Identity and territory in the reconstitution of the Viger Malecite community
The Malecite First Nation of Viger is the 11th First Nation recognized in Quebec and the only one whose members live entirely as a diaspora. The Nation faces important challenges including communication with members and heightening their sense of belonging, developing local partnerships and re-establishing its members in a common place for the fragmented community they form. Since its official reestablishment in 1987, this community has worked persistently to reaffirm its identity, in particular through a land claims process in Québec’s Bas-Saint-Laurent region. This article explores issues of identity and territoriality for the Malecites of Viger with particular emphasis on how Malecite identity is shaped and maintained and the steps taken to advance the Nation’s social and territory-based project in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, in collaboration with federal, provincial and regional bodies.