November 28, 2011
The Cree people of Attawapiskat have been negotiating with/fighting off the global diamond cartel, deBeers for some time.
The first article below describes a classic situation that has been repeated many times over in other Indigenous communities. Why we keep hoping for fair and honest dealings from the colonial crooks is beyond me. The chiefs are always at least conflicted if not totally sold out to their masters, the cdn gov. the chiefs always deplore the blockades when the fact is that the blockades are the only thing that has any impact. It is necessary to hit the colonial entities in the only place you can hurt then, in their pockets. they have no heart or conscience and it is doubtful if they can really be shamed though it is a necessary exercise too.
What do you think??
Kittoh
<kittoh@storm.ca>
More Articles and Contact Info on Attawapiskat
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Attawapiskat First Nation
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http://blog.gregvalerio.com/2011/02/22/the-attawapiskat-and-the-blockades-at-the-de-beer%E2%80%99s-victor-diamond-mine/
The Attawapiskat and the Blockades at the De Beer?s Victor Diamond Mine
Posted on February 22, 2011 | Leave a comment
An Interview with Mike Koostachin by Marc Choyt
Introduction/Situation Briefing
In December, 2009, members of the Attawapiskat First Nation, part of the larger Cree First Nation group, staged a major blockading at the De Beers? Victor Mine in northern Ontario. Mike Koostachin, was the first person there. He considers himself a keeper of traditional ways, and works as a cultural liaison in the schools, teaching Cree values to children.
Mike and I first talked about the situation at the Victor mine after the initial blockade, in February, 2010. In researching this article, I obtained documents from De Beers First Nation employees written to management that confirmed Mike?s concerns and raised other issues relating to how spills are cleaned up, the treatment of First Nation people at the mine and a rape. The documents also showed a willingness on the part of De Beer?s personnel to address these issues.
The Victor mine is located in such a complex and difficult cultural and environmental context. Any alliance between members of the Attawapiskat Nation and De Beers would inevitably be fragile. The village is poor and in great need of jobs. Many feel hopeless?watch this Canadian News feature and you?ll see why the suicide rate is so high. An article on Attawapiskat in Canadian Geographic reveals the struggles to get a new elementary school to replace its current one which is highly toxic. Not only is there benzene in the aquifers, but sewerage commonly floods into their drinking water.
To gain the trust of the Attawapiskat, De Beers worked hard to employ a community sensitive approach in its negotiations, The village desperately wanted economic development. De Beers is obviously not a development or relief agency: they are there to make as much profit as possible. It?s likely, however, that this level of engagement?over 100 community meetings, created high expectations. I contacted Tom Ormsby, De Beers External Relations to get De Beer?s perspective on the current events, but he did not return my call.
For the some traditional Attawapiskat, the deal with De Beers has not been worth it and they are bitter about the entire situation. They believe that, except for a few individuals, the positive economic impact on the village has been negligible. Meanwhile, the land, animals are highly impacted and the fish have elevated levels of mercury.
The impact of the mine is clearly a threat to what perhaps many Cree would consider their greatest wealth ? a traditional way of life intimately linked to their place on earth. As cultures and world views have clashed, communication on many levels has broken down. The result has been two blockades fueled by the anger and betrayal many Cree feel toward De Beers.
?They are the same regime, a modern day regime. They have our tribal government. Instead of cutting off your arms and feet like they did in Africa, they are cutting off our land, our food from the land. The people are the land.? Mike Koostachin
Marc Choyt, Fair Jewelry Action, USA.
First, I would like to start out with the question, where are you from?
I?m from Attawapiskat. It is a fly in community, very isolated. Cree Tribal Group. My village is about 90 kms from the De Beers diamond mine.
Do you speak for anyone in an official capacity as a tribal official?
I basically a member of the Cree First Nation, concerned about the development in the area. I am an Aboriginal Liaison Youth Worker and my work is to teach cultural knowledge to the First Nation student. I?m deeply committed to the values of my people. When I look at the development, I think about it in context to my culture and my connection to the land.
What happened back in December, 2009?
We decided to form a blockade to prevent access to De Beers? Victor mine. I was the first one. Within minutes of starting the blockage, there were over 50 people. This was in February, 2009.
We went on the winter road, across the river, and there was a lay down for transfer of equipment, where you go park yourself, like a transport. We set up a barricade, a construction barricade, like rail road ties, like a tripod.
Then, within hours, trucks came by, their first haul. They had stuff that had to go in and out of the diamond site. There was another convoy coming in from the south from Mousley. They turned around. The other ones coming from the Victor site, the blockage, came within less than 100 meters of the blockage?3 trailers. They went back to their origin with their escort.
How did the De Beers respond?
About midnight, John White, a liaison for De Beers?he passed away that winter, came up to the blockaders He asked who was the leader and who to talk to so that he could take his concerns to his management. We told him, there is no leader. So we stayed there.
How long did it last?
The blockade lasted 18 days?we hired a lawyer. First Nation and De Beers agreed to pay the lawyers. We have outstanding legal fees of over $100,000 and our lawyer is not getting paid. To stop the blockade we signed a good faith agreement. People who worked on the site were concerned about losing their jobs?we were split up.
Employees from mine site came to the meeting. We thought that they would get pissed off at us and give us shit. But they supported us.
What were the issues of concern?
It had to do initially with our Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA), which is the money the tribe gets for giving up the land, for the mine. During the summer of 2008, there was a petition going around in the community. I was one of the people that walked around with the petition, to revisit the IBA agreement. It was proposed by our tribal government, but never ratified by the people.
(Note: Here?s a link to an article that details the issues in contention in that first blockade.)
How was the original IBA agreed upon?
It was voted on, as a referendum. People wanted the mining to go ahead. About 270 said yes, and 80 to 90 that said no.
People that said, yes, thought that they would get money from the project, in their hands. They were promised 2 million a year?a million up front for signing the agreement and 2 million a year for the life time of the mine. Basically, it would be 30 million over the course of the mine to 1800 to 2000 community members. Less than 20% voted, but De Beers said it was 90%.
Why didn?t more people vote?
People were not really into the process of it?there was a lack of understanding.
Then, during the referendum, the community had a signing agreement ceremony. Now, we have nothing from the IBA and no employment opportunities.
Have members of the tribe, the larger community, get the money?
No. There has been no money. The leadership established a trust fund for the community. Though the funds are there, but there is no accountability, no reports from the tribal leadership report to the shareholders.
Still don?t know what the IBA money is doing?
No.
But De Beers can?t be blamed for that.
It is the First Nation?s leader?s fault. They have funds coming into first nation ? no transparency, to this day.
What has changed since the mine was opened?
Nothing. They generally offer First Nation people low positions, like sweeping the floor, doing dishes. No employment and training services.
What kind of agreements with other communities?
Jobs, trust fund, same thing. IBA?but some of them have their own stipulations to protect their culture and traditions. We compete with them, even though the mining impacts our community primarily.
People say that Canadian diamonds are conflict free.
At the beginning, there was not a lot of conflict. People did their consultation. Once the mine was at the exploration stage, they had to do a test for kimberlite. People were not yet opposed to the impact of the mine. A lot of people did not think that the mine would go ahead. They did not think about the destroying of the land, to have a big hole. They didn?t think they would find anything. But now, people are worried.
Why?
When they live off the land, they see fish being deformed. The water tastes different. There was disturbance of our caribou that migrate through the area?we don?t see them anymore. Moose reduced as well. This happened last summer. The caribou herds are in decline and the animals are no longer close to the villages due to the impact.
Also, we are seeing high levels of mercury in our water. We are seeing deformed fish.
But diamond mines don?t use mercury.
The mining is in the swamp and the moss acts like a filtration system for heavy metals when the rain falls and goes into the river. The moss is being picked up and the swamp is drained and bypassed over to the river.
The mercury was in the moss. The moss was removed in the strip mines, resulting in heavy mercury contamination in our rivers. A million tons of water of day, floating from the swamp to the river. So mercury is leaching into the river.
(Note: See this report which documents the elevated levels of mercury in the Attawapiskat river: ?There is not safe amount of consumption of northern pike? for women of child bearing age and children less than 15 years of age.?)
Yet people say that the mines in Canada are well regulated and run. There is this cherished belief among jewelers, particularly the ethical jewelers, who rely upon Canadian diamonds.
We don?t believe that the mines are ethical. The letter I wrote to Canadian Mining Watch ?no one even responded to it. Ministry of Natural Resources of Canada and Ontario and Oceans and Waters and Fisheries.
Right now, De Beers imports petrol on winter roads. Eight million litres annually. When they transport the fuel from Moosonee, Ontario to the site, it is 350 km to transport fuel. Four or five tankers going by daily. The diesel spills are of great concern. One of the concerns also is the addition territory where people occupied the land. Then there is the issue of power lines constructed to the mine and the land being disturbed.
I?ve been reviewing internal documents sent to me, specifically, from a First Nation De Beers employee at Victor Mine this past December. He raised a number of issues, including, non-native people getting the special treatment and complaints about the present camp administrator. He seemed frustrated that these issues have not been address. Your thoughts?
There is nepotism on site for non-First Nation members.
What about the issue on spills on site. I read in one of the internal documents that First Nation employees are more concerned than non-Native employees. What evidence do you have for that?
The spill is covered up right away and safety officers will cover this up because they don?t want any trouble from ministry of environment with Ontario government.
To what degree has De Beers hired local people?
In the construction phase, there were 800 people hired. Now it is in operation?less than 400 people on site; 100 people are aboriginal people who work there. The signing was that the people in our community would get the first crack at the jobs?that hasn?t happened. But the criteria was grade 12 and 5 years of experience mining. Couldn?t hire from our community because not enough people could meet the criteria.
Also, when De Beers came in, De Beers signed agreements with other first nation groups?so we are competing with jobs with them. It was a divide and conquer approach. But the mine is located in our traditional area. They employ about 100 First Nation people, but of those only 40 are from our communities. Of those, perhaps about five are upper level position that required training.
What led to the current blockade that is taking place?
The people were told they would be given opportunities, such as jobs, using machinery on site for the construction of operations on the mines and for exploration projects. These jobs never came through?they were handled internally by De Beers? so there have been no opportunities for small contractors.
When did it start and how many people are there at the blockade?
It started February 11th at 2:30 PM EST. Twenty people, plus the people who support them in the village.
(Note: here?s an article that gives De Beer?s and Tribal officials view of these events)
Are they there day and night? What are the temperatures?
24 hours and the temp. is -41 Celsius plus the wind chill
How effective is the current blockade?
The chief of the village wants it open. But there is political corruption in the community.
In the last blockade there was a mediator, but the mediator worked for De Beers. They paid this person. That mediator was so much controlled by the former chief who was close to De Beers. So what happened was the mediator uncovered unethical practices from the former chief from handling affairs. She was on the chief side.
There?s massive corruption in our tribal government which is managed by what in Canada we call the ?Band Office.? It is a third party office to control our finances. Right now, we are in a 14 million dollars deficit. How can we be in deficit when we have a diamond mine in our back yard?
How was the money lost?
It is corruption that is happening at local level and there?s split between the government and the people. There was always a split in terms the mine coming?whether or not it should be there. Now, the government is getting royalties and mismanaging the fiscal responsibilities of the tribe.
Our land is contaminated. Our water is contaminated. Our First Nation government is corrupt with a 14 million dollar deficit and they are saying it is the fault of the people, and we have a diamond mine next door.
Do you have much confidence in DeBeers?
They are the same regime, a modern day regime. They have our tribal government. Instead of cutting off your arms and feet like they did in Africa, they are cutting off our land, our food from the land. The people are the land.
http://www.cbern.ca/research/projects/workspaces/cura_project/case_studies/attawapiskat_first_nation/
Attawapiskat First Nation
IN THIS SECTION:
?De Beers? relationship with Attawapiskat has been developed over the past 15 years and is constantly evolving as both parties to the IBA strive to live up to the terms of their agreement. Although this section briefly describes some of the challenges associated with implementing specific IBA provisions, this case demonstrates the significance of persevering effort by De Beers and Attawapiskat First Nation to work together toward mutual goals and maintain a positive relationship.
The traditional territory of the Attawapiskat First Nation extends far beyond their reserve; extending up the coast to Hudson Bay and hundreds of kilometres inland along river tributaries past the Victor mine site (Inf. #6). There are over 2800 members of Attawapiskat First Nation, but the local on-reserve population is approximately 1500 (INAC, 2009). The community is accessible by a winter ice road from late January-March, and only via air during the rest of the year. Traditional harvesters from Attawapiskat First Nation regularly hunt caribou, goose, and fish along the Attawapiskat River, while tending trap lines throughout the region (Berkes et al., 1994; Whiteman, 2004). Like many other northern Cree communities, these traditional activities are more than subsistence, comprising an important part of local culture and identity (Inf. #2, 4). Therefore, the community leadership was very concerned with the proposed development of the Victor mine, and, at De Beers` invitation, sought to ensure that any environmental impacts of the mine would be effectively mitigated.
The proposed development of the mine was the first significant industrial development within the traditional territory of the Attawapiskat First Nation; among other issues, the mine sparked debate within the community regarding how to proceed given their longstanding interest in environmental protection and cultural preservation on one hand, and the economic benefits the mine could bring on the other (Inf. #2, 8). According to one informant, ?the community was wary of the colonial history of De Beers and the mining industry`s track record with Aboriginal communities? (Inf. #2). De Beers` Jonathan Fowler recalls the complex situation the company faced,
We were… regarded as a pariah. This lack of trust negatively impacted a whole range of and processes. This lack of trust was coupled with a lack of understanding about the project and this was compounded by language issues and the absence of applicable words in the local dialect to explain what was planned.
- Fowler, 2008: 24
To address the host of legacy issues and other community concerns, De Beers began a campaign designed build relationships and foster trust with the community. This included over 100 community meetings as part of the engagement and environmental assessment processes. During these meetings, De Beers sought to educate the community on the company`s values, plans for partnering with the First Nation in employment, education, and business development, and most importantly, providing an clear description of the planned development using local liaisons and translators (Fowler, 2008). Additionally, De Beers provided funds for the communities to contract external advisors in order to provide third-party insight to their local and regional issues and interests.
Based on the community-sensitive approach to providing and translating information by De Beers and assurances from the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA), the leadership of Attawapiskat signed an MOU with De Beers in 1999 that outlined the type of relationship both parties aimed to foster; with guidelines for communication, liaising with the community, environmental protection, business opportunities, and training for future mine employment (DBC, 2000). Following the MOU, an Exploration Agreement was signed to allow De Beers to conduct further drilling in their territory, on the condition that the First Nation would be involved in site selection and decision-making throughout the exploration process and enter into IBA negotiations with De Beers. Although there were many local concerns about the potential socio-cultural impacts of mining, the Chief and Council made the decision to continue working with De Beers in the hopes of signing an IBA. In the words of former Attawapiskat Chief Mike Carpenter, ?De Beers Canada?s diamond mine is the first and only opportunity our community has ever had to break free of our soul-destroying poverty? (Studol, 2008).
In early 2003, Attawapiskat entered into formal IBA negotiations with De Beers. While much of the financial arrangements within the agreement are confidential, negotiators representing the community worked to secure educational, employment and training, business development, environmental monitoring, and other provisions designed to address the potential impacts to the community while ensuring increased capture of benefits from mining (see Wawatay News, 2005). Following the successful completion of a three-year federal and provincial environmental assessment process, the IBA was voted on and ratified by the community after receiving 85.5% approval among the membership of Attawapiskat First Nation (De Beers, 2005).
Once the IBA was signed and ratified, it became a legal contract governing the relationship between Attawapiskat and De Beers. It includes important communication protocols between the parties, and outlines dispute resolution processes and mechanisms that both parties must follow. While negotiating the agreement was a laborious task, the ?real challenge is implementing the agreement. It?s tough to make it work when you don?t have all the resources you need? (Inf. #6). For example, the community had great success in securing employment opportunities during the construction phase of mine development (see Table 2), but since operations began in 2008 it has been a struggle to educate, train, and retain local workers for positions that require industrial certifications and advanced training (Inf. #2).
Much of the challenges associated with implementing IBAs in northern Aboriginal communities such as Attawapiskat are related to lack of professional and institutional capacity. For example, the IBA includes funding for hiring a local ?IBA Coordinator? to assist with implementation of key provisions and advise the Chief and Council on how to best make use of the agreement; however, this position has yet to be filled in the five years since the agreement was signed (Inf. #2, 6). A recent interview with Attawapiskat?s Director of Lands and Resources, John B. Nakogee, provided insight to this particular issue, and the broader challenge of implementation (see Video).
This significant limitation, largely based on the difficulty of hiring highly-skilled professionals to fill important roles in the community, has impacted the First Nation?s ability to take full advantage of the IBA, and led to frustration within the community. For example, an 18-day community blockade was staged in February 2009 in protest of the terms of the IBA (see Feeney, 2009a). The roadblock was established when local frustrations erupted as community members felt DeBeers was not living up to the terms of the IBA (see Feeney, 2009b). It was eventually found that many of the issues that led to the protest were rooted in the lack of communication and understanding between the Chief and Council and Attawapiskat First Nation membership regarding the terms of the IBA and its implementation. According to John B. Nakogee, De Beers met with the community and has dealt with the legitimate concerns in good faith. However, he cited this conflict as an example for IBAs and future agreements to be ?more native-centred in their design, but mostly their communication.?
Despite the range of challenges associated with meeting local expectations for employment and job training, Nakogee, and other informants from Attawapiskat, are pleased with the implementation of the environmental protection section of the IBA. In particular, the locally-based Environmental Monitoring Committee (EMC) has managed to draw on local traditional knowledge and expertise to identify changing patterns of nearby Caribou herd movement, likely in response to the mine (Inf. #4, 6). This emerging issue is one of significant local importance, and is currently being discussed among the EMC members and Chief and Council to be taken to De Beers for further discussion (Inf. #2, 6).
Although De Beers has been actively involved in Attawapiskat for over 15 years, the relationship between the company and the community is just beginning to mature, and, according to Fowler (2008) there is an element of trust among the First Nation leadership and key contacts at De Beers. While this relationship has proved challenging for both sides, it is working; Attawapiskat is receiving significant benefits from the Victor mine and De Beers is pleased with the relatively conflict-free operation of its significant investment. However, this relationship is constantly under scrutiny from local First Nation membership and external interest groups, and will continue to be defined by the commitment of both parties to honour the terms of their IBA and continue to act in good faith.
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http://intercontinentalcry.org/attawapiskat-holding-winter-blockade-against-de-beers/
News
Attawapiskat holding winter blockade against De Beers
By Ahni Feb 25, 2009 9 Comments Views
Members of the Attawapiskat First Nation in northern Ontario are holding a winter road block near the DeBeers Victor Mine, in protest of the Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) that the First Nation signed with De Beers, a massive diamond multinational company based in South Africa.
The members have maintained a 24-hour presence at the blockade since it first went up on February 6.
“We feel that the people of Attawapiskat are not fully benefiting from the DeBeers operations in our territory. We are committed to ensuring that our people benefit directly. We are poor and we need to get out of the poverty we are in. DeBeers can help us in improving our community living conditions,” states Greg Shisheesh, a spokesman for the protesters.
The protesters want the terms of the current IBA to be revisted, so it can address a number of pressing issues for Attawapiskat, including racism and discrimination, pay equity, a desperately-needed school and new housing, explains Wawatay News.
They also want the the ratification process of the IBA to be reviewed.
“We want to ensure the membership fully understands how the IBA was ratified and we are asking for full disclosure of its contents to the people,” says Shisheesh.
Shorlty after the protest began, the Attawapiskat chief and council announced a series of “emergency measures to encourage the resolution of the latest protest of some of its members.”
“Those measures include an immediate distribution of the IBA to more than 300 homes, earmarking the profits from Attawapiskat-owned businesses and joint ventures toward legal fees (up to $100,000) school and education warchest and high-level meetings have been confirmed with De Beers executives and representatives of the member protesters with a mediator, to name a few,” notes the Daily Press.
“I do not necessarily agree with the blockage,” said Attawapiskat Chief Theresa Hall in a recent press release, “however, I am in agreement that there are important issues that need to be discussed with De Beers.”
Mushkegowuk Grand Chief Stan Louttit met with the community and the protesters last week. He says a number of meetings have been held since the blockade went up and De Beers appeared to be interested in resolving the issues.
“De Beers is a rich company with millions of dollars,” states Louttit. “The company and the province are benefiting, but the community is benefiting only a little. We’re still in poverty, we’re still overcrowded and we don’t even have a school.”
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http://www.miningwatch.ca/cree-cultural-perspective-natural-world-mike-koostachin
http://www.northernnews.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1702636&archive=true
http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1708124&archive=true
905 684 7251
The Standard
Attawapiskat infrastructure not its responsibility, De Beers says
By SUN MEDIA
Posted 2 years ago that would be 20
