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Matawa chiefs sign unity declaration

Written consent must be given before any development can occur on lands in Matawa First Nations communities.
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David Paul Achneepineskum speaks about the Unity Declaration Friday afternoon. (Jamie Smith, tbnewswatch.com)
Written consent must be given before any development can occur on lands in Matawa First Nations communities.

The nine chiefs of Matawa, several of whom have traditional territory in the Ring of Fire area, signed a unity declaration Thursday that allows them to speak with one voice when dealing with industry and government.

Matawa CEO David Paul Achneepineskum said the declaration, called The Mamow-Wecheekapawetahteewiin, has been in the works for some time.

"It unifies the chiefs as one in dealing with all of the development that’s happening in their territories and also it states that before any development proceeds, that it’s going to require the First Nations’ … informed consent," Achneepineskum said Friday afternoon.

Achneepineskum added that it will allow the mining industry and government to deal with one group as opposed to nine communities, which they are doing right now.

"Right now major mining companies are dealing with them on a one- to-one basis and that creates conflicts. We’ve seen where companies tend to use divide and conquer tactics," Achneepineskum said.

"It’s better for all, the industry as well if they work a deal with the First Nations as one rather than try to deal with all nine separately."

It will also help with consultation on land use planning and environmental processes.

"Our people have lived there for hundreds and thousands of years and they want to maintain that pristine conditions in terms of the lakes and the rivers," Achneepineskum said.

While some companies have shown project descriptions for development, people in Matawa communities need to be consulted and accommodated. If they are, Achneepineskum said a united voice of those communities will help companies obtain permits and licensing.

"What we’re saying to the mining companies is ‘please come and see us, talk to us’ because if we were involved in the beginning then it’s going to become a lot easier for the mining companies to do what they would like," he said. "We want to work with the government and the industry to get that done as soon as possible."

Matawa communities will also be able to get together to bid on contracts or partner with other companies to build infrastructure for mining development. And, they now have a united front to tackle issues such as substance abuse and infrastructure requirements as well.

"It’s going to become easier for our communities to work together to combat the issues that are common in all of our communities," he said.

With some companies projecting a 2015 start date for mines, Achneepineskum said the agreement can speed up development if consultation and accommodation for First Nations are met. Communities also need to prepare for employment and business opportunities.



Below is an excerpt from the declaration:

The nine First Nations take the position that our traditional territories are under our control, and approval to operate in our respective territories cannot be given by the Government or any other entities. We are united in sharing a common vision of being self-sufficient, self-governing peoples within a healthy, thriving culture, living in our homelands that shall sustain us for all times.


We will do whatever is necessary in order to protect our land, our water and our resources for the future generations. We agree that we must stand together in order to ensure our nation is protected. Therefore, we assert our Aboriginal and Treaty rights to the land, water and resources by requiring our written consent before any development activity may proceed. Failure to consult, accommodate and receive the consent of the First Nation(s) to proceed with any work or activity is an unjustified infringement upon our Aboriginal, Treaty and Custodial rights as First Nations.
 
 




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