First Nations demand a seat at the table on mining plans

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First Nations in the region are demanding that governments respect their rights to minerals found on their ancestral lands and traditional territories.

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“As stewards of these lands, Anishinabek First Nations have the inherent right to be consulted and provide consent regarding any activities that may impact their territories,” the Anishinabek Nation said in a statement. press release. “However, reconciliation partners are misleading people in these lands and beyond the Medicine Line (US border). »

Linda Debassige, Chief of the Grand Council of the Anishinabek Nation (formerly known as the Union of Ontario Indians), said Ontario Premier Doug Ford made inaccurate and concerning statements regarding minerals in the province.

“It is crucial to address the troubling actions of leaders in the province of Ontario, who have misled stakeholders, including the United States, regarding the status of these minerals,” she said. declared in the press release. “This misinformation undermines the rights of Anishinabek First Nations and ignores the importance of their voice in resource management decisions.

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Debassige said Ford “conducted interviews with the media, both on Canadian and American broadcast networks, asserting falsehoods and misleading the citizens of this province, and ignoring court rulings regarding essential minerals that the United States United need and which are available in his garden. These minerals are not in his backyard, they are in the backyard of the Anishinabek and in the care of the Anishinabek and First Nations, because the Creator has given us the honor and responsibility to be stewards of this earth.

Revenues generated by First Nations territories “are not taxpayers’ money or customs tariffs, and should not be collected that way,” Debassige stressed. “They constitute the wealth of the Anishinabek that was agreed to be shared with those who came to our lands when the Crown made treaties with our ancestors.”

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The Anishinabek Nation Leadership Council noted that the Supreme Court’s latest decision on July 26, 2024 was in favor of the Anishinabek plaintiffs.

“The courts have declared that the Crown has a mandatory and reviewable obligation to increase treaty annuities when economic circumstances warrant it,” the statement said. “Economic conditions will trigger an increase in rents if the Crown’s net resource revenues allow the Crown to increase rents without incurring a loss. The principle of the honor of the Crown and the doctrine of fiduciary duty impose a duty on the Crown to diligently implement the promise of the treaties to achieve their purpose (i.e. to reflect the value of territories in annuities) and other related justiciable obligations. »

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All stakeholders – including Ontario, Canada and the United States – “must recognize and respect the rights of Anishinabek First Nations, ensuring that our voices are heard and valued, and that our interests are prioritized in decisions regarding mineral exploration and extraction,” the organization said. “Preserving our heritage and protecting our lands must be at the forefront of any discussion surrounding resource management. These lands have importance beyond geographic areas; they are integral to the cultural, spiritual, physical and economic well-being of the Anishinabek people.

Debassige said Ontario “must sit down at the negotiating tables with the Robinson Huron and Robinson Superior regions to ensure that the Crown meets its treaty obligations and that the spirit and intent are respected. Ontario must do better as the partner in reconciliation that it has agreed to be.

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