NESKANTAGA FIRST NATION, ONT. 鈥� On the shores of Attawapiskat Lake, deep in the Ring of Fire region in northern Ontario, sits Neskantaga First Nation 鈥� a community of about 350 people that can only be accessed by plane or an ice road in the winter.
Many residents, who have for years dealt with challenges including a longstanding boil-water advisory and a shortage of adequate housing, are concerned that Ontario's desire to mine metals from the Ring of Fire could threaten Neskantaga's way of life.
The First Nation's chief, Chris Moonias, wants to meet with Premier Doug Ford to discuss his community's concerns, although that has not happened. From his office in Neskantaga, where a large, orange Every Child Matters flag with his First Nation's insignia hangs on a wall, Moonias sits down with The Canadian Press to share his thoughts.
What is Neskantaga鈥檚 position on the proposal to mine the Ring of Fire?
Neskantaga is a pro-development community. We're not saying right out no. We just want to be part of it. We want to have jurisdiction into the area and before anything happens in our territory, in our homeland. We want to be part of the decision making. We have to know what the real benefits are and we have to know what the real impacts are.
Will Neskantaga say yes to mining?
Not at this time because we're not full participants. Everything is 小蓝视频 done according to what Ontario wants. Everything was 小蓝视频 pushed during the pandemic, this free-entry mining. It's like we don鈥檛 have a say at all and that doesn鈥檛 sit well with the First Nation.
Do you hope Doug Ford and his government will change their approach?
Not the way they鈥檙e acting now. But I hope that some day, maybe the investors will force Doug Ford to act accordingly for a First Nation鈥檚 full participation.
What about the promise of prosperity and jobs?
Jobs is a given, it鈥檚 easy to get jobs in any development. It鈥檚 automatic to get jobs. We鈥檝e had mining in and around northwestern Ontario. You don鈥檛 see these First Nations prosper, many boil-water advisories, a lot of poverty. We got to be careful We're always told we'll get jobs, you will get this, you will get that, but nothing happens. That鈥檚 why we haven鈥檛 been able to really support what鈥檚 going on with the Ring of Fire. There are promises of prosperity, sure. We鈥檝e been promised that many times before. It's the rich getting richer. Once they鈥檝e extracted the resources, we鈥檙e still out there with boil-water advisories, we鈥檙e still in a housing crisis, we鈥檙e still in a social crisis. It doesn鈥檛 benefit communities as of right now.
鈥� This conversation has been edited and condensed.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2023.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
