The James Bay Hydroelectric Projects Impacts On Native Ways Of Life

The Cree Indian way of life has been fundamentally changed by the James Bay hydroelectric project. The Cree are a group of about 12,000 Indians that live in northern Quebec. The Cree were a nomadic hunting and gathering tribe, they lived off the land for generations upon generations, and they lived peacefully and did not bother anyone. They lived sustainable and did not exploit their resources, and this is why they were able to maintain their land and way of life for so long. It was not until the 1970’s and the start of the James Bay hydroelectric project did the Cree’s way of life begin to fade from nomadic hunting people to settled communities with modern houses and services, and this not was by choice. (http://forests.org/articles/reader.asp?linkid=9492)
The James Bay hydroelectric project is a project constructed by Hydro Quebec, which involved blocking and diverging of several rivers such as the La Grande. The effects of such a project would be disastrous to the l...