Billy Diamond (May 19, 1949 – September 30, 2010) was the Chief of the
Waskaganish, Quebec
Waskaganish ( cr, ᐙᔅᑳᐦᐄᑲᓂᔥ/Wâskâhîkaniš, Little House; ) is a Cree community of over 2,500 people at the mouth of the Rupert River on the south-east shore of James Bay in Northern Quebec, Canada. Waskaganish is part of the t ...
Cree from 1970 to 1976,
the Grand Chief of the
Grand Council of the Crees
The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) or the GCC(EI) (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ in Cree), is the political body that represents the approximately 18,000 Cree people (who call themselves "Eeyou" or "Eenou" in the various dialects of East ...
from 1974 to 1984, and a successful businessman who founded
Air Creebec.
Diamond was elected Chief of the
Cree Nation of Waskaganish at the age of 21.
[ On November 11, 1975, he signed The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement with the Canadian government. Using funds from the settlement, he created Air Creebec, Cree Construction Company Limited, and Cree Yamaha Motors.][ For his outstanding achievements, Billy Diamond was appointed as a Chevalier into the Ordre National du Quebec in 1987.] On March 19, 1990, Diamond was a guest on ''100 Huntley Street''.
Diamond died at the age of 61 from a heart attack. In accordance with his instructions, his tombstone reads: "Gone to a meeting - will return."
Early life
Billy Diamond was born to Hilda and Malcolm Diamond on May 17, 1949, in a tent near Rupert House
Waskaganish ( cr, ᐙᔅᑳᐦᐄᑲᓂᔥ/Wâskâhîkaniš, Little House; ) is a Cree community of over 2,500 people at the mouth of the Rupert River on the south-east shore of James Bay in Northern Quebec, Canada. Waskaganish is part of the t ...
, Quebec, on the shore of James Bay
James Bay (french: Baie James; cr, ᐐᓂᐯᒄ, Wînipekw, dirty water) is a large body of water located on the southern end of Hudson Bay in Canada. Both bodies of water extend from the Arctic Ocean, of which James Bay is the southernmost par ...
. He grew up in the Cree Nation of Waskaganish (then Rupert House) until being forced to attend[ Bishop Horden Hall, a residential school in ]Moose Factory
Moose Factory is a community in the Cochrane District, Ontario, Canada. It is located on Moose Factory Island, near the mouth of the Moose River, which is at the southern end of James Bay. It was the first English-speaking settlement in lands no ...
, Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
. Diamond recalled that his hair was cut for the first time in his life immediately upon arrival, and the clothes his mother gave him were confiscated.[ Additionally, the students were punished if they attempted to communicate to each other in Cree.][ Despite these circumstances, Diamond achieved leadership awards while becoming interested in a variety of academic topics.][ As a teenager, he attended high school in ]Sault Ste. Marie
Sault Ste. Marie is a cross-border region of Canada and the United States located on St. Marys River, which drains Lake Superior into Lake Huron. Founded as a single settlement in 1668, Sault Ste. Marie was divided in 1817 by the establishment of ...
, Ontario, where he organized an Indian Students Council.
Political career
Diamond returned to Waskaganish after high school, serving as the Band Manager during the 1960s.[ Although he personally hoped to attend law school, Diamond followed his father's wishes and successfully ran for Chief.][ He was elected in 1970 at 21 years old, the youngest Chief in Canada at that time.][ He helped to establish the ]Grand Council of the Crees
The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) or the GCC(EI) (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ in Cree), is the political body that represents the approximately 18,000 Cree people (who call themselves "Eeyou" or "Eenou" in the various dialects of East ...
in 1974, of which he was elected Grand Chief at age 23. As such, he represented Quebec Crees in the Assembly of First Nations. Diamond also helped to negotiate Sections 25 and 35 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
The ''Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms'' (french: Charte canadienne des droits et libertés), often simply referred to as the ''Charter'' in Canada, is a bill of rights entrenched in the Constitution of Canada, forming the first part o ...
from 1980 to 1983.[
]
Legacy
The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
In 1971, Premier Robert Bourassa announced that $6 billion hydroelectric dam would be built on the Eastmain River in Cree and Inuit territory, which he coined the "project of the century". The project was planned without consulting Cree and Inuit stakeholders, and would have flooded traditional Cree and Inuit hunting grounds. Diamond organized a meeting of James Bay Crees to discuss the urgency of this project, wherein they decided to challenge the government legally.[ Initially, the court ruling in favour of the Inuit and Cree case was overturned.] However, Diamond and other Indigenous activists such as the Northern Quebec Inuit Association
Makivik Corporation ( iu, ᒪᑭᕝᕕᒃ ᑯᐊᐳᕇᓴᑦ, script=, ; french: Société Makivik) is the legal representative of Quebec's Inuit, established in 1978 under the terms of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement, the agreement th ...
were able to secure an out-of-court settlement with Hydro Quebec
Hydro from Ancient Greek word ὕδωρ (húdōr), meaning ''water''.
Hydro may also refer to:
Energy technologies
* Water-derived power or energy:
** Hydropower, derived from water
** Hydroelectricity, in electrical form
* "Hydro", AC mains ...
now known as the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement
The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (french: Convention de la Baie-James et du Nord québécois) is an Aboriginal land claim settlement, approved in 1975 by the Cree and Inuit of northern Quebec, and later slightly modified in 1978 by th ...
(JBNQA) in 1975. This agreement allowed an altered hydroelectric project to be built in exchange for solidified land rights and financial compensation. The JBNQA is considered the first "Modern Treaty" and provided the James Bay Cree and Inuit with $225 million in compensation, in addition to investment infrastructure.
Air Creebec
Diamond established Air Creebec in 1982, and served as its president. Since it connects coastal communities to larger urban centres such as Timmins, Val D'or, and Montreal, the airline fulfills Diamond's vision of allowing the people of James Bay greater mobility. To this day it is entirely Cree-owned.
Personal life
Billy Diamond and his wife Elizabeth had six children. Later in life, he became a devout Christian.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Diamond, Billy
1949 births
2010 deaths
People from Eeyou Istchee (territory)
Indigenous leaders in Quebec
Indspire Awards