FIRST NATIONS

Victory for Barrier Lake Algonquins

by James Clark

The Algonquin First Nation of Barrier Lake recently won a long-standing struggle by forcing the retreatof a major mining company off its land.

In early July, Cartier Resources Inc. announced that it would suspend exploration at the Rivière Doré copper mining project in response to overwhelming opposition by community members. The project was located within the First Nation’s traditional territory in northwestern Quebec, which is protected by a 1991 agreement for sustainable development. Signed by the Algonquin First Nation, Quebec and Canada, the Trilateral Agreement has attracted praise from the United Nations, but the governments of Quebec and Canada refuse to implement it.

Community spokesperson Norman Matchewan called on the Quebec government to follow the lead of the company and abandon its mineral claims until the agreement is implemented.

“If Premier Jean Charest is committed to sustainable development and a just relationship with First Nations, this should be his natural next step,” said Matchewan.

Exploration was halted in March when company workers agreed to leave the site, following a request by community members who later spoke at the company’s annual general meeting in Montreal. In June, they camped out on the site to prevent further test drilling until the company met their demands.