Postface: Patience and audacity to change things - by Gaëlle A.-Lescop

PATIENCE AND AUDACITY TO CHANGE THINGS

Excerpt from a conversation between André Casault, coresearcher Living in Northern Quebec, initiator of a 20-year collaboration with the Innu of Nitassinan, and Gaëlle AndréLescop, Innu of Uashat mak Mani-utenam and civil engineer of the Mamuitun Tribal Council. Pessamit, June 2019.

Gaëlle André Lescop is an Innu of Uashat mak Mani-utenam. She is a civil engineer working at the Mamuitun Tribal Council, a community development organization working with five Innu communities. Gaëlle also worked for several years in the Infrastructure sector at the Uashat mak Mani-utenam Band Council. She has served on Société d’Habitation du Québec’s Board of Directors. She holds a master’s degree in Urban Design from Université Laval’s School of Architecture (EAUL). She has been involved with the Habitats + Cultures Group for several years and sits on Living in Northern Quebec’s Steering Committee. She has participated in several projects, including the development of the Planning Guide for Innu communities - innuassia-um.org. She has presented the results of her research in several conferences, including Arctic Social Sciences in Sweden and the Université Féministe d’été (U. Laval), as well as in ‘Recherches Amérindiennes au Québec’ 1 .

André Casault: What has your experience in Living in Northern Quebec (LINQ) brought to your practice? How do you apply the shared knowledge in your work? Gaëlle André-Lescop: From a personal standpoint, this experience has brought me a lot. I’ve learned more than I could have imagined! I now think differently. My eyes are opened to my surroundings, especially with regards to the built environment. Today, no matter where I am, even if the surroundings appear less attractive... I’m not bored! I enjoy observing the layout of spaces, the ambiance, what could be improved and what makes me feel

good. I consider myself fortunate to have developed a critical insight in these matters. During my studies, I had the opportunity to include considerations of Innu culture in my work. I’ve read a lot about Innu identity and related subjects that go beyond architecture. The LINQ research partnership has also led me to travel. I experienced other cultures, including the Inuit, a rare opportunity given the distance between our two nations and the different contexts. In spite of those differences, we share common challenges. Inuit culture and art seem to be very present in their communities living environment, as aspect that has particularly marked me. And I went to Sweden and Strasbourg to present my research. I didn’t expect this when I went back to graduate school ! I guess you have to dare to take the leap ! André: Are your ideas taken into account in your workplace? Do they make people react? Do your current projects evolve differently?

Gaëlle: I certainly comment on plans and specifications presented to us. It’s interesting that some of my suggestions are being taken into account. Sometimes, the solutions I propose are off the beaten track and considered bold. But I think you have to think outside the box. You have to dare. While it’s easy to revert to the «it’s too expensive» or «it’s too complicated» answers, there is a risk in going for the easiest solutions. When a project is initiated, the consultants’ plans are often followed without question, due to time constraints or prudence. In practice, the small changes are not visible enough to make an impact. André: In this case, what could be adjusted in the decision-making process? Gaëlle: I think we need to raise awareness among the decisionmakers. We have to demonstrate that we can do things differently. When you are very familiar with your environment, you may no longer see its shortcomings, nor its potential. We get used to it. We live with it. I recently visited the Cree village of Oujé-Bougoumou.

We have to demonstrate that we can do things differently.

We felt that participating community members were developing a sharper look on proposals.

I had already been there, but this time, with my reflection process, I am better able to appreciate the place. This bold development makes a visible difference at the very heart of the community. André : Yet we have tried to raise awareness through projects like the Innu Assia planning Guide2 realised with the Uashat community (p. 272). Could our approaches be more effective? Gaëlle : Throughout the Innu Assia process, we felt that participating community members were developing a sharper look at the proposals. That’s the kind of thing that drove me to the master’s program. By participating in workshops with architecture students, I felt the need to deepen my knowledge of urban design and gain a wealth of new solutions. André: Indeed, we are here to support the community’s ideas, not to make decisions in their stead. Recently we did a workshop on the theme of cultural transmission camps for Innu youth. The idea came from Denis Vollant who once said : «I have a dream. I’d like to build a camp where young Innus can go to the forest for a few weeks and follow their regular classes.» It’s a great idea: to learn math, geography or science in the forest, with surrounding elements as concrete examples. So we worked with Denis on some beautiful proposals [presented in this book]. But taking the next steps is up to the community. How can we help in this regard? Gaëlle: I think a pilot project could be very effective. The Innu need to see concrete things in order to make a decision. I hear this criticism often: «What has this research partnership brought us? We don’t see it.» A few years ago, one of your students helped design the surroundings of the Musée Shaputuan [in Uashat]. The Council reserved funds to finalize the plans, but there was no money to realize them. It would have needed further involvement and perseverance from decision-makers, in order to make such a project a concrete example of what’s possible. Community members want concrete things and I think we can achieve them with few resources. The [Mamu Metuetau]

schoolyard design charrette (p. 236) is a good example. Following the workshop, two small play modules were built. But it would have been more effective to go ahead and transform the entire courtyard according to the students’ proposals, to give even more visibility to the ideas. These were promising and feasible projects, designed in collaboration with Innu students and school principals. The impact of this activity could have been greater, certainly to the appreciation of our youth. We must think of them first. In the end, I aspire to do practical things. It takes patience to make a difference, to go Beyond fences [p. 248-259]. Let’s be bold and aim for concrete impacts on our communities’ future. I think we’re on the right track.

I think that a pilot project could be very effective. The Innu need to see concrete things in order to make a decision.

Launch of Mamu Metuetau design charrette Quebec city, 2019

1 Vachon, G, Pinard, E, Blais, M, André-Lescop, G, Rock, C (2017) Vers des visions partagées: Des outils visuels pour l’aménagement durable des communautés innues de la Côte-Nord. Recherches Amérindiennes au Québec, 47(1): 121-136.

2 innuassia-um.org