Nunavik Protests Quebec Bill 101

In response to concerns that were not addressed by the Government of Quebec in Bill 101 Inuit communities in Nunavik began a series of protests against the government. The first protest took place in the community of Inukjuaq where, on August 22nd, a public demonstration was held that saw the Quebec flag taken down from the provincial flag pole and provincial government employees told to close their offices and leave the community.

In the following days similar actions were taken by other Nunavik communities who then sent representatives to Kuujjuaq (then called Fort Chimo) for further planning sessions.

 

Following two evenings of meetings between the various community representatives and the Community Council of Fort Chimo, Quebec provincial employees were asked not to return to their offices, and to leave the community. At a meeting with the regional director of Direction Generate du Nouveau-Quebec (DGNQ) and the local Quebec police the provincial flag that had been taken down was handed to the regional director who was told that it would not fly in that community until Inuit concerns regarding Bill 101 had been addressed. As had happened in other communities provincial employees were asked to close their offices and leave the community, however they did not do so Although there was neither violence, nor the threat of violence, riot police were dispatched to Great Whale River and Fort Chimo with an additional squad placed on standby in Schefferville. To protest this, and provincial employees remaining in the community, the community council suspended municipal services delivery to government buildings - government employees constructed a make-shift water tank out of plywood attached to a truck and hauled water to their buildings under police guard. Ultimately, after three weeks of planning and strategy sessions on Inuit language and culture rights were complete and the various representatives returned to their communities after issuing a statement that the Quebec Provincial flag would not fly in the communities, and provincial services would remain boycotted, until their concerns were addressed. The representatives also reaffirmed their basic right to the self determination of their future, and the mandate of the NQIA to continue to seek changes to Bill 101.