Skip to content

First Nation leaders blast prospectors union for supporting controversial mining official

A First Nation chief is criticizing the prospectors union for supporting a mining official some believe made racially insensitive comments to a national newspaper.
246503_634879933223753653
Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Harvey Yesno. (Jeff Labine, tbnewswatch.com)

A First Nation chief is criticizing the prospectors union for supporting a mining official some believe made racially insensitive comments to a national newspaper.

Darryl Stretch, president of Solid Gold Resources Corporation, refused to conduct an archeological study in the Wahgoshig First Nation community in order to determine if it was a burial ground.

Stretch argued in a September Globe and Mail article that it wasn't the obligation of his company to “to go find arrowheads for those people, period."

The comment sparked outrage from the community and even Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Harvey Yesno.

The criticisms were then forwarded to Gary Clark, executive director of the Ontario Prospectors Association, after he booked Stretch to speak at the annual fall Ontario Exploration and Geoscience Symposium in Sudbury.

NAN demanded Clark be removed as a provincial advisor to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines as well as the Minister of Mines Mining Act Advisory Committee and the Ontario Geological Survey Advisory Board for that decision.

Clark said a member recommended Stretch and they booked him. While he said he was shocked by NAN’s reaction, he admits he knew having Stretch speak was going to be controversial.

In order to counter this, he said they attempted to balance the symposium by including First Nation representatives.

He added that it is all about working together with neighbours and moving forward in development and said he hoped to meet NAN's Grand Chief sometime this month.

Meanwhile, Stretch told tbnewswatch.com he believes his statements have been blown out of proportion.

“I’m offended that anyone would think that comment is somehow racist,” he said. “It is a pretty bad argument when you throw around the word racist for a word like arrowhead.
He added that if the government wasn't forcing him, he probably woudln't be working with First Nation communities.

"It is not my job to work with First Nations. There is no statute and there was no statute in place requiring me to do so. The government is trying to force me to do business with someone. Don’t I get to pick who I want to do business with in this country anymore?”

Stretch said the community surrendered the land in 2006 and the federal government denied their land claim in 2010.

“Why should we be burdened and spending a million dollars so that we can find scared ground that First Nations don’t apparently know where it is? We’re not lawyers, we’re not native historians. We go by what the Crown says is Crown land.”

Wahgoshig First Nation Chief David Babin said Stretch was describing his community harshly.

“We’re trying to alleviate the problems between the two parties and this guy starts going around basically saying it is not a good thing for the industry to have a relationship with First Nations,” Babin said referring to the relationship between First Nations and the mining industry.

“This community is basically fed up with Stretch and his attitude. I think he has done enough damage to set up a bad relationship between the two parties. We’re more than willing to work together with the mining companies. I think we’ve shown that with other agreements with mining companies.”

But if the Ontario Prospectors Association continues to support Stretch, then Babin said they have to consider if they want to continue working with the group.

He said they want to make changes to the mining acting to make sure that companies consult with First Nations.

“Our community is very frustrated,” he said. “Why should we waste our money and go to court and fight an issue like this when changes are coming.”

 

 

 




push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks