Cheslatta Carrier Nation (CCN) is now gathering support from other First Nations groups in the province to address the yearly flooding on their territory.
Cheslatta has been dealing with the yearly flooding since 1952, which has caused over 60 graves to be washed away.
“Every year a major corporation [Rio Tinto] lets water flow; it gushes through our territory, washes away bones of our ancestors and devastates the land,” said CCN Chief Corrine Leween. “The birds, the moose get impacted; every time that happens, elders that are with us remember the devastation of 1952 that continues to happen every year.”
Last week, CCN leaders held a meeting with Stellat’en First Nation Chief Archie Patrick, two members of the First Nations Financial Management Board and a retired B.C. senator, Gerry Germain, who has been supporting First Nations groups on a volunteer basis.
Both CCN and Stellat’en First Nation are members of a coalition called ‘First Nation major projects coalition.’
The First Nations-led coalition, which started in late 2014 and now has 14 members in B.C., aims to offer support to First Nations groups that might not have the capacity or the resources to develop major projects on their own. This includes access to expert technical advice related to environmental stewardship and economic participation.
According to Leween, the coalition provides an opportunity for First Nations to stand together on issues related to economic development and environmental assessments.
“The coalition provides an opportunity to speak to government with a stronger voice on strategic common issues,” said Leween.
During the meeting held last week, participants discussed how they could work together to permanently address CCN’s yearly flooding.
According to Cheslatta leaders, the construction of a water release facility at the Kenney Dam remains the ultimate solution.
The Kenney Dam was built in 1952 to create a water reservoir to supply downstream hydro-electric turbine to power the Rio Tinto aluminum smelters. Since the construction of the Kenney Dam and the creation of the Nechako Reservoir, the Cheslatta Lake and River system has been utilized as a spillway channel, linking the reservoir with the Nechako River.
The proposed water release facility would release water from the Nechako reservoir at Kenney Dam and discharge it directly into the Nechako Canyon.
Cheslatta has been engaged in discussions with Rio Tinto since May 2012 to build the water release facility.
Leween said the reason she held the meeting last week was to gather support to help “save the environment.”
“Our ultimate goal is to save the Nechako and the Cheslatta marine system,” said Leween. “To save it for our children; we have a responsibility as leaders to protect the land for our children and their children.”
“The times have changed,” added Leween. “We are in the driver’s seat now and we have to realize that; as First Nations we have to start working together.”
Cheslatta is the only First Nations group in the Burns Lake area that is a member of the coalition.
