On the road to reconciliation, tension between miners and Aboriginals grow – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com – April 11, 2014)

 http://www.miningweekly.com/page/americas-home

TORONTO (miningweekly.com) – While Canada has come a long way in reconciling pre-existing Aboriginal sovereignty with assumed Crown sovereignty, tension is rising between the proponents of several new mining projects located on Crown lands, or within Aboriginal reserves, and Aboriginals, who increasingly assert their rights.

In recent weeks, several Aboriginal communities have voiced their concerns regarding proposed mining projects, insisting on their right to self-determination.

For example, this week the West Moberly First Nations were in the Supreme Court of British Columbia, in Nanaimo, where they argued their case against a proposed coal project in an area 34 km north of Chetwynd, in north-east British Columbia, which had been deemed of “critical spiritual and cultural importance” by the community.

Last summer, the Energy and Mines Ministry issued mining permits to Canadian Kailuan Dehua Mines – a Chinese-backed mining company – for its Gething project, authorising the company to remove 100 000 t of material, transport 15 000 t of coal and construct the main components of a mine that would operate for about 30 years.

The First Nation said that the project is located about 30 km from the band’s reserve, and about 50 m from a ‘culture camp’, where members go to hunt, fish, and teach ancient traditions to children and youth.

“The Crown doesn’t seem to understand how important this location is to us, and they didn’t give us the chance to tell them. The government allowed the company to prepare the studies it needed, but wouldn’t wait for the detailed report we produced on the impacts to our culture,” West Moberly Chief Roland Willson said, adding that the government did not honour its constitutional duty to consult.

In another example, the Tahltan Nation in Northern British Columbia last week announced that it had “banned” anthracite project developer Fortune Minerals from entering its communities without first asking for permission from leaders.

The Iskut and Tahltan bands said that they had both passed Band Council Resolution agreements to hinder Fortune from disseminating information regarding its proposed Arctos openpit coal mine, on Mount Klappan, which lies in traditional Tahltan territory.

“This is a warning for Fortune Minerals,” Tahltan Central Council president Annita McPhee said.

“Tahltan people have asked their leadership to oppose Fortune’s Arctos anthracite project proposal. Our people spent last year protecting the land while Fortune tried to drill in the area, and yet still they try to promote Arctos within our communities.

For the rest of this article, click here: http://www.miningweekly.com/print-version/on-the-road-to-reconciliation-tension-between-miners-and-aboriginals-grow-2014-04-11