PM#0382659799
Shoal Lake #39 in fight over water rights PAGE 3
Learning to make films at Docs North video workshop PAGE 18
Hoop dancing in North Spirit PAGE 20
October 13, 2011
Vol. 38 #21
9,300 copies distributed $1.50 Northern Ontario’s First Nation Voice since 1974
www.wawataynews.ca
Repeating the past
Recess time
KI in mining battle on traditional land Shawn Bell
Special to Wawatay News
The fight over mineral exploration on traditional Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) lands is threatening to erupt into direct action. God’s Lake Resources said it will ignore an eviction notice issued by KI, but community leaders promise not to back down. The junior mining exploration company was issued the eviction notice Sept. 29 after hunters from KI discovered an exploration camp on the north shore of Sherman Lake. God’s Lake responded to the notice, claiming that KI was using “religion, rhetoric and bureaucracy” to make outrageous demands of mining companies. God’s Lake CEO Eduard Ludwig said the company would ignore the eviction notice and continue exploration in the winter. The issue has left KI in a state of déjà vu, reliving the possibility of a situation that landed Chief Donny Morris and five other band members in jail in 2008. The group, known as the KI 6, ignored a court order allowing an exploration company to drill on KI’s traditional lands. “We’re travelling down the road once again of how we dealt with the previous company,” said KI spokesman John Cutfeet. When Morris and the others were released from jail in May 2008 following an appeal, Cutfeet said the courts set out a clear mandate that the Crown has a duty to negotiate in good faith with First Nations. “It’s been quite clear the requirements by law, yet at the same time God’s Lake Resources continues to do
what they want with a permit issued (by the Ontario government) after the 2008 ruling,” he said. Both KI and God’s Lake point to the Ontario government’s shortcoming to set clear guidelines for consultation in regards to exploration on traditional lands. Prior to the Oct. 6 provincial election KI issued a press release saying it would hold Premier Dalton McGuinty “personally responsible” for the transgression of traditional land if his government did not step in to stop the exploration work. God’s Lake, meanwhile, said the two sides need government direction on how to proceed when consultation breaks down. “We recognize that KI and (God’s Lake Resources) may have one goal in common,” Ludwig said in a statement. “The Ontario First Nations and all claimholders in Ontario need to have guidelines that help us to interact respectfully, when the recommended consultation process fails.” The company noted that under Ontario’s Mining Act, an exploration company has only two years to carry out and report work on staked mining claims. If no work is done, the claims expire. “Under the new Mining Act, claimholders in Ontario do not require permission from First Nations – rather, they are required to consult with First Nations,” a press release from God’s Lake’s said. “In our current case, KI chose to stonewall, rather than to communicate back on burial site locations, or allow any form of consultation.” see KI page 6
ᐊᔕ ᒥᓇᐊᐧ ᐅᓇᑭᐡᑲᓇᐊᐧ ᐅᑕᓇᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᐃᓯᓭᐊᐧᐨ ᔕᐧᐣ ᐯᓫ
Completed by: Javier Espinoza
6 COL x 21 AGATES
July 30, 2009
ᑭᐱᐸᑭᑎᓂᑲᑌ ᐅᒪ ᐊᐧᐊᐧᑌ ᐊᒋᒧᐃᐧᓂᐠ
Lenny Carpenter/Wawatay News
North Spirit Lake students race to the doors for recess Sept. 27 in the foyer of the new Victoria Linklater Memorial School. The four-classroom school can accommodate 96 students and features a library, computer lab and gymnasium. The community celebrated the grand opening of the school Sept. 28 after years of lobbying the federal government for a new one.
ᐊᔕ ᒥᓇᐊᐧ ᐅᐱᑲᑫᐧ ᒪᐃᐧᓀᐡᑲᑯᐊᐧᐣ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐣ ᐸᑲᐣ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐣ ᐃᒪ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᐱᐠ ᐊᐦᑭᐠ. ᐅᑯᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒪᐣᑐ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐠ ᑲᐃᓂᑕᐧ ᑭᐃᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᑲ ᒋᐅᒋᓇᑲᐡᑲᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᐱᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᒪᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᐱᐃᐧᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᔐᒪᐠ ᒋᓂᑲᑌᐡᑲᐊᐧᐨ ᐃᒪ ᑲᑭᐱᔑᑕᑯᔑᓄᐊᐧᐨ, ᐁᑲᐧ ᑫᐃᐧᓇᐊᐧ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᐱᐃᐧ ᓂᑲᓂᑕᒪᑫᐠ ᑭᐃᑭᑐᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᑲ ᒋᐅᐣᒋᐳᓂᒋᑫᐊᐧᐨ. ᐅᑯᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐠ ᑭᐃᐧᐣᑕᒪᐊᐧᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᒥᓇ ᑭᒥᓇᑲᓄᐊᐧᐠ ᐅᑐᔑᐱᐦᐊᒪᑯᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᒋᓂᑲᑌᐡᑲᐊᐧᐨ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ ᐊᐧᑌᑲᐸᐃᐧᐱᓯᑦ 29 ᐊᐱ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᐱᐃᐧᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᐁᓇᓇᑕᐁᐧᐣᒋᑫᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐁᑭᐅᐣᒋᒥᑯᐡᑲᐊᐧᐊᐧᐨ ᐁᑭᑲᐯᔑᐃᐧᓂᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᐁᐧᑎᓄᐠ ᐃᓀᑫ ᔑᕑᒪᐣ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᓂᐠ. ᒥᑕᐡ ᑲᑭᐃᔑ ᓇᑫᐧᐁᐧᔑᑐᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᒪᓯᓇᐦᐊᒪᑯᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐠ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᑊ ᐁᔭᐸᒋᑐᐨ ᐊᔭᒥᐦᐊᐃᐧᓂ,
ᒪᐡᑲᐃᐧᑕᑯᓯᐃᐧᐣ ᒥᓇ ᐅᑭᒪᐃᐧ ᐱᒧᒋᑫᐃᐧᓂ ᐁᐃᐧᐅᐣᒋ ᑲᑫᐧᐊᓂᒥᐦᐊᐨ ᑲᐱᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐊᐧᐨ. ᐊᐧᐁᐧ ᑕᐡ ᒪᐣᑐ ᓴᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐠ ᑲᐅᑭᒪᐅᐨ ᐁᐟᐊᐧᕑᐟ ᓫᐊᐟᐃᐧᐠ ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᐁᑲ ᒋᐅᑕᐱᓇᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭᐃᑯᐊᐧᐨ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᐱᐃᐧᓂᓂᐊᐧᐣ ᒥᓇ ᒥᐱᑯ ᑫᐃᔑᒪᑕᓄᑲᑕᒧᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧ ᐊᓂᐱᐳᓂᐠ. ᐁᑲᐧ ᐅᑯ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᐱᐃᐧᓂᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒥᐱᑯ ᐊᐱᐣ ᒥᓇᐊᐧ ᐁᑭᐁᐧᓇᑭᐡᑲᒧᐊᐧᐨ, ᒪᐡᑯᐨ ᒥᓇᐊᐧ ᒋᑭᐁᐧᓭᐊᐧᐨ ᑲᑭ ᑭᐸᐦᐅᐣᑕᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᑭᒪᑲᐣ ᑕᐧᓂ ᒪᐧᕑᐃᐢ ᐁᑲᐧ ᐊᔑᐨ ᓂᔭᓇᐣ ᐅᑐᓇᔓᐁᐧᐃᐧᓂᓂᒪᐣ ᒣᑲᐧᐨ 2008 ᑲᔭᑭᐊᐧᐠ. ᐅᑯᐁᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᑲᑭ ᑭᐸᐦᐅᐣᑕᐧᐸᐣ ᑭᐃᔑᓂᑲᓇᐊᐧᐠ ᑫᐊᔾ 6, ᑲᐃᐧᐣ ᐅᑐᐣᒋ ᐱᒥᓂᔕᐦᐊᓇᐊᐧᐸᐣ ᐅᑐᓇᔓᐊᐧᓂᑯᐃᐧᓂᐊᐧᐠ ᒋᐸᑭᑎᓇᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᓇᓇᑕᐊᐧᓯᓂᐁᐧᐣ ᒋᐱᐸᑯᓀᐦᐃᑫᐊᐧᐨ ᐅᑕᑭᒥᐊᐧᐠ. “ᒥᐱᑯ ᒥᓇᐊᐧ ᐁᑭᐁᐧᓭᔭᐠ ᑲᑭᐱᐃᔑ ᓇᑭᐡᑲᒪᑭᐸᐣ ᑯᑕᑭᔭᐠ ᐅᓄᑕᓯᓂᐁᐧᐠ ᑲᑭᑲᑫᐧ ᓇᑲᐡᑲᐊᐧᑭᑕᐧ,” ᑭᐃᑭᑐ ᑭᒋᓇᒣᑯᓯᑊ ᑲᐅᒋᓂᑲᓂᐊᔭᒥᑕᒪᑫᐨ ᒐᐧᐣ ᑲᐟᐱᐟ. ᐃᓇᐱᐣ ᐸᑭᑭᓂᑲᓂᐠ 5