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Billy DiamondBilly Diamond (May 19, 1949 – September 30, 2010[1]) was the Chief of the Waskaganish, Quebec Cree from 1970 to 1976,[2] the Grand Chief of the Grand Council of the Crees from 1974 to 1984, and a successful businessman who founded Air Creebec.[3][4] Diamond was elected Chief of the Cree Nation of Waskaganish at the age of 21.[5][2] On November 11, 1975, he signed The James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement with the Canadian government.[6] Using funds from the settlement, he created Air Creebec, Cree Construction Company Limited, and Cree Yamaha Motors.[4] For his outstanding achievements, Billy Diamond was appointed as a Chevalier into the Ordre National du Quebec in 1987.[7] On March 19, 1990, Diamond was a guest on 100 Huntley Street.[8] 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."[9] Early lifeBilly Diamond was born to Hilda and Malcolm Diamond[10] on May 17, 1949, in a tent near Rupert House, Quebec, on the shore of James Bay.[11] He grew up in the Cree Nation of Waskaganish (then Rupert House) until being forced to attend[10] Bishop Horden Hall, a residential school in Moose Factory, Ontario.[12] 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.[10] Additionally, the students were punished if they attempted to communicate to each other in Cree.[10] Despite these circumstances, Diamond achieved leadership awards while becoming interested in a variety of academic topics.[10] As a teenager, he attended high school in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, where he organized an Indian Students Council.[13][10] Political careerDiamond returned to Waskaganish after high school, serving as the Band Manager during the 1960s.[2] Although he personally hoped to attend law school, Diamond followed his father's wishes and successfully ran for Chief.[9] He was elected in 1970 at 21 years old, the youngest Chief in Canada at that time.[9] He helped to establish the Grand Council of the Crees in 1974, of which he was elected Grand Chief at age 23.[14] As such, he represented Quebec Crees in the Assembly of First Nations.[7] Diamond also helped to negotiate Sections 25 and 35 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms from 1980 to 1983.[10] LegacyThe James Bay and Northern Quebec AgreementIn 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".[14] The project was planned without consulting Cree and Inuit stakeholders, and would have flooded traditional Cree and Inuit hunting grounds.[15] Diamond organized a meeting of James Bay Crees to discuss the urgency of this project, wherein they decided to challenge the government legally.[9] Initially, the court ruling in favour of the Inuit and Cree case was overturned.[15] However, Diamond and other Indigenous activists such as the Northern Quebec Inuit Association were able to secure an out-of-court settlement with Hydro Quebec now known as the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA) in 1975.[15] This agreement allowed an altered hydroelectric project to be built in exchange for solidified land rights and financial compensation.[14] 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.[14][13] Air CreebecDiamond established Air Creebec in 1982, and served as its president.[7] 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.[16] To this day it is entirely Cree-owned.[16] Personal lifeBilly Diamond and his wife Elizabeth had six children.[13] Later in life, he became a devout Christian.[8][13] References
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