Canada's Indigenous granted key role in resource projects

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Two landmark agreements in western Canada could reportedly reshape the role of Indigenous nations in resource development projects, giving previously excluded groups more power and signaling a possible shift in how industry and governments negotiate with communities on the frontlines of environmental degradation.

A series of high-profile pipeline conflicts in recent years have highlighted the volatile character of resource extraction projects, which frequently pit First Nations communities against strong corporations.

However, the Yaq̓it ʔa·knuqⱡi ‘it (YQT), a community in south-eastern British Columbia, inked an unprecedented agreement with the mining company NWP Coal Canada this week that would give Indigenous leadership a "veto" over the proposed project, dramatically reshaping Indigenous nations' power over their territory.

The YQT will become the "regulator and reviewer" of the projected US$300 million Crown Mountain project under the terms of the agreement.

Commenting on this issue, Chief Heidi Gravelle said, in a statement, “For too long, Indigenous nations have not been brought to the table in decision-making directly affecting our rights and interests,” adding that her community would finally have the chance to regulate projects in their own territory.

If both federal and provincial officials approve the proposed metallurgical coal mine, it will open in 2025.

It is worth noting that the region is currently home to coking coalmines with a dismal environmental track record: in March, a provincial court fined Teck Resources C$60 million for polluting local waterways with selenium at its Fording River and Greenhills operations. Other mines have been suggested, but they have been met with fierce opposition.

In recent years, Indigenous leaders in Western Canada have lobbied for a stronger say — or even complete authority – over resource developments affecting their area.

This is happening as the Blueberry River First Nations, a village 1,200 kilometers away, announced its own historic agreement with British Columbia.

The agreement would see new wildlife safeguards, a halt to cutting in old-growth forests, and fresh recompense for the people in a terrain ravaged by a relentless push for new industrial development. The amount of land that new resource extraction projects can affect will be limited.

The British Columbia Supreme Court ruled in favor of Blueberry River in 2021 that the province had breached the nation's treaty rights by allowing fossil fuel development in the region, preventing the people from living off the land.

More agreements on revenue sharing and land rehabilitation are likely to be reached between the provincial government and First Nations in the coming days.

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