Tiohtià:ke / Montreal, May 28, 2026 –
Gathered in Assembly, the Grand Chiefs and Chiefs firmly and unanimously reaffirm that the only viable option remains the complete withdrawal of Bill No. 1, the Québec Constitution Act, 2025.
This position follows the statement issued on February 5, in which the AFNQL denounced the colonial nature of the bill and called for its immediate withdrawal. As a reminder, Bill No. 1, tabled on October 9, 2025, was developed without prior, meaningful consultation in accordance with Québec’s constitutional and international obligations toward First Nations.
This finding is not limited to First Nations. The democratic process as a whole has been flawed: more than 800 Quebec civil society organizations have also called for the outright withdrawal of the bill, denouncing a unilateral and rushed approach that fails to meet the democratic standards required for the development of a legitimate constitution.
This bill contravenes international law norms and standards applicable to Indigenous peoples. In its observations on Canada’s 7th periodic report, the Human Rights Committee stated that Bill No. 1 does not recognize Indigenous peoples’ rights to self-determination or to their lands, territories, and natural resources. The Committee therefore calls for compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
“Adopting this bill, in its current or amended form, would amount to constitutionalizing the political and legal erasure of First Nations—a move that directly perpetuates the doctrine of discovery and is incompatible with any genuine form of reconciliation,” said AFNQL Chief Francis Verreault-Paul
About the AFNQL
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador is the regional political organization representing the 43 chiefs of First Nations in Quebec and Labrador. For more information, visit its website at www.apnql.com.
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