The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
The mining newspaper for Alaska and Canada's North
First Nation says disrespectful explorer no longer welcome North of 60 Mining News – March 19, 2021
The Tahltan Central Government, which supports respectful mining and mineral exploration in the Tahltan Territory, helped design the Tahltan-themed haul truck bed at the Newcrest Mining's Red Chris Mine in northwestern BC.
The Tahltan First Nation has put mining and mineral exploration companies hoping to do business in northwestern British Columbia on notice – build respectful relationships with Tahltan governments and people or you will not be welcome in Tahltan Territory.
This warning came in the form of an official notice from Tahltan Central Government, the administrative governing body for the Tahltan Nation, opposing any further operation by Doubleview Gold Corp. in Tahltan Territory.
The Tahltan Nation's 95,933-square-kilometer (37,040 square miles) territory covers 70% of BC's Golden Triangle, an area extremely rich in gold, copper, silver, and other valuable metals.
Doubleview had been exploring the Hat porphyry copper-gold-silver project northwest of the Red Chris Mine in Tahltan Territory.
Tahltan says Doubleview's mineral claims are in a culturally sensitive area and the exploration company has a track record of being disrespectful toward the Tahltan Nation, including unsuccessfully taking legal action against Tahltan Leaders and Elders in 2015.
Despite the disagreements, Tahltan Central Government said it made several reasonable attempts to work with Doubleview in a respectful manner prior to giving the mineral exploration company notice it is no longer welcome to explore within the territory.
The Tahltan Nation is generally supportive of mining and exploration activities in its region as long as this work is carried out in accordance with Tahltan laws and policies. To ensure the mining sector understands what is expected, Tahltan Central Government developed an engagement framework that applies to mineral exploration companies operating in its homeland. Signed off by more than thirty companies, this framework allows Tahltan Central Government to oversee activities in its territory and calls for companies doing business there to meaningfully engage Tahltan communities and people.
Tahltan Central Government says Doubleview failed to abide by this engagement framework and to conduct its operations according to Tahltan protocols. As a result, the Tahltan Nation adamantly opposes any further operations by Doubleview within Tahltan Territory and will take further steps to ensure the company's activities will cease.
"Tahltans take pride in working meaningfully with industry partners and the province, but this company has continually been disrespectful and resistant to following the protocols and processes we have in place with mineral exploration companies throughout Tahltan Territory," said Tahltan Central Government President Chad Day. "We will be taking all actions necessary to protect our land and resources, including keeping Doubleview from pursuing their interests in our Territory any further."
The Tahltan Central Government says its staunch opposition to Doubleview and its activities should serve as a notice that the Tahltan Nation will not tolerate attempts to operate within its territory that fails to build a respectful relationship with the Tahltan governments and communities.
"It is imperative that exploration and mining companies wishing to operate within Tahltan Territory do so in a respectful manner, as they are guests in Tahltan Territory with provincial permits, most of which were not granted with Tahltan support or consent," Tahltan Central Government penned in a statement.
As Canadian law moves toward the standard of free, prior, and informed consent, as is recognized by British Columbia's passing of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the Tahltan Nation expects that the province will take steps to ensure that Doubleview is not granted any further permits or interests within Tahltan Territory.
Over his more than 16 years of covering mining and mineral exploration, Shane has become renowned for his ability to report on the sector in a way that is technically sound enough to inform industry insiders while being easy to understand by a wider audience.
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