{"id":1162266,"date":"2020-01-28T13:23:49","date_gmt":"2020-01-28T19:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mining.com\/?p=1012294"},"modified":"2020-01-28T13:23:49","modified_gmt":"2020-01-28T19:23:49","slug":"with-forestry-and-fishing-in-decline-bc-first-nation-sees-mining-opportunities-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/?p=1162266","title":{"rendered":"With forestry and fishing in decline, BC First Nation sees mining opportunities"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>AME, the lead association for the mineral exploration and development industry in resource- rich British Columbia (BC), hosted more than 6,000 people from 44 countries at its AME Roundup conference in Vancouver last week.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<div class='d-flex justify-content-center d-xs-block d-sm-block d-md-none'>\n<div id='div-gpt-ad-1561499308230-0'><script>googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1561499308230-0');});<\/script><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>British Columbia is home to 198 First Nations, and its mining industry is valued at over C$5 billion.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>BC Regional Mining Alliance (BCRMA),\u00a0an alliance between the Province of British Columbia, the Tahltan Central Government, the\u00a0Nisga\u2019a\u00a0Lisims\u00a0Government, AME, and industry members working in BC\u2019s Golden triangle\u00a0hosted a panel discussion\u00a0recognizing the 20<sup>th<\/sup>\u00a0anniversary of the\u00a0 Nisga&#8217;a Treaty, the first treaty in British Columbia to provide constitutional certainty in respect of Aboriginal people&#8217;s Section 35 right to self-government. It recognizes Nisga&#8217;a Lands and opened the door for joint economic initiatives in the development of the Nisga&#8217;a Nation&#8217;s natural resources.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote alignright\">\n<blockquote>\n<p> \u201cWe see the opportunities. We are interested in sharing our vision for the environmental protection chapter that we adhere to and we are we interested in collaborating&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><cite> Corinne McKay, Secretary-Treasurer, Nisga\u2019a Nation<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>The BCRMA of&nbsp;is an example&nbsp;of the Nisga\u2019a Treaty vision, and its mandate is reconciliation. Some of the Nisga\u2019a Nation\u2019s lands&nbsp;are located in&nbsp;the lower end of the BC\u2019s Golden Triangle, known for million-ounce deposits, and where the&nbsp;wold\u2019s&nbsp;largest silver mine, Eskay Creek is located.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Corinne McKay, Secretary-Treasurer, Nisga\u2019a Nation, said with forestry and fishing industries in decline, the Nisga\u2019a recognizes that mining creates opportunities for First Nations.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe see the opportunities. We are interested in sharing our vision for the environmental protection chapter that we adhere to and we are we interested in collaborating,\u201d McKay&nbsp;said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;McKay said that with&nbsp;a seat at the&nbsp;negotiating&nbsp;table,&nbsp;dialogue turned into partnerships, and that relations with the mining industry are positive.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re not having to protest, we\u2019re not having to object, we\u2019re not having to go to court, we\u2019re just having respectful dialogue,\u201d McKay said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have the ability to use the provisions of our environmental protection chapter on Nisga\u2019a lands, and we have rights on the greater Nass [Valley] area, so we see the advantage to work with industry and to convey any issues of concern with industry, and address any issues of concern in a proactive way, rather than a reactive way.\u201d&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[People] are asking for an audience, and that\u2019s something we appreciate. \u201cWe\u2019re able to ask questions, we\u2019re able to understand,\u201d she said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Peter Robb, Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of Energy, Mines &amp; Petroleum Resources,&nbsp;said BCRMA\u2019s background of building partnerships is based on UNDRIP legislation.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019re wanting to&nbsp;dispell&nbsp;some of the myths about investing in British Columbia and working with indigenous peoples through our declaration,\u201d Robb said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cEverybody knows about the great geology here&#8230;We\u2019re a pretty big mining jurisdiction, we think of BC as a real mining hub.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Robb pointed out that in BC\u2019s the Northwest 54% of mining exploration takes place on traditional territories of the Nisga\u2019a and the Tahltan.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI think the mining industry and the excavation industry have figured out that to build a project you need to build partnerships early.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Robb said the BCRMA is a pilot that hopes to lay the framework for building relationships and partnerships with other First Nations.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt helps build a&nbsp;labour&nbsp;force, and&nbsp;helps with some of the opposition facing the mining industry in British Columbia,\u201d Robb said.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>Robb emphasized that social license for industrial engagement is now a hard issue.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s not going to go back to 20 years ago, when you wrote a pitch on a napkin and you get a permit. It\u2019s never going to get easy like that again.&nbsp;&nbsp;The first time a local indigenous group sees a referral you sent to them in the mail- you are sunk. There\u2019s no way to get back on track after that.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;Robb said the miners that are making progress and moving forward are the ones building partnerships, early.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;\u201cIf you come in with fully baked ideas about what you want to do, permitting will be hard. But if you really think it through, and work with both government and local First Nations, it can be easier, and things can get done a lot faster.\u201d&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In November 2019&nbsp;the provincial government passed the&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.leg.bc.ca\/parliamentary-business\/legislation-debates-proceedings\/41st-parliament\/4th-session\/bills\/first-reading\/gov41-1\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">legislation<\/a>&nbsp;in November 2019 to implement the UN&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/declaration.gov.bc.ca\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act<\/em><\/a>, which the Truth and Reconciliation Commission confirms as the framework for reconciliation.&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>The B.C.&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/declaration.gov.bc.ca\/\"  rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><em>Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act<\/em>&nbsp;<\/a>aims to create a path forward that respects the human rights of Indigenous peoples while introducing better transparency.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>British Columbia is home to 198 First Nations, and its mining industry is valued at over C$5 billion.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":47,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[2648,624,369],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1162266"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/47"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1162266"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1162266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1162339,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1162266\/revisions\/1162339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1162266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1162266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/juniorminingnews.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1162266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}