Indigenous leader emphasizes importance of adhering to protocols

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/03/2023 (927 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

In a signal that First Nations and the mineral exploration industry in Manitoba want to figure out a way to work together more effectively, Matthew Coon Come was invited to give the keynote address at this year’s Manitoba Prospectors and Developers Association annual event.

Coon Come, one of the most impactful Indigenous leaders in Canada over the past few decades, led the Grand Council of the Crees in northern Quebec for 20 years where they have established the benchmark for inclusive and effective consultation between resource developers and Indigenous communities.

While it’s not the only reason mineral exploration declined substantially over the past few years, the fumbled process of consultation and engagement with First Nation communities has been pointed to as an issue.

The fact that the theme of the event was “Reconciliation” and that Coon Come was the speaker is a clear indication that sentiments, if not realities are changing.

In an interview with the Free Press before the event, Coon Come said one of the fundamental elements of the success of the Grand Council of the Crees was that it developed its own protocols on how to engage and how to carry out consultations and insisted that they be adhered to.

“Once we had a policy… we told the resource developers this is how you are going to consult with us,” Coon Come said. “It implicitly declares when resource development takes place in our territory, it is our rule, our requirements, our conditions that have to be respected in order to carry out their mineral exploration activities.”

The Crees of northern Quebec also had some powerful legislation behind them, but he believes the fact that there was consistency was important. The development companies began to understand what to expect.

“The First Nations themselves need to draw a line in the sand,” he said. “This is our position. This is what we say.”

In addition to preaching adherence to the fine points of the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous People and of Free, Prior and Informed Consent, Coon Come, who also served one term as grand chief of the Assembly of First Nations, said there is also just a lot of common sense to his strategy.

For instance, “I have always said you have to build a relationship, before you build a partnership,” he said.

Another is his contention that co-operation between the developer and Indigenous community will almost always be more fruitful if it is the president or the chairman of the board of the company meeting with the community rather than the project manager or a lower level staffer.

“These are chiefs. They want to see the chairman or president of the mining company,” he said. “Just one meeting with the president could change the way the tone of the meetings go. It’s not hard to do.”

Glenn Leroux, the president and CEO of Canadian Premium Sand Inc. — which received an award from the MPDA for reconciliation — said that part of it was a no-brainer for him.

“When we started there was no question in my mind who needs to be the face of the company,” he said. “They want to talk to someone who they believe is in a position to make decisions and speak for the company, not say ‘I’ll get back to you later.’ I can provide direct information which is the most valuable.”

CPS is looking to develop a sand quarry operation near Hollow Water First Nation and simultaneously a solar glass manufacturing operation in Selkirk. If financing is successfully secured it has the potential to be a major industrial development for the province.

While there has been opposition to the project from some members of Hollow Water, CPS has signed a participation agreement with the community and neighbouring Seymourville that includes all sorts of things including an acknowledgment of environmental protection and remediation as well as co-operation in determining things like the best times for trucks to be moving.

“I believe we do have a relationship with the community,” he said in reference to Coon Come’s tenet.

Coon Come said that the exploration companies — who he believes are always desirous of establishing a good relationship with the communities — do need to make an effort to understand Indigenous cultures and realities.

And in any event, it is the law of the land.

MaryAnn Mihychuk, the CEO of MPDA said, “Every exploration company is faced with two bosses — the First Nation and the provincial government.”

With rising demand for critical minerals, not to mention the significant role resource development has in the economic prosperity of the North, she said the industry has to do better engaging with Indigenous communities.

“We can’t do projects and raise money on the stock market unless the First Nations want us to find critical minerals and we believe we have a huge bounty,” she said.

There are definitely challenges to overcome, not the least of which, Coon Come said, are the myths that mainstream society holds about Indigenous people.

Meanwhile, he said, “I know most First Nations would support some form of resource development within their traditional territories because they want to get away from dependence on government for transfer payments and generate some revenue and create jobs.”

It’s a message that the MPDA are primed to hear.

“The James Bay Cree are probably the best example in North America of relationships that have worked. Indigenous peoples of that area are real partners. We want to learn from them,” Mihychuk said. “It could turn around the economy for the whole province.”

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca