Kemess Mine Struggles Against Aboriginal Interests

On the heels of the Galore Creek mining announcement this week — and the apparent support for its development — another BC mine is facing continuing opposition. The Kemess North Mine does not have the support of local native groups. Aboriginal rights and title are at the heart of the opposition. According to the Vancouver Sun:

Chief John Allen French of the Takla First Nation, on behalf of the Tse Keh Nay, said in a open letter this week to Premier Gordon Campbell that the tribal group’s members remain concerned about the government’s apparent support for the Kemess North mine proposal.

The project necessitates disposal of mine tailings into a local fish-bearing lake that the Tse Keh Nay describe as “a well-spring for our culture.”

“We have un-extinguished Aboriginal rights and title there, including important spiritual, hunting, fishing, medicine-gathering, burial sites and cultural sites,” French wrote.

He said the public review process for the mine “does not work for us” and needs to be fixed.

He called on the government to reconcile the tribe’s aboriginal interest with its own development aims and to revisit the Kemess North environmental assessment process with the first nation.

Share This