Treaty 3 Rights Holder

Boozhoo, Nindinawemaaganidok (Hello All my relations)

Sarah Nindizhinikaaz (My Name is Sarah). Nidoodem Migizi (I am of the Eagle clan). I am apart of the larger Anishinaabeg (nations). Couchiching nindoonji (I am from Couchiching First Nation), which is a signatory of Treaty #3. Animikii Wiikwidoong nindoonjibaa (I lay my head in Thunder Bay - meaning this is where I work and live), a part of Robinson-Superior Treaty. 

I needed to do my traditional protocol  by introducing myself in Anishinaabemowin, my Indigenous language to locate myself and my connection to our beautiful lands, waters and territories. This connects me to our Creator and all our relations including our insect, plant, animal and human relations, and moreover recognizes the unique relationship we have with the state of Canada. Our treaties lay the foundation of Canada. I am a rights and responsibilities holder of a treaty area that is impacted, Treaty 3, as well as residing in an area that is still impacted, Robinson-Superior, as we are connected by waterways and roadways. 

Many of us Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, share the same sentiment there is no separation between ourselves and the land. Any destruction of the land is a destruction to our cultures, our identities, and our very selves. We are that 7th fire prophecy my ancestors and present Elders and spiritual medicine people talk about: a generation that must decide to work with the land in harmony or against it. Whatever we do impacts the 7 generations going forward as the 7 generations past have impacted our present. Therefore we must learn from what has happened to them, such as Grassy Narrows. This is why we must tread carefully when it comes to the storage nuclear waste under our waters and through our communities.

I stand with the organization We The Nuclear Free North, impacted First Nations and municipalities throughout the region of the proposed site and transportation route.

NWMO’S “Deep Geological Repository project” must be designated for a full impact assessment and public hearing

Transportation must be included in the impact assessment

A thorough examination of alternatives to the project and alternative means of carrying out the project must be included in the impact assessment

The Initial Project Description fails to provide the necessary information about the NWMO’s project; a detailed project description is necessary

I want to highlight some points that environmental lawyer Rick Lindgren made: There needs to be a FULL impact assessment, including an (independent) integrated review panel according to section 43 of the Impact Assessment Act. I support for Eagle Lake First Nation by clarifying that no impact assessment process proceeds until Eagle Lake First Nation is recognized as a host community (more on this below).

Request that, aligned with section 22 of the Impact Assessment Act (which requires assessments of projects to take into account environmental, health, social, and economic conditions and the rights of Indigenous peoples/concerns of the public, as well as alternatives or alternative means of carrying out the project like site selection, etc), that the transportation of nuclear waste NOT be excluded from the scope of the project. The transportation of the waste, which would occur daily for 50 years on our dangerous highways, must be included in the impact assessment process. Lindgren mentions that the transportation of the nuclear waste is an integral, fundamentally related component of the project that should not be excluded, as "there is no independent utility to transporting waste on public highways." Additionally, the definition of "designated project" under the Impact Assessment Act includes any physical activity that is incidental to the project. Lindgren added that there has never been off-site transportation of used nuclear fuel waste in Canada--it is unprecedented, and therefore requires rigorous scrutiny. 

The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples [UNDRIP] has been adopted into domestic Canadian law through the UNDRIP Act as confirmed by the Supreme Court of Canada in Reference re An Act Respecting First Nations, Inuit and Métis children, youth and families. Article 29.2 of UNDRIP says that "states shall take effective measures to ensure that no storage or disposal of hazardous materials shall take place in the lands or territories of Indigenous peoples without their free, prior and informed consent." The Federal Court of Canada in Kebaowek First Nation v Canadian Nuclear Laboratories recently held that, in the context of the disposal of nuclear waste, the honour of the Crown requires that the Crown deeply consult with the objective of obtaining the consent of the Indigenous peoples affected AND consultations must be conducted in a manner which is tailored to Indigenous laws, knowledges, and practices. 

The Nuclear Waste Management Organization [NWMO] has, so far, shamefully disregarded this constitutional obligation. The NWMO can acknowledge reconciliation all they want in their initial project description, but this means nothing when Eagle Lake First Nation, who shares their traditional territory with Wabigoon First Nation and whose traditional territory overlaps with the project area, has been left out of the consultation and site selection processes. Other First Nation communities will experience nothing short of devastation if this unprecedented project goes awry. 

No impact assessment process proceeds until Eagle Lake First Nation is recognized as a host community, who will otherwise be participating in the assessment process under duress. See Eagle Lake FN's response to the initial project description here: https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050/evaluations/proj/88774/contributions/id/64081