‘These are not your lands to give away’: 6 First Nations take Ontario to court over mining law – The Narwhal

Aug. 12, 2024

Indigenous communities in Ontario are flooded with mining claims that chip away at their territories. It’s a ‘racist, colonialist’ system, the lawyer leading a new court case said

Six northern First Nations have filed a court case challenging a major section of Ontario’s mining law, an attempt to strike down the existing system for how mineral claims are staked.

The case, filed at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice last week, could disrupt Premier Doug Ford’s push for a mining boom, especially in the far northern Ring of Fire. The application was filed Aug. 9 by Apitipi Anicinapek Nation, Aroland First Nation, Attawapiskat First Nation, Fort Albany First Nation, Ginoogaming First Nation and Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug. It alleges the current system, which allows miners to stake claims without consulting First Nations, violates their Treaty and Charter rights.

Read More: https://thenarwhal.ca/ontario-indigenous-mining-claims-lawsuit/