"Between nations, we gain by knowing each other" is the motto of the Indigenous awareness campaign, which aims to spark the interest of the general public in discovering the 11 Indigenous nations of Quebec in order to eradicate racism and discrimination.

During a news conference on Sunday morning in Montreal, the minister responsible for relations with the First Nations and the Inuit, Ian Lafrenière, presented the beginning of the campaign, whose objective is to "build more bridges" between the various Indigenous communities and the people of Quebec.

"We have to get rid of this term, 'the Aboriginals,' as if it were a monolithic block. Fifty-five communities are 55 realities. There are as many individuals - 110,000 people - as there are different realities," he said at the press briefing.

Accompanied by the minister responsible for the fight against racism, Christopher Skeete, and Médérik Sioui, a collaborator and member of the Huron-Wendat Nation, Lafrenière said he was "extremely proud" to unveil "a first step" in the project, adding that reconciliation was the work not of one person, but of the whole government.

"This campaign will respond directly to the recommendations of the Action Group Against Racism and will strengthen the ties between Quebec's Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. This is the first step in a major societal project on which I intend to work actively with all my colleagues and counterparts over the next few years," he said in a news release.

The minister responsible for the fight against racism said that this issue was "a priority" for the government, adding that this work was above all "through education and mutual recognition."

"We want to bring people together and discover each other as a solution to the prejudice and mistrust that leads to discrimination. The campaign is a direct response to recommendation number 14 of the Zero Tolerance report of the Action Group Against Racism," said Skeete.

This recommendation of the Action Group Against Racism (AGAR) called for the inclusion of "a specific Aboriginal reality check to consistently inform the public about racism and discrimination experienced by First Nations and Inuit."

"Our government will continue to invest massively to achieve the ideal of a more inclusive, tolerant, open and diverse society," said Skeete.

Under the co-chairmanship of Lionel Carmant and Nadine Girault, the GACR was composed of Lafrenière, Skeete, as well as Ungava MNA Denis, parliamentary assistant to the minister responsible for Indigenous Affairs, Sylvie d'Amours, and Lotbinière-Frontenac MNA Isabelle Lecours. In December 2020, the group published the Zero Tolerance report, which proposed recommendations to fight discrimination in Quebec.

Lafrenière is still in discussions with the Innu in order to bring a successful conclusion to negotiations that have been underway for 40 years. The three communities of the Regroupement de Petapan are optimistic that the first modern treaty will be adopted before the March 31 deadline.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on Feb. 12, 2023.