The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
Commentary by Jonathon Naylor Whether you view it as a justified response to long-standing grievances or a contemptible act of questionable legality, it was probably inevitable. Last week's temporary blockade of the Lalor Mine road, orchestrated by protesters from Pukatawagan's Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (MCCN) and their supporters, came with little advance warning, but it could hardly be considered surprising. Across the country, as part of the Idle No More movement, First Nations people are battling, rightly or wrongly, a system they believe has ignored their concerns for far too long. And while they have made both friends and enemies in the process, they are certainly getting noticed. Through Idle No More, protesters _ aboriginals and non-aboriginals alike _ have conducted primarily peaceful demonstrations that have not been of major inconvenience to anyone. But as the movement has grown over the weeks, some individuals have taken things to the next level by barricading bridges and roads. And so on the afternoon of Jan. 28, roughly 30 protesters blocked the Lalor Mine road near Snow Lake, allowing people on their way home through but vowing to halt vehicles related to the development of the Hudbay property. It was during the protest that Chief Arlen Dumas provided Hudbay's Manitoba boss, Brad Lantz, with what the MCCN called a 'stop work order.' It demanded Hudbay cease actions at Lalor until the band grants its consent to the project. The stop work order carries no legal value, at least as far as the federal and provincial governments are concerned. For Chief Dumas and his people, the document supersedes any notions of law that you or I may recognize. Hudbay, which by all accounts has respect for MCCN and its relationship with the band, has said Lalor will proceed as planned. 'We believe in the well-established, constructive relationship we have with MCCN and we are confident that will continue to support discussions in any area of mutual interest,' company spokesperson John Vincic said. MCCN has said failure to comply with the stop work order will put Hudbay in violation of the band's laws, but it's not at all clear what that means or what the repercussions might be. What right? Many area residents, particularly those who work for Hudbay or its contractors, look at this situation and wonder what right the protesters have to interfere, potentially, with their livelihoods. If the protesters want a stake in Lalor as they claim, many will bluntly say, they should apply for jobs there like everyone else. More broadly, some have voiced concerns that if Manitoba's mining developments are continually targetted by aboriginal protests, the province will quickly become a less desirable place for mining companies to do business. Of course MCCN members and supporters see theirs as a legitimate form of opposition. In their minds, this is their land and they deserve to benefit from, and have a say in, what happens on it. Whichever side one supports in this dispute, it's unfortunate that a byproduct seems to be the further deterioration of race relations in northern Manitoba and the Flin Flon-Snow Lake region in particular.
