Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a group representing First Nations of trying to erase their history.
The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador criticized Legault’s April 25 comments that suggested the province’s history began with the arrival of French explorers Jacques Cartier and Samuel de Champlain in the 16th and 17th centuries.
During his announcement of a new Quebec national history museum, the premier paid tribute to Quebec’s history, saying it “started with the explorers, Cartier then Champlain, who was the founder of our nation.”
The Assembly of First Nations also criticized historian Eric Bedard who was present at the event and was quoted telling reporters that history begins with writing, and that therefore “the Indigenous people represent a bit the prehistory of Quebec.”
In a news release on Tuesday, the assembly said, “By excluding the First Peoples …