A few important facts: Difference between revisions

From Independence of Québec
Jump to navigation Jump to search
No edit summary
Line 30: Line 30:
The majority of the independentists recognize the right to self-determination of the Amerindians and the Inuit. They are to be a part of all negotiations between Québec and Ottawa in the advent of secession. Despite Indian affairs being a federal jurisdiction, the Québec government has worked with native communities to help them strengthen their economic, social and cultural autonomy. See the current proposal for an agreement in principle with the Innu people.
The majority of the independentists recognize the right to self-determination of the Amerindians and the Inuit. They are to be a part of all negotiations between Québec and Ottawa in the advent of secession. Despite Indian affairs being a federal jurisdiction, the Québec government has worked with native communities to help them strengthen their economic, social and cultural autonomy. See the current proposal for an agreement in principle with the Innu people.
    
    
==5. Quebec nationalism, in the context of British colonialism, must be understood for what it is: a desire for national liberation ==
==5. Quebec nationalism stems from an old desire for national liberation ==


Quebec nationalism, in the context of British colonialism, must be understood for what it is: a desire for national liberation. The starting point of our movement is the American revolution.
Quebec nationalism, in the context of British colonialism, must be understood for what it is: a desire for national liberation. The starting point of our movement is the American revolution. The political adversaries of the Quebec independence movement have been expecting the world to believe that a people that is neighbour to the revolutionary colonies and on top of this in the majority spoke French, the dominant language of the Enlightenment Era, could have been completely immune to the philosophy of the time.  


Discrediting the sovereignty movement by linking Québec's nationalism with reactionary right-wing movements is part of something called Plan B. See Québec Bashing. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion since the near-victory of the sovereignists in 1995.
Discrediting the sovereignty movement by linking Québec's nationalism to reactionary right-wing movements is part of something called Plan B. See Québec Bashing. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion since the near-victory of the sovereignists in 1995.


==6. The word "Québécois" is not an invention of the Parti Québécois ==
==6. The word "Québécois" is not an invention of the Parti Québécois ==

Revision as of 23:05, 9 November 2006

1. Québec's French-speaking majority is a multi-ethnic society

Québec's French-speaking majority is a multi-ethnic society, just like English Canada's English-speaking majority. To describe Franco-Quebecers, who consider themselves as Quebecers alone (Québécois in French) cannot honestly be described as a simple homogeneous ethnic group.

In the 1830s during the Lower Canadian revolution, the majority of Lower Canadians (Quebecers) are born in Lower Canada. The ancestors of these people originated primarily from the North of France (prior to the linguistic and cultural unification of France), but also from Ireland, the United States, Acadia, Scotland, England and Germany.

Since the amending of the racist immigration law of Canada in 1951, Québec has welcomed immigrants from all over the world like all provinces of the federation. The Quebec human group shares a common identity and culture forged by History and transmitted from generation to generation through the French language. Québec is a nation, Quebecers are a people, not a tribe, nor a sect, nor an ethnic group nor a bunch of angry Frenchmen.

In addition to the main French-speaking national group, Quebec is home to 10 distinct Amerindian nations, the Inuit nation and a minority of Anglophones who tend to identify as Canadians first.

2. The people of Québec was never consulted on the adoption any of the constitutional acts enforced to rule them

The people of Québec was never consulted on the adoption any of the constitutional acts enforced to rule them. Québec has yet to democratically choose its constitution. As a people, Quebecers can legitimately claim its right to self-determination just like all the other peoples on Earth. Read Article VIII of the Helsinki Act.

The British North America Act is the works of British imperialists and would have been rejected by Québec at the September 1867 election if it had not been for a blatant electoral fraud. (See the history section) In order to create the confederated Dominion of Canada, the non-elected colonial government first had to neutralize the elected leaders of Lower Canada (Papineau and the Parti Patriote) and unite the two Canadas (Upper and Lower) with the 1840 Union Act, hence forcing the Canadiens to become a politically weakened minority destined to assimilation in the new political system of the colony. The constitution of 1867 changed nothing of this reality.

On October 27, 1864, after the signing of the confederative pact, George Brown, founder of the Toronto Globe and one of the Fathers of the Confederation, wrote a note to his wife while packing his things before leaving for Toronto: "All right... Constitution adopted - a most creditable document - a complete reform of all the excesses and injustice we have complained of: Is it not wonderful? French Canadianism entirely extinguished."

The Indirect Rule and the massive immigration of British subjects to Canada were still in effect under the centralizing Federation disguised as a Confederation. From a democratic standpoint, the legitimacy of the Confederation can be considered null. Even worst, in 1982, the constitution was amended and repatriated without the signature of the National Assembly of Québec. Quebecers are governed by a constitution they officially rejected.

Read the Constitutional saga to know more.

3. The majority of Québec's independentists favor a republican form of government

The majority of Québec's independentists favor a republican form of government, an elected President and a modern proportional voting system to elect the National Assembly's representatives. We are not fools: we want the real democracy our people has dreamed of for over a century and a half.


4. The majority of the independentists recognize the right to self-determination of the Amerindians and the Inuit

The majority of the independentists recognize the right to self-determination of the Amerindians and the Inuit. They are to be a part of all negotiations between Québec and Ottawa in the advent of secession. Despite Indian affairs being a federal jurisdiction, the Québec government has worked with native communities to help them strengthen their economic, social and cultural autonomy. See the current proposal for an agreement in principle with the Innu people.

5. Quebec nationalism stems from an old desire for national liberation

Quebec nationalism, in the context of British colonialism, must be understood for what it is: a desire for national liberation. The starting point of our movement is the American revolution. The political adversaries of the Quebec independence movement have been expecting the world to believe that a people that is neighbour to the revolutionary colonies and on top of this in the majority spoke French, the dominant language of the Enlightenment Era, could have been completely immune to the philosophy of the time.

Discrediting the sovereignty movement by linking Québec's nationalism to reactionary right-wing movements is part of something called Plan B. See Québec Bashing. The whole thing has been blown out of proportion since the near-victory of the sovereignists in 1995.

6. The word "Québécois" is not an invention of the Parti Québécois

The word "Québécois" is not an invention of the Parti Québécois. It has been used to designate the citizens of Québec since the confederation and also the citizens of Québec City long before. The French-speaking majority of Québec has not always used this term when referring to itself and the English-speaking minority never did, except when deprived of its very meaning. As a term referring to a political nation, it only appeared when the French Canadians of Québec chose to adopt it as their main defining identity during the Quiet Revolution. Read on the Quiet Revolution to learn more. The main cultural group constituting the Québécois are the descendants of the 19th century French-speaking Canadiens and immigrants who have integrated this people. Canada used to be the name of what is essentially the two shores of the St-Laurent river, where the most important settlements of New France were located. Today, this land is called Québec, so we call ourselves Quebecers (in French Québécois ). Read The Québécois Identity is for All to learn more.

7. The Parti patriote had wide support among Lower Canadians of all origins

In the 19th century, the Parti patriote of Lower Canada had the support of an overwhelming majority of the Canadien population, including a significant number of English-speaking subjects, especially of Irish and American origin. The Patriotes movement is nothing marginal in Québec's history. The leaders of the time, very often speaking both French and English (along with Greek and Latin), were not completely disconnected from the world, on the contrary. They had read the literature of the American and French revolutions and were aware of the various other liberation movements in other parts of the world. See the section on other independence movements. The Canadien people wanted to establish a free and democratic Republic that would have been one of the most egalitarian state of its time. See the Declaration of Independence by the Patriotes of Lower Canada. (1838)

8. The repression of the Lower Canada revolution was massive

The mandates of arrest issued against the patriot leaders were illegal. The massive repression of Lord Seaton (called Milord Satan by the Canadiens) is proportionally 5 times worst than the one ordered by the Comité du Salut Public in France during the period of the French revolution called La Terreur.

9. Québec is a nation in both the sociological and political meanings of the word

Québec is a nation in both the sociological and political meanings of the word. In the English language, nation comes from Old French nation which itself comes from Latin natio which means "to be born". This word is unfortunately vague for it can designate different ideas or concepts. Nation can mean a people or a nationality which is a human group who shares some or all of the following attributes: customs, culture, religion, institutions, language and history. That is the United Nations's definition at least. A more modern definition is the political nation, a human group that is politically organized under a single government, i.e. the government represents the whole people. These two definitions are not in contradiction with each other; as a matter of fact, they often complement one another: you typically have a nation (people) under a national government (state) for example.

For centuries, the Jews were a stateless nation persecuted all over the Earth because they were considered a dangerous minority in every country they settled. After the horrors of the Second World War, the Jews were given a state of their own, Israel, and today there is a solid Jewish majority able to govern itself democratically in this country. For as long as the state of Israel stands, there will be a dynamic living Jewish community in the world, contributing to our planet's richness and diversity. Quebecers are like the Israelites. French Canadians are like the Jews. But the comparison stops there of course. French Canadians are better compared to another famous persecuted people: the Irish.

Another meaning of the word nation in English is an independent country. Often, people will say that Québec is not a nation, meaning that it is not an independent country and in fact is just a province, a federated state. They are absolutely right on this. That is precisely why there is an independence movement in Québec.

10. The Quebec State is much older than the Canadian federal State

Québec's National Assembly (formerly Lower Canada's legislative assembly), is much older than the Canadian federal House of Commons, which London "created" in 1867. The existence of a political nation within Québec goes back to 1791 when, under the Constitutional Act voted by London, the Canadien population voted its first assembly of representatives. The Assembly of Lower Canada, located in Québec City, was the only institution democratically representing the people of Lower Canada (i.e., the Canadiens). When the non-elected colonial government of Lower Canada lost control of the population in 1837, it ordered the arrest of the Patriot leaders. An armed conflict broke out. Following the defeat of the rebels, Lower Canada was annexed to Upper Canada in 1841. This is not an isolated event in British history. Read the page on other independence movements to learn of similar events in Wales, Scotland, and Ireland. You can also visit the website of the National Assembly of Québec to learn more about this institution.

See also

  • Myths and fallacies