The Mathias Colomb Cree Nation isn’t about to be intimidated by a Canadian mining giant.

The northwestern Manitoba First Nation came out swinging this morning after HudBay Minerals Inc. filed a statement of claim last week against Chief Arlen Dumas and other community members seeking to prevent them from setting foot on the company’s mining sites.

Dumas said he believes HudBay’s response to two "peaceful" demonstrations is "heavy-handed."

"I think it’s completely unreasonable. There are other ways to move this issue forward. A lawsuit isn’t going to deter us," he said.

The chief, along with other MCCN members and Idle No More supporters, visited HudBay’s Lalor Lake mine project on Jan. 28 and March 5 to serve two "stop work" orders to the mining company and the province.

MCCN maintains the proposed Lalor Lake project is on unceded territory and HudBay did not obtain its consent to operate there and extract resources.

In its statement of claim, HudBay claims Dumas and others have caused economic loss to the company as well as "irreparable harm" from the loss of productivity and the safety risk to its employees.