In apparent response to a growing movement from tallymen demanding changes to development on their traditional lands, the Cree Nation Government and Cree Trappers’ Association will host a meeting September 16 in Mistissini to discuss the impacts of mining and exploration with inland communities.
“The participation of all stakeholders is vital to ensuring that the development in our region is carried out responsibly and with respect for the land and its people,” the CNG stated in a press release.
This session will address concerns regarding ongoing and proposed projects in the territory, the project-development process for resource extraction and the legal obligations and rights of tallymen according to the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement (JBNQA). A separate meeting with land users and tallymen from coastal communities will be held later.
Impacted families will have the opportunity to learn about impact benefit agreement (IBA) procedures. Feedback from tallymen is sought to identify concerns with mining or exploration activities and there will be a review of a proposed social acceptability report card.
Earlier this summer, the CTA issued a statement clarifying that it did not organize or authorize a proposed meeting for tallymen in Gatineau on July 13 regarding mining and exploration.
Waswanipi entrepreneur Josiah Cooper organized the meeting in Gatineau, which drew about 40 people, and another in Val-d’Or on August 26. The son of tallyman Gary Cooper, who financed the meetings, Cooper said they met to demand better consultation, communication and economic opportunities regarding development on their traplines.
“Sometimes you’ve got to make a movement in order for voices to be heard,” shared Cooper. “It was very interesting to hear tallymen express their concerns and issues. Standing together as one is what we needed for a long time and the time for change has come.”
Tallymen that Cooper has spoken with suggest resource companies are open to working with land users and limiting activities during hunting seasons but were being discouraged by local Cree leaders from being in direct contact with them. They’ve reported being fed up with seeing unidentified helicopters flying around when they’re hunting.
Cooper isn’t currently interested in working with the CTA “until they get more organized or more involved.” Tallyman Clarence Shecapio told the CBC that he feels that the CTA doesn’t have the influence nor the resources it once had and isn’t presently fulfilling their mandate though he’s still willing to work with them.
“It’s our home and there’s some points where we want to get involved or some areas that we want to save,” said Shecapio, explaining that a resource company is interested in a lithium deposit on his trapline. “And it seems like nobody wants to hear us or hear our voice.”
Tallyman Mario Lord, whose trapline near Waswanipi has been heavily impacted by forestry, attended the Gatineau meeting. Growing up on the land since he was eight, he said it was the best life before forestry came and insisted tallymen need to fight for their rights.
“When I inherited my land, I felt like a billionaire,” Lord told CBC. “And today I feel like a little shoe boy just getting a little peanut [here and there].”
Grand Chief Mandy Gull-Masty, who is a former mining negotiator for her community of Waswanipi, said that it’s her role to defend the rights of land users and uphold the JBNQA. As the community, tallymen and the company must be informed at each stage of development, she wants to know if communication lines aren’t working.
Tallymen, band councils and resource companies are required to work together in the early stages of mineral exploration, with the support of the Cree Mineral Exploration Board and community mining liaisons. When exploration projects potentially become mines, the impacted family is supposed to have preferred status with the opportunity for training and bidding on related contracts.
As the CTA is the only entity legally mandated under the JBNQA to represent the concerns of tallymen and land users, Gull-Masty said working outside of that framework would be very challenging. However, she added if this isn’t happening the matter could be further escalated to her office.
Gull-Masty was expected to attend the CTA’s recent annual general assembly in Nemaska to address the issue directly with tallymen.