Andrew Rankin’s article mistakenly points fingers at the Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha (TSKLH) Nation as causing uncertainty in the development of the KSM mine. We were not contacted for comment and want to shed some light.
Seabridge strives to paint the TSKLH Nation as a hurdle to their project, using Canadians’ economic anxiety to scapegoat us. We aren’t alone in our concerns about KSM – even another mining company has taken legal action. The truth is Seabridge and the Province spent years avoiding our legitimate concerns about the dangers of building KSM’s toxic waste dump, using the same technology as Mount Polley, next to our vulnerable waterways. While they avoided answers, they kept building.
Consultation with neighbouring First Nations doesn’t replace consultation with us, the Nation whose lands will bear the brunt of environmental risk.
We are a small nation (in the article, as in life, the perspective seems to be size dictates the right to a voice). We don’t want to engage in a dispute with the combined resources of a multi-billion-dollar company and the B.C. government. But as stewards of the land, we are duty-bound to ensure its preservation for future generations.
The TSKLH Nation supports economic development in our territory. We have agreements for current and future mining projects in place. We simply want to ensure our environment does not pay a devastating price for economic gain.
Chief Darlene Simpson
Tsetsaut Skii km Lax Ha Nation