First Nations welcome Site C review panel – The Globe and Mail
Dec. 09 2013
Environmental review hearings into the massive Site C hydroelectric dam proposal began Monday with a welcome to panel members from area First Nations and a reminder for them to listen with their hearts, not just their heads.
Dozens of aboriginal elders, community leaders and youth presented the panel with symbols of the land, from jars of wild berries to moose antlers and animal skins.
Gary Oker of the Doig River First Nation said the assessment process has been all about by BC Hydro’s dam project and what it has to offer, but the “cultural feast” presented to the panel serves as a reminder of what the land already offers.
“While you’re here these are the things we want to talk about,” Mr. Oker told the three members of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency panel that will conduct the joint federal and provincial review.
