Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government


Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government is a local municipality in the Jamésie in administrative region of Nord-du-Québec.

History

On July 24, 2012, the Quebec government signed an accord with the Cree which resulted in the abolition of the local municipality of Baie-James and the creation of the local municipality of Eeyou Istchee James Bay. The agreement came into force on January 1, 2014, and is designed to give the Cree expanded powers over lands and resources outside of the Cree municipalities and associated reserved land. The new government consist of Cree and Baie-James residents each having an equal number of votes.

Overview

The territory comprises all lands of Jamésie minus the four local municipalities — also known as the enclosed municipalities' — of Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, Chapais, and Matagami, and eight of the nine Cree communities of Eeyou Istchee TE.
However, the territory includes three unconstituted localities :

Composition & local governance

The territory outside the enclaved Cree communities is governed by the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government. Local governance is carried out by way of the council of regional government, which for its first ten years is to be composed of 11 Cree representatives, 11 Jamésien representatives, and one non-voting representative of the government of Québec. The Cree representatives consist of the Grand Chief of the Cree Nation Government and then ten members appointed by the Board of the Cree Nation Government from within its own ranks. The Jamésien representatives consist of members of the local municipal councils of Chapais, Chibougamau, Lebel-sur-Quévillon, and Matagami as well as non-Crees in the Eeyout Istchee James Bay Territory and are appointed by the provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs, Regions and Land Occupancy. Finally, the non-voting representative of the government of Quebec is appointed by the Deputy Minister of the Ministère des Affaires municipales, des Régions et de l’Occupation du territoire from amongst its staff.

Regional governance

The enclaved settlements are not under the jurisdiction of the Eeyou Istchee James Bay Regional Government unless an enclaved settlement, by a unanimous vote of its local council, requests partnership with the regional government. In that instance, the territorial regional government may carry out the powers of a regional county municipality.