the governments of Canada and Quebec, the JBNQA is considered the first modern land claims treaty in Canada. Bequeathed to INRS by Mr. Armand Couture, civil engineer, Chair of its board of directors from 1998 to 2012, and a pivotal figure in the hydroelectric development of Northern Quebec, this copy of the agreement will be exhibited at the UQAT campus library in Val-d’Or, where everyone at UQAT and the Cégep de l’Abitibi-Témiscamingue will be able to view it.  

“As higher education institutions, we share a collective duty of remembrance. With this loan, INRS fully aligns with its research, training and knowledge dissemination mission. This demonstrates our commitment to preserving and sharing an important chapter in our history and to pursuing our close collaboration with UQAT as it relates to the co-construction and transmission of knowledge.”

Luc-Alain Giraldeau, Chief Executive Officer of INRS.  

A duty of commemoration and transmission 

For UQAT, housing this symbolic document is an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of an agreement that 50 years ago paved the way for a nation-to-nation dialogue and marked the development of relations between Indigenous Peoples and governments. “It is essential for a university to create spaces for discussion and reflection on issues of vital importance, like the self-determination of First Peoples and the recognition of cultural, territorial and governance rights,” said Mr. Vincent Rousson, Rector of UQAT.  

Two presentations were given in conjunction with the receipt of the original copy of the agreement. The first was given by Mr. François Cartier, INRS archivist, while the second, given by Mr. Francis Lévesque, Director of the UQAT School of Indigenous Studies, concerned the history of the agreement as well as its relationship with the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region, the city of Val-d’Or and UQAT.  

The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement has evolved over time. Some 18 supplementary conventions have been signed for purposes of including amendments or additions reflecting changes in legislation, new agreements or adjustments required to meet the realities specific to Northern Quebec. Among these developments, the Naskapi Nation joined the agreement by signing the Northeastern Quebec Agreement in 1978.  On the eve of the 50^th anniversary of this landmark agreement, the two institutions would like to discuss it from an educational standpoint.  

A collaboration focused on research and knowledge-sharing 

This activity is in line with the continued close collaboration between the two higher education institutions, which share the INRS-UQAT Joint Research Unit in Indigenous Studies. INRS and UQAT also offer joint master’s- and doctoral-level programs in Indigenous Studies, which promote a deeper understanding of the realities of and issues of concern to Indigenous Peoples.