On May 1, 2013, the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n First Nation issued a stop-work order against Huckleberry Mines Ltd. and their open-pit copper/molybdenum mine. The Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n First Nation (formerly Broman Lake Indian Band) is located just west of 亚洲天堂 Lake
The Huckleberry Mine, located 123 kms southwest of Houston B.C., is on traditional Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n territories. Hydro-power lines to service the project, as well as industrial use roads, run through a Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n reserve.
鈥淲e have a clear mandate from our membership to stop this project until our concerns are addressed,鈥� Ogen said. 鈥淲e have been in negotiations for more than a year and Huckleberry Mines does not wish to conclude agreements that fairly and reasonably address Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n asserted aboriginal rights, title, community interests and concerns.鈥�
Primary among those concerns are employment, training and economic benefits.
While 70 new jobs were created in the recent mine expansion, Ogen said that based on records kept by their education and training officer, not one of those jobs is from their band membership.
Currently, not one member of the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n First Nation works at Huckleberry Mines.
Chief Ogen recognizes that the company works with other First Nations in the area, but she points out that their relationship with the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n is unique.
鈥淲e have a road that runs through our reserve - Felix George Indian Reserve #7 - and we have powerlines running through as well,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e asking for fair and reasonable compensation for that, but they鈥檙e not willing to budge any further for us.鈥�
The original agreement made in 1997 did not include the current expansion of the mine.
According to Ogen, the mine expansion was approved without a formal renegotiation of the terms of the 1997 agreement.
At the time, the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n did not protest the mine expansion on the good faith assumption that Huckleberry Mines Ltd. would be prepared to renegotiate the old terms in light of the proposed expansion.
That never happened.
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 consult with us in regard to the expansion,鈥� Ogen said.
Chief Ogen describes the situation as one where a previous agreement has come to an end without a new one to replace it.
Shortly after the release of the stop work order, Ogen made comments circulating in various media concerning the possibility that the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n would dismantle power lines running through their reserve if a new agreement couldn鈥檛 be reached with Huckleberry Mines Ltd.
鈥淚f you have an agreement for power lines and roads to go through your backyard, and that agreement ends, you鈥檙e going to ask them to pick up their stuff and go,鈥� Ogen said.
鈥淭hey are, in fact, trespassing.鈥�
This is not the first time that the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n First Nation has threatened to disrupt the mine鈥檚 operations if their concerns were not dealt with.
On Dec. 26, 2012, the Lakes District 亚洲天堂 reported on a temporary road-block set up on the Felix George Indian Reserve which industrial mine traffic passes through on its way to the Huckleberry Mine.
The action at the time was not intended to seriously disrupt mining activity. The blockade only detained vehicles momentarily to draw attention to the Wet鈥檚uwet鈥檈n鈥檚 dissatisfaction with the 1997 agreement regarding right-of-way through their reserve and traditional territories.
Shortly afterwards, representatives of the company sat down to discuss the situation, but Ogen described the result of that meeting as fruitless.
鈥淲e鈥檙e not being heard,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e not being listened to.鈥�
鈥淲e鈥檙e done talking.鈥�
For now, Ogen is referring calls from the ownership of Huckleberry Mines Ltd. to her band鈥檚 lawyers who are handling further negotiations.
Huckleberry Mines Ltd. was not available for comment at press time.
