Indigenous groups challenge Quebec over new history museum [Video]

Quebec City –

Several Indigenous groups are calling on the Quebec government to distance itself from the “colonialist mentality” as it designs a new $92-million history museum project in the provincial capital.

The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, the First Nations Education Council and an Innu cultural centre — Institut Tshakapesh — made their feelings known about the project in a brief submitted about a government bill to create the museum.

They asked the government to distance itself from a colonialist point of view and include in the museum the stories, contributions and perspectives of Indigenous people.

Denis Gros-Louis of the First Nations Education Council told a hearing at the legislature that the bill in its current form doesn’t clearly recognize the fundamental contributions of First Nations.

The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador had criticized Premier François Legault for suggesting during the museum announcement in April that the province’s history began with the …