Bands not consulted about mine deal

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Some Natives in Saskatchewan are worried that the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations' plan to buy into a proposed northern uranium mine may not be in their best interests.

The FSIN has not consulted with some of its member bands over its purchase of an equity stake in Minatco Ltd., said Hatchet Lake Chief Joe Tsannie.

"They never came directly to us," he said. "They never consulted us at all. They have to at least consult with us."

The FSIN should hold a regional conference for its northern member communities before going ahead with the deal because the acquisition would affect them directly.

Chief among Tsannie's concerns are access to employment opportunities and a guarantee that the operation would not pose future environmental or health threats.

"We'd at least like to benefit from it," he said. "To help our community or get a future guarantee that nothing will go wrong."

Minatco owns a 20,455-tonne deposit of uranium oxide in the Wollaston Lake area of northern Saskatchewan. The Hatchet Lake band, located 600 kilometres north of Prince Albert, is only 50 kilometres from the mine, Tsannie said.

Minatco's operation has not brought much prosperity to the remote community, he said. Of its 900 members, only four have permanent jobs and another three or four work as seasonal contractors.

Unemployment is usually held at 30 to 40 per cent in summer when seasonal jobs like road upgrading and sewer and water extensions are numerous, Tsannie said. But the number of people out of work soars during the winter.

'There's a lot of poverty in the area," said Saskatoon Indigenous Coalition spokes-person Jacqui Barclay. "There hasn't been any contribution to the community other than the road. The mine doesn't produce much within the community."

Local bands would like to see a clause in a new mining lease agreement that stipulates 60 per cent Native employment at the operation, Tsannie said. But negotiations have not even worked out how many Natives from local, northern communities will be included in that number.

FSIN Executive Officer Roland Crowe has said the benefits of buying an interest in the mine far outweigh any negative effects on neighboring communities.

The federation is trying to meet with bands affected by the mining operation to see what their perspectives are, said federation spokesman Chief Lindsay Cyr.

But there have been no meetings with anyone since he took over the economic development portfolio at the beginning of the fiscal year, he said.

There has been mixed reaction to the FSIN's proposed buy-in but to date, only one band in the Meadow Lake area has raised serious objections, he said.