The reason there are more FN people registered than actually live there:

Everyone from a reserve is registered to that reserve. If they go off the reserve to work or go to school they are still registered as belonging to that reserve. They may have lived off the reserve for 20 years, but they would still be registered there.There are no tax breaks for FN people living off the reserve, but because there are often not enough jobs on reserves many people move off to work, or just like anyoneelse in Canada they just want to live in a different place than were they were born.

I think they have a right to be concerned, as so often they are screwed over by big companies. In some cases it works out very well for them. In Gold Corps' Mussel White I think it works very well, along with working at the mine the FN people also run thekitchen (which has won awards for cleanest and healthiest camp Kitchen in Canada). Gold Corps also uses a Native Airline (I think Bearskin) to fly the miners in and out. At DeBeers Snap Lake there seems to be a good working relationship between the FN and the mine.

But Mining Companies will only give FN people what they have to, what they fight for.

Picture if a big automotive company was going to set up a plant in your town, bring in all the workers from somewhere else and then walk away in 7 years leaving factory and its waste for your town to live with.

I think the FN realize that this isa great opportunity for them to have jobs and infrastucture, but they want to make surethat their rights and needs are considered. And they know they have to put up a good fight.

I have been involved in the mining industry long enough to know that big mining companies don't care about FN people, the miners who work for them, or people in general. All they care about is money.