The Niskamoon Corporation, which was established in accordance with the Niskamoon Agreement, is a not-for-profit organization incorporated under Part III of the Quebec Companies Act. The Letters Patent of the Corporation were delivered on August 24, 2004. With its head office is located on Category 1A lands in Nemaska, the members of the Corporation are the Cree Regional Authority and the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee).

An eight member Board of Directors appointed by the Corporation manages it. In compliance, however, with the provisions of Section 3.3.2 of the Niskamoon Agreement, three members of the Board of Directors are appointed by Hydro-Québec.

Mission Statement

The Niskamoon Corporation provides an efficient framework for cooperation between the Cree people and Hydro-Québec, enabling the implementation of the Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements. The Corporation continuously facilitates and simplifies access to funds and programs for Cree people, communities, and entities.

The Niskamoon Corporation strives to develop projects in close collaboration with Cree land users and other beneficiaries to alleviate the impacts of hydroelectric development in Eeyou Istchee.

The Niskamoon Corporation funds projects that adhere to our core values, that is, to:

Ensure the autonomy and self-sufficiency of Cree land users over time.
Promote and enhance the passing of traditional Cree knowledge to future generations.
Maximize the benefits for as many Cree people as possible.
Promote and enhance the continued use of lands impacted by hydroelectric development.

Over the years, the Cree people of James Bay and Hydro-Québec have developed and implemented multiple agreements, such as the Opimiscow Agreement, Mercury Agreement, Cree Employment Agreement, Nadoshtin Agreement, Boumhounan Agreement, the Agreement Concerning the New Relationship between Hydro-Québec/SEBJ and the Crees of Eeyou Istchee, and the Sarcelle Agreement.

These Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements resulted in the creation of numerous corporations such as the Opimiscow Company, Eeyou Namess Corporation, Apatisiiwin Corporation, and Nadoshtin Company. These entities pursued similar mandates, resulting in a great deal of unnecessary confusion.

In August 2004, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee), the Cree Regional Authority, the nine Cree Nations (Chisasibi, Whapmagoostui, Wemindji, Eastmain, Waswanipi, Nemaska, Waskaganish, Mistissini, and Oujé-Bougoumou), Hydro-Québec and SEBJ executed an agreement known as the Agreement Concerning the Administration of the Cree-Hydro-Québec Agreements and the Niskamoon Agreement, referred to as the “Niskamoon Agreement.”

Principles objectives of the Niskamoon Agreement

The Niskamoon Agreement called for the creation of a not-for-profit corporation – Niskamoon Corporation, whose principal objectives are to:

Facilitate, simplify and accelerate access to the benefits, measures, resources, and programs under the Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements for the Crees, the Cree communities, and other Cree entities.
Provide a more efficient framework for cooperation between the Crees and Hydro-Québec with respect to the implementation of the Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements.
Provide more effective mechanisms for the implementation of the Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements.
Streamline and render more effective the administrative costs to the Crees associated with the implementation of the Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements.
Bring better coherence to the implementation of the Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements.
Regroup under the Niskamoon Corporation large parts of the administration and management of the Cree/Hydro-Québec Agreements.

Board of Directors

The Niskamoon Board of Directors consists of 8 members appointed by the Corporation, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) and the Cree Nation Government. Please note that while Hydro-Québec is not a member of the Corporation, it recommends three directors to the Board.