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Jonathon Naylor Editor A northern Manitoba First Nation is demanding work at the Lalor mine cease, but Hudbay has no plans to oblige in a dispute that pits industrial development against traditional land rights. Pukatawagan's Mathias Colomb Cree Nation (MCCN) on Monday served the company with what it called a 'stop work order' for Lalor, the $700-million mining and processing project outside Snow Lake. 'MCCN will enforce this order and expects the province of Manitoba to uphold the rule of law in enforcing this order,' MCCN Chief Arlen Dumas said in a news release issued by the band. Chief Dumas said Lalor rests on ancestral territory on which neither Hudbay nor the Manitoba government, which has granted permits for the mining project, can infringe without proper consultation. His serving of the stop work order coincided with a demonstration at the Lalor road junction, held as part of the Idle No More movement that has swept the country. Chief Dumas was to be joined by protesters as well as Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Bill Traverse and Pam Palmater, an aboriginal lawyer and national spokesperson for Idle No More. See 'Hudbay...' on pg. 6 Continued from pg. 1 'We are sovereign and asserting our laws and jurisdictions over our unceded ancestral territory,' Chief Dumas said. 'We have never (given) up our lands, waters and natural resources. We have a responsibility to manage their use and protection.' As the 'rightful owners' of the land on which Lalor rests, he said only the band has 'the authority to approve a license to extract our resources from our territories.' But John Vincic, vice president of investor relations and corporation communications for Hudbay, said the company will not abide by the stop work order. 'Hudbay remains committed to the project and has the necessary permits and approvals required from the Government of Manitoba for the work done to date at the Lalor mine,' he said. 'We expect work to able to continue at the site, as it has in the past, as we expect all people to respect the laws of Manitoba, now and in the future.' Asked whether Hudbay accepts that Lalor is on 'unceded' aboriginal territory, Vincic said that 'mining projects are governed under applicable laws and government regulations and our approvals to date have been granted in this context.' 'Hudbay has been in ongoing dialogue with MCCN for more than two years, including sharing of environmental information and information about educational and commercial opportunities available in the mining industry,' he said. 'We believe in the well-established, constructive relationship we have with the MCCN and we are confident that relationship will continue to support discussions of mutual interest.' Added Vincic: 'Hudbay respects the rights of all aboriginal peoples and is engaged in many such efforts with MCCN and other communities.' A spokesperson for provincial Mines Minister Dave Chomiak gave no indication the province is prepared to enforce the stop work order issued by MCCN, as Chief Dumas requested. The spokesperson said the government has and will continue to follow due process in environmental licensing of mining projects. In terms of the Lalor dispute, the province is poised to take a balanced approach. 'When there is disagreement, we are committed to resolving it in the best interests of all Manitobans including aboriginal Manitobans,' the spokesperson said. Added the spokesperson: 'We are encouraged that Hudbay and MCCN have been talking regarding this project.' But Chief Dumas is not alone in believing that Lalor has gone ahead without proper consent. Chief Traverse, the Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief who joined Chief Dumas at Monday's demonstration, said 'consent is required before any development occurs.' 'This issue impacts all First Nations in Manitoba,' he said. About 30 people reportedly took part in Monday's demonstration. Hudbay said operations at Lalor proceeded during the protest. 'Orderly' Vincic, who is based in Toronto, said it was his understanding that the demonstration was 'straightforward and orderly.' This is not the first time Chief Dumas has claimed wrongful treatment from Hudbay and the Manitoba government. In a news release last year, issued by Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak, which represents most northern Manitoba First Nations, he said his community has not reaped deserved benefits from decades of Hudbay mining activity. 'Hudbay Minerals has operated 26 mines over 85 years and has extracted 145 million tonnes of ore from Mathias Colomb ancestral lands,' said Chief Dumas. 'Hudbay and its predecessor, Hudson Bay Mining and Smelting, have left no positive legacy for my community.' In that same news release, Chief Dumas and other northern Manitoba chiefs threatened to 'shut down' provincial mining unless their concerns were addressed. Chief Dumas accused the province of designating 'an Indian free zone' around the Flin Flon-Snow Lake Greenstone Belt, which he said is in traditional aboriginal territory.
