I have decided to repost this under it's own heading because I think it is important and the only way things are going to get moving so here it is.

The only way to get things moving in the Ring of Fire is to tie anything that the natives want to mining. If you just announce that you are going to this or that for them without tying it to mining they are going to think, why do we need mining? For example, if they want their water problems solved you say we will do it once revenue from mining starts coming in and not before. Building an unconditional road to the Shoal Lake Reservation sets a bad precedent because now other reservations will just think, see why do we need mining they are getting a road without it.

So if the natives want a study on the effects of global warming on the north tell them they can have it as soon as there is enough money from new mine development in the north to pay for the study and not before.