The Innu used to call the place Kauipuskats Shipish (Burning Spot Brook)
where the drill sites are at Voisey's Bay. I used to stay there in the
fall. Then there was a fellow used to stay there - Amos Voisey, a fur
trader. That's when we started to call the place Emish. I see the beauty
of the land. The only thing I'm worried about is the animals and rivers
and I don't want to see a lot of hectares of land destroyed. I know there
are some graveyards north of the drilling sites. It seems like the
government has stolen our land. I began to realize the change in our way
of life is the midst of poverty.
- Tshenish Pasteen, Davis Inlet elder
Bombarded by a bonanza of mining activities on its territory, the Innu
Nation decided to set up a Task Force on Mining Activities in November
1995. Six commissioners were appointed from both Davis Inlet and
Sheshatshiu and mandated to provide information on mining issues to the two
communities and to gather public opinion on how to respond to mining
developments in Nitassinan. Through interviews, questionnaires, bilingual
newsletters, workshops, and open-line community radio and TV programs, the
Task Force disseminated information and gathered voices. The results are
documented in a report, NTESINAN, NTESHINIMINAN, NTENIUNAN: Between a Rock
and a Hard Place, a collage of opinions and analysis on the proposed nickel
mine at Voisey's Bay and other mineral exploration activities.
According to the report, the Innu expect to pay the highest price and gain
the least from mining developments. Most Innu are opposed to a mine at
Voisey's Bay or on other land they have never ceded through a treaty or
land rights agreement. The report outlines extensive traditional and
ongoing Innu land use at Emish. They have for generations grown up, had
children and buried loved ones there. They have traded, gathered and
shared with Inuit people, and continue to hunt and fish there. The report
provides a scathing indictment of how governments and industry persist in
ignoring and violating Innu rights.
The report also defines Innu concerns regarding anticipated environmental
and socio-economic impacts from a mine at Emish. They expect the land in
the area will be destroyed and fear the impacts of pollution from tailings
and acid mine drainage. Wildlife will be harmed or driven away and Innu
will lose this hunting territory. Many respondents are worried that sacred
burial grounds and archaeological sites will be disturbed.
Jobs were mentioned most frequently as a potential benefit for the Innu,
but many Task Force participants thought only a few labour jobs would be
available to the Innu and the well-paying long-term jobs would go to
outsiders. Respondents also expected a rise in social problems including
an increase in alcoholism and related problems such as family violence,
child neglect, suicide, crime, racism and community conflict. Ongoing
disintegration of Innu culture was also cited as a major problem.
Finally, the Task Force prepared 24 recommendations for the Innu Nation,
industry and governments. These include a recommendation for the Innu
Nation to enter into negotiations for an Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA)
with the Voisey Bay Nickel Company, but with extreme caution given the
level of opposition and concern within its communities. The Task Force
recommends that IBA negotiations be completed and land rights settled
before a mine is developed. Protests, media campaigns and legal action are
also recommended as viable strategies if negotiations don't result in
substantial benefits for the Innu. Other recommendations address the need
for the company to go beyond government regulations for environmental
protection, the need for training and support programs to assist Innu in
obtaining and retaining jobs and the urgent need to develop programs to
mitigate against social problems.
Anger permeates the Task Force report. While the Davis Inlet Innu continue
to live in poverty without basic amenities such as potable water, millions
of dollars pour into nearby Voisey's Bay for explorations work and further
billions are being generated for faraway shareholders who have never laid
eyes on the place. Companies meet behind closed doors to weigh the profits
and financial risks, but in their gold rush fever do they weigh the risks
faced by the First Peoples of the land they wish to exploit?
For copies of Between a Rock and A Hard Place, contact the Innu Nation,
P.O. Box 119, Sheshatshiu, Labrador, A0P 1M0, CANADA. Tel: (709) 497-8399
or Fax: (709) 497-8396.
Larry Innes Visit the Innu Nation WWW site:
Environmental Advisor http://www.web.apc.org/~innu/
Innu Nation
P.O. Box 119, Sheshatshiu, Labrador, Canada A0P 1M0
phone: (709) 497-8398 es051322@orion.yorku.ca fax: (709) 497-8396
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