It’s mining week in B.C. and First Nations are using the moment to call for more authority, consent – The Narwhal

Feb. 3, 2022

‘B.C. laws for mineral tenure date back to the gold rush, to the time the province was emerging as a province — it’s ridiculous’

The BC First Nations Energy and Mining Council is urging Indigenous communities across the province to exercise their inherent rights and authority over their territories by regulating and monitoring mining activity. The council outlined 25 recommendations in a new report that chart a path forward for First Nations to ensure consent is sought and granted before any mineral activity is conducted on their lands.

“B.C. laws for mineral tenure date back to the gold rush, to the time the province was emerging as a province — it’s ridiculous,” Allen Edzerza, Tahltan Elder and lead on the project, said in an interview. “This report is a call for action.”

Read More: https://thenarwhal.ca/bc-mining-indigenous-consent-undrip/