Marten Falls First Nation is making a stand against development without consultation in its traditional territory.
“We are against development where we have no input. We want to ensure long-term benefits from development in our treaty protected territory,” Marten Falls Chief Elijah Moonias said in a Feb. 9 press release.
Marten Falls met with representatives of the Ontario government and mineral exploration companies to outline issues involved with development taking place in the Ring of Fire.
The Ring of Fire is located about 500 kilometers northeast of Thunder Bay, Ont. between Marten Falls and Webequie First Nations. It is the location of an ongoing blockade that began Jan. 18 where ice landing strips in two locations were closed to prevent mineral exploration and development from continuing in the area.
At the meeting Marten Falls outlined ten issues in a memorandum of agreement that “need to be resolved in order for the blockade to end,” Moonias said.
The ten issues are:
• Expedition of airport construction
• Expedition of both band and business interests
• Elimination of extensive lake usage as landing strips
• Enforcement of accommodation and compensation
• Enforcement of environmental accountability
• Establishment of a consistent environmental assessment process
• Establishment of protocol for mutual business development
• Enlistment of the winter road corridor
• Establishment of land-use planning
• Claw back and compensation for corridor
Moonias said if all parties agreed to settle these issues in the next six months than Marten Falls would end the blockade Feb. 18.
“If there is no agreement and we are forced to continue with the blockade, we will ask other experienced people to help,” Moonias concluded.
