The Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador (, AFNQL) is a political organization representing the

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

and

Labrador Labrador () is a geographic and cultural region within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the primarily continental portion of the province and constitutes 71% of the province's area but is home to only 6% of its populatio ...

. It represents these First Nations to the ''Secrétariat aux affaires autochtones du Québec'' and to the ministry of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs of Canada. The AFNQL is composed of representatives from 43 communities in the

Abenaki The Abenaki ( Abenaki: ''Wαpánahki'') are Indigenous people of the Northeastern Woodlands of Canada and the United States. They are an Algonquian-speaking people and part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. The Eastern Abenaki language was pred ...

Algonquin Algonquin or Algonquian—and the variation Algonki(a)n—may refer to: Languages and peoples *Algonquian languages, a large subfamily of Native American languages in a wide swath of eastern North America from Canada to Virginia **Algonquin la ...

Atikamekw The Atikamekw are an Indigenous people in Canada. Their historic territory, ('Our Land'), is in the upper Saint-Maurice River valley of Quebec (about north of Montreal). One of the main communities is Manawan, about northeast of Montreal. ...

Cree The Cree, or nehinaw (, ), are a Indigenous peoples of the Americas, North American Indigenous people, numbering more than 350,000 in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations in Canada, First Nations. They live prim ...

Maliseet The Wolastoqiyik, (, also known as the Maliseet or Malecite () are an Algonquian-speaking First Nation of the Wabanaki Confederacy. They are the Indigenous people of the Wolastoq ( Saint John River) valley and its tributaries. Their terri ...

Mi'kmaq The Mi'kmaq (also ''Mi'gmaq'', ''Lnu'', ''Mi'kmaw'' or ''Mi'gmaw''; ; , and formerly Micmac) are an Indigenous group of people of the Northeastern Woodlands, native to the areas of Canada's Atlantic Provinces, primarily Nova Scotia, New Bru ...

Innu The Innu/Ilnu ('man, person'), formerly called Montagnais (French for ' mountain people'; ), are the Indigenous Canadians who inhabit northeastern Labrador in present-day Newfoundland and Labrador and some portions of Quebec. They refer to ...

, Huron-Wendat and

Naskapi The Naskapi (Nascapi, Naskapee, Nascapee) are an Indigenous people of the Subarctic native to the historical region St'aschinuw (ᒋᑦ ᐊᔅᒋᓄᐤ, meaning 'our Clusivity, nclusiveland'), which was located in present day northern Qu ...

nations, as well as from the Mohawks. The AFNQL does not represent the

Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...

or any Inuit community; they are represented by

Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami (Inuktitut syllabics: , meaning "Inuit are united in Canada"), previously known as the Inuit Tapirisat of Canada (Eskimo Brotherhood of Canada), is a nonprofit organization in Canada that represents over 65,000 Inuit acro ...

Leadership

The AFNQL is composed of the chiefs of the 43 First Nations communities in Quebec. The Assembly elects one member to serve as chief for a term of three years. The Assembly meets about 4 times a year to give mandates to its Bureau and to the Commissions it has set up. The AFNQL is attached to the

Assembly of First Nations The Assembly of First Nations (, AFN) is an assembly of Canadian First Nations ( Indian bands) represented by their chiefs. Established in 1982 and modelled on the United Nations General Assembly, it emerged from the National Indian Brotherhood ...

(AFN) whose office is located in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

. The chief of the AFNQL is a member of the AFN executive and can be appointed as the bearer of national files (ex. international, education, health, finance, etc.). Currently the chief is Francis Verreault-Paul from the community of

Mashteuiatsh Mashteuiatsh is a First Nations reserve in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, about north from the centre of Roberval. It is the home to the Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation. It is located on a headland jutting out on the w ...

who was elected with 21 votes in a single round of voting in February 2025. Verreault-Paul is a former hockey player and played for the

Chicoutimi Saguenéens The Chicoutimi Saguenéens are a Canadian junior ice hockey team which plays in the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). The team is based in Chicoutimi, Quebec, and owned by the City of Saguenay. The team plays its home games at th ...

in the

QMJHL The Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL; , LHJMQ), formerly the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League is one of the three major junior ice hockey leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The league includes teams in Quebec ...

. Prior to being elected chief he served as chief of staff to long-serving chief Ghislain Picard. Previously Ghislain Picard served as chief for 33 years from 1992-2025. From its founding in 1985 to 1992 the elected chief of the Assembly was Konrad Sioui.

Members

There are 43 communities that are members of the AFNQL.

Saint Lawrence Iroquians

Huron-Wendat * Mohawk * * Mohawks of Kahnawà:ke *

Mohawks of Kanesatake Mohawks of Kanesatake or Kanehsata'kehró:non are a Mohawk people, Mohawk First Nations in Canada, First Nation in Quebec, Canada. In 2016 the Band government, band has a registered population of 2,508 members. Their main Indian reserve, reserve ...

Eastern Algonquians

() * *

Odanak Odanak is an Abenaki First Nations reserve in the Central Quebec region, Quebec, Canada. The mostly First Nations population as of the 2021 Canadian census was 481. The territory is located near the mouth of the Saint-François River at its co ...

Malecite *

( Mi'gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat) * Listuguj Miꞌgmaq First Nation * Micmacs of Gesgapegiag *

Northern Algonquians

( Conseil de la Nation Atikamekw) * Conseil des Atikamekw de Manawan * Conseil des Atikamekw d’Opitciwan * Conseil des Atikamekw de Wemotaci

(

Grand Council of the Crees The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) or the GCC(EI) (ᐄᔨᔨᐤ ᐊᔅᒌ in Cree), is the political body that represents the approximately 20,000 Cree people (who call themselves "Eeyou" or "Eenou" in the various dialects of East ...

) * Cree Nation of Chisasibi * Cree Nation of Eastmain * Cree Nation of Nemaska * Cree Nation of Mistissini *Cree Nation of Oujé-Bougoumou *Cree Nation of Waswanipi * Cree Nation of Wemindji * The Crees of the Waskaganish First Nation *Cree Nation of

Whapmagoostui Whapmagoostui (, "place of the beluga") is the northernmost Cree village in Quebec, Canada, located at the mouth of the Great Whale River () on the coast of Hudson Bay in Nunavik. About 906 Cree with about 650 Inuit, living in the neighbourin ...

* Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach

* Natuashish and * Sheshatshiu in Labrador *(The and the in Quebec) ** Conseil des Innus d'Ekuanitshit ** Conseil des Innus de Essipit **Conseil des Innus de Matimekush-Lac John **Conseil des Innus de

Pakuashipi Pakuashipi (Pakua Shipi, or Pakua Shipu in Innu-aimun and St-Augustin Indian Settlement) is an Innu community in the Canadian province of Quebec, located on the north shore of the Gulf of Saint Lawrence in the Côte-Nord region. It is on the west ...

** Conseil des Innus de Pessamit ** Conseil des Innus de Nutashkuan ** **

Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam Innu Takuaikan Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam is an Innu First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in Quebec, Canada. It is based in Sept-Îles, Quebec, Sept-Îles in the Côte-Nord region on the North shore of the Saint Lawrence River. It ow ...

** Pekuakamiulnuatsh First Nation *Mushuau Innu Band Council

Central Algonquians

( and ) *

Algonquins of Barriere Lake Algonquins of Barriere Lake are an Algonquin people, Algonquin First Nations in Canada, First Nation in Quebec, Canada. They primarily live on the Indian reserve of Rapid Lake, Quebec, Rapid Lake in Outaouais. In 2017 the Band government, band had ...

* Conseil de la Première Nation Abitibiwinni * Conseil des anicinape de Kitcisakik *

Kebaowek First Nation Kebaowek First Nation is a First Nations in Canada, First Nations band government in Quebec, Canada. Its only Indian reserve, reserve has the same name, Kebaowek or Eagle Village First Nation - Kipawa Indian Reserve. The community is affiliated ...

* Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg *

Long Point First Nation Winneway is an Indian settlement of Anishinaabe band government in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region of Quebec. It is geographically located within the territory of Témiscamingue Regional County Municipality and is home to the Long Point First N ...

* * *

References

This article has been partially translated from its French counterpart: Assemblée des Premières Nations du Québec et du Labrador. {{Aboriginal Orgs Canada Indigenous peoples in Canada Indigenous peoples in Quebec Indigenous peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador Political organizations based in Canada Politics of Quebec Politics of Newfoundland and Labrador Indigenous rights organizations in Canada