In February 2012, the First Nations of the Abenakis of Odanak and Wôlinak filed the three (3) files listed below with the Specific Claims Tribunal:

  • SCT-2001-11: Odanak and the seigneurial regime (1635-1863);
  • SCT-2002-11: The Seigneurie of Bécancour: the original boundaries (1647-1941);
  • SCT-2003-11: The transfer of 38 lots in the Domaine des Abénakis de Saint-François (1858-1884).

The hearings will be public and will focus on hearing expert witnesses who have been retained by the parties.

Tribunal hearings will begin on Wednesday, September 9, 2020 at 9:15 a.m. They will first take place in virtual mode on the “Zoom” platform at the following link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85744090750   

Note that the Zoom link will be different for each testimonial block. We will make sure to post the new link on our social media as soon as we have the information.

The hearing days for the first block of testimonials are as follows:

  • From September 9 to 11, 2020;
  • From September 14 to 16, 2020.

Unless there are specific changes, the hearing schedule will be as follows:

  • From 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a 10-15 minute break
  • From 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm, with a 10-15 minute break

Zoom conference participants will need to turn off their camera and microphone when logging in. When participants log in, they will first be directed to a “waiting room”. Then, the conference clerk will allow them to join the conference. If a participant connects during the course of the hearing and not before the start or during a break, it may take some time before they can rejoin the hearing since the clerk will wait for an appropriate time to accept the participant to avoid distractions during the hearing.

The in-person hearings will resume on September 29, 2020 at the Musée des Abénakis at the following address: 108 Waban-Aki Street, Odanak, Quebec.

owever, due to the physical distance measures in effect, a limited number of people will be able to attend the hearing. For this reason, the hearings will also be broadcast live on the “Zoom” platform. The link to access the broadcast of the hearing will be published a few days in advance on the Facebook pages of the Grand Conseil de la Nation Waban-Aki, the Ndakina Office and the Musée des Abénakis. Wearing a mask will be required for those who wish to physically attend the hearings.

You can consult the following documents to learn more about upcoming hearings:

Please also note that all procedural documents related to these claims can be found on the Specific Claims Tribunal website at the following address: https://www.sct-trp.ca/