Constant Awashish

Constant Awashish (born in 1981 in La Tuque, Quebec) is an Atikamekw chief. Since 2014, he is the Grand Chief of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw, the tribal council uniting the three Atikamekw Nations. He is known to have declared the sovereignty on their ancestral territory, the Nitaskinan, with the other Atikamekw chiefs.

Constant Awashish
Awashish in 2016
Born1981 (age 41–42)
La Tuque, Quebec
OccupationGrand Chief of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw
Years active2014-present

Biography

Awashish was born in La Tuque, Quebec, in 1981. He was mainly raised by his maternal grandparents on the Indian Reserve of Opitciwan in the northern Mauricie region of Quebec. He completed his elementary and high school studies in La Tuque. He received a law degree from the University of Ottawa, specializing in the rights of the Indigenous people and their territorial rights, the legislation of indigenous entities, and corporate law.[1]

Awashish during his swearing as Grand Chief of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw on 28 September 2014

During the elections on 2 September 2014, he was elected Grand Chief of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw, the tribal council uniting the three Atikamekw Nations, succeeding Eva Ottawa.[2] As such, he is also the chairman of the corporation of the Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw.[3]

A few days later, the Atikamekw chiefs declared unilaterally their sovereignty on their ancestral territory, the Nitaskinan, by a comprehensive claim.[4][5] This territory covers 80,000 km2 (30,000 sq. mi.) to the north of Trois-Rivières.[6] The Atikamekw never ceased or sold their territory during the numbered treaties.[7]

References
  1. Paloma Martinez (2016-10-06). "Constant Awashish, portrait d'un Grand chef". Radio Canada International (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  2. "La grand chef Eva Ottawa démissionne". Le Nouveliste (in French). 2013-06-18. Archived from the original on 2016-10-20. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  3. Audrey Tremblay (2014-09-04). "Constant Awashish devient le nouveau grand chef". Le Nouvelliste (in French). Archived from the original on 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  4. Pierre Trudel (2014). "Entrevue avec Constant Awashish, Grand Chef du Conseil de la Nation atikamekw". Recherches amérindiennes au Québec (in French). 44: 119–121. doi:10.7202/1027887ar. ISSN 1923-5151. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  5. "Les Atikamekw declarant leur souveraineté". Radio-Canada (in French). 2014-09-08. Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  6. Alexandre Robillard (2014-09-08). "Les Atikamekws affirment leur souveraineté sur leur territoire". La Presse canadienne (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-17.
  7. Jean-Philippe Robillard (2014-09-09). "Déclaration de souveraineté : les Atikamekw sont-ils dans leurs droits ?". Radio-Canada (in French). Retrieved 2017-03-17.
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