Northern Ontario’s First Nations Voice: http://wawataynews.ca/
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI) has pulled out of the Ontario land use planning process under the Far North Act. “At the end of the day, when everything is completed and done it is the minister who has the last say,” said KI Chief Donny Morris. “We want control and to have the minister have the last say, that is not what we want. So that is why we pulled out.”
Morris sent the Aug. 31 letter to Dianne Corbett, director of Far North Branch, Ministry of Natural Resources, announcing the decision. Posted on the kitchenuhmaykoosib.com website, the letter stated that KI entered the land use planning process in a good faith attempt to work with Ontario to reduce land use conflicts in the KI homeland.
“When we do the land use planning, it is for our own community membership to determine the future of our resources, our lands and water, not the minister,” Morris said. Morris said it has become clear to the community over time that land use planning under the Far North Act would change the jurisdiction and authority of KI on its homeland.
“It is our view that the Far North Act acts to deny or limit the Aboriginal rights, Aboriginal title or treaty rights of KI and limits or defines the consultation and accommodation obligations between KI and Ontario,” Morris said in the letter. “In short, we cannot work within the limitations of the current legislation.”
Morris said the community believes that new jointly created legislation would be required to achieve its goals of recognition, restoration and jurisdiction.
An MNR spokeswoman said Ontario respects KI’s decision not to go ahead with community-based land use planning.
“We feel the Far North Act enables a joint approach to land use planning with First Nations in Ontario,” said Jolanta Kowalski, senior media relations officer with the MNR. “We remain open to continue the community-based land use planning dialogue if the community expresses interest in the future. If KI wants to pull out, it’s unfortunate but we respect the decision and we are open to talking again if they change their minds.”
KI has fought a number of public battles over decision making on its traditional lands. In 2006 a group of band members, including Morris, who became known as the KI6 were put in jail for three months for standing up to Platinex mining company. And earlier this year KI fought to have God’s Lake Resources, a gold mining exploration company, banned from exploring on its traditional lands.
In response the Ontario government withdrew over 22,000 square kilometers of KI’s traditional territory from mining exploration. But even that decision was marred with controversy, as KI’s leadership was not involved in the decision.