Cree from the James Bay community of Waswanipi are vowing to keep up pressure on the Quebec government to protect a vital piece of virgin forest near their community.

On Monday, Waswanipi tallymen — or Cree land stewards — set up a blockade and held a demonstration at kilometre 105 of the James Bay highway.

“We demand the protection of the Broadback Forest,” said Sydney Ottereyes, one of the protesters and a Waswanipi tallyman.

“We have been asking the Quebec government for 15 years, [the government] has not honoured its commitments to negotiate with us.”