Legitimation and Autonomy in James Bay Cree Responses to Hydro‑electric Development

As Fourth World political opposition to intrusive developments accelerates anthropologists have turned to the analytical tools of political and administrative sciences, and economics, but in this process anthropologists have sometimes lost sight of the local-level actions that shape responses to broader conflicts and which contribute to the final determination of events. The first year of James Bay Cree mobilization against a new hydro-electric project a group of emerging Cree leaders worked with the growing autonomy of existing chief and band councils in ways that avoided having new structures imposed by, or claiming authority from, national or provincial political authorities or arenas. More specific direction was provided by elders who, when the regional leaders sought guidance on long-term goals of opposition to the project, advised them not to view the development as an isolated instance but as part of an ongoing conflicts over control of lands and of the history of problems created by governments and corporations for the maintenance of existing Cree social and economic autonomy. This influenced the younger leaders to seek opposition with the possibility of an agreement with the government rather than to make opposition to the project the sole goal. The elders' views reflected a desire and hope of achieving longer-term reconciliation through the current conflict that would eventually sustain valued everyday lives in communities and on the land rather than creating ever-increasing confrontation. The community elders played a key role in giving direction to the regional leaderships' emerging political actions, although some analysts mistakenly saw these goals as resulting from pressures of outside political authorities and advisors for Crees to seek inevitable and undermining compromises.