By Xavier Kataquapit
History was made when three Wabun First Nation communities and Liberty Mines Incorporated signed an agreement on Tuesday, April 15, at the Wabun Tribal Council office in Timmins. The three First Nations of Matachewan, Mattagami and Wahgoshig signed an Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) concerning the continued development of Liberty Mines’ mining projects in the Shaw Dome mining area southeast of Timmins. This is the first IBA signed by First Nations with a resource based company in the Timmins area. IBA documents that have been signed to date in Ontario have been between remote northern First Nations and mining companies developing new projects in more isolated parts of the province.
The three Wabun First Nation Chiefs on hand for the event included Chief Dave Babin, Wahgoshig First Nation; Chief Elenore Hendrix, Matachewan First Nation; and Chief Walter Naveau, Mattagami First Nation.
“We can’t rely on government support, so we must work towards finding alternatives for our communities. We need to find ways to better the lives of our people. This agreement is making that happen and it gives us the hope and incentive to move our people ahead,” said Chief Babin.
Chief Hendrix pointed out that it took a lot of hard work by a negotiating team to put the IBA together.
“We are thankful to our negotiating team for pulling this agreement together and advocating on behalf of our people. This agreement will be good for our First Nation and our members as it will bring benefits now and for future generations,” said Chief Hendrix.
Chief Naveau commented on the fact that the Wabun communities and Liberty Mines managed to form a good working relationship.
This is in stark contrast to the situation in the Northwestern part of the province where the leadership of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug and a mining company, Platinex had entered into a confrontation. This has resulted in the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug leadership being held in contempt of court for which they have been jailed.
After much negotiation, Wabun Chiefs signed an Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) with Liberty Mines Inc. on April 15 in Timmins. From L-R are: Chief Elenore Hendrix, Matachewan First Nation; Chief Dave Babin, Wahgoshig First Nation; Chief Walter Naveau, Mattagami First Nation and Gary Nash, President and CEO, Liberty Mines Inc.
"I am very happy today but I am also sad to realize that our fellow Chiefs and leaders of Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug are currently being incarcerated right now for doing the same thing that our First Nation leadership is doing today. Their voice has put them where they are now and it is this realization that makes todayís event an even more significant moment for our people," said Chief Walter Naveau, Mattagami First Nation.
From the company's perspective Gary Nash, President and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Mines explained that his company has worked hard at establishing a good relationship with area First Nations.
"We have worked diligently to establish a good working relationship with the First Nations, to understand the culture and traditional rights and to arrive at a fair accommodation from the impact against their traditional rights from the giving up of crown land for mining. In return, the three communities provide potential business services to Liberty Mines, employees and support for our many projects as we continue to expand in the Shaw Dome area", said Nash.
Shawn Batise, Executive Director, Wabun Tribal Council, who headed the negotiating team has hope for the future.
"Our hope is that this is only the beginning. Both industry and our First Nations are well aware of the mineral wealth within our territories. We are finally becoming active participants in Ontario's resource based economy and makers' of our own destiny. The Liberty IBA has started us down a road to prosperity and a sharing of the natural resources that Treaty #9 promised so many years ago," said Batise.
The IBA now provides an outline to address First Nation traditional rights as they relate to exploration, development and mining operations on Liberty Minesí properties in the Shaw Dome mining area. The agreement provides provisions for job training, employment, scholarships, business relationships and financial participation in community development projects. It also streamlines the exploration of the company's properties and the permitting of economic deposits through direct consultation and input from the three First Nations.
As a result of the working relationship between Liberty and Mattagami First Nation, the company has purchased products being sold by a local Native environmentally safe cleansers company, Lords & Partners.
The signing of the IBA is the culmination of two years of negotiations between Liberty Mines and the three Wabun First Nations. In May 2006, each of the three communities began separate negotiations processes with Liberty Mines concerning mining development and exploration of its properties in the Shaw Dome mining area, southeast of Timmins. This land area also comprises the traditional territory of the three First Nations of Matachewan, located near the town of Matachewan west of Kirkland Lake; Wahgoshig near the town of Matheson, east of Timmins and Mattagami, near the town of Gogama, south of Timmins. To make the process more efficient, the three communities who are all part of Wabun Tribal Council, a regional organization that represents seven First Nations in Northeastern Ontario, decided to come together as a group to negotiate with the mining company. In June 2007, the three communities signed onto an accord to agree to work together in negotiating with Liberty Mines. A committee was created from the accord with the three communities to head negotiations with assistance, resources and support from Wabun Tribal Council.
These three First Nations then went ahead to develop a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU), a document to address First Nation traditional rights, offer support to the company in its continued development in the Shaw Dome mining area and set the framework for the discussions and negotiations process to create an IBA. In September 2007, the First Nations and Liberty Mines signed the MOU which started the process of negotiating an IBA.
Liberty Mines is a producer of nickel and the company is focused on the exploration, development and production of nickel, copper, cobalt and platinum group metals from its properties in the Shaw Dome mining area.
The negotiation team for Wabun was headed by Batise along with Chris McKay, Resource Liaison, Mattagami FN; Maurice Kistabish, Program Manager, Wahgoshig FN and Jason Batise, Economic Development & Technical Services Advisor, Wabun Tribal Council. The negotiation team for Liberty Mines was headed by Nash along with Gerry Stinson, Environmental Manager, Redstone Minesite, Liberty Mines. Delegates at the signing event included Mattagami FN Councillors Jennifer Constant, Gerald Luke, James Naveau.