BC mine laws must conform to UN rights, Indigenous group says – Creston Valley Advance
Jan. 31, 2022
Unregulated placer mining, ‘jade fever’ relics of the gold rush
While B.C.’s environmental assessment for new mines has built in new consultation and consent steps, Indigenous leaders say there is a long way to go in a mining industry that retains gold rush-era practices such as unregulated placer mining on Crown land.
Indigenous consent for mining is required under Treaty 8, covering northeast B.C. since 1899, but most of the province isn’t covered by treaties. B.C.’s Mineral Tenure Act still issues “free miner certificates” to prospectors that have been available for 150 years, but are now applied for online without notice or consent from Indigenous rights holders.
