Unity was again the theme for a Ring of Fire strategy forum in the city.
“We can’t approach these things fractured,” said Elijah Harper, a former member of both provincial and federal parliament in northern Manitoba.
Harper was one of several speakers at the two-day First Nations Strategy for the Ring of Fire forum hosted by the National Centre for First Nations Governance at the Victoria Inn Tuesday.
“There’s a confusion of how to work together; that’s the problem – where to begin,” said Harper. “People are at different stages of speaking with the mining companies. “
Not only does there need to be collaboration on how to move forward with mining development, but also on how to deal with Aboriginal and treaty rights.
Harper said people need to be properly advised so they can make informed decisions in respect to development; so they know what impacts it may have on their traditional territory.
“They have to be addressed with the mining companies and also to stress that the federal and provincial government have a responsibility to ensure consultation happens,” he said.
Harper believes it is possible for the communities to work together as they have a common vision – they want to benefit from the Ring of Fire activity.
“That’s the ultimate goal – to achieve a good future for the First Nations and for generations to come,” he said.
The aim of the conference was to show First Nations what it takes to organize a legal and political strategy to get the most out of negotiations with government and industry.
The forum was also to educate Aboriginal people about their rights and the legal obligations of the federal and provincial governments, specifically regarding resource use and the Ring of Fire.
Maria Morellato is a lawyer who specializes in Aboriginal and treaty rights and spoke to the crowd at the conference Tuesday morning.
She said the law in this area has changed dramatically during the last seven or eight years and it’s important people know their rights.
“Knowing what the Supreme Court of Canada is saying about the nature and scope of these rights and the Crown’s legal obligation to consult and accommodate with respect to the implementation of these rights is really important in terms of informing the communities and in facilitating moving forward with government and industry,” she said.
