EDITORIAL PAGE — The native alliance

Some years ago, the mining fraternity viewed with trepidation the settling of any land claim between government and aboriginal groups. The industry worried that each such agreement would mean yet another swath of Canadian geology would be deemed out of bounds for explorers. Most recently, the Nunavut land claim secured a huge chunk of the eastern Northwest Territories for the Inuit of that region.

What has actually emerged from Nunavut is both surprising and encouraging. Instead of assuming an anti-mining stance, the Inuit are drafting their own Nunavut Mineral Policy. It would seem that at least some aboriginal groups are turning out to be allies, not adversaries, of the mining industry. Another encouraging sign is the recent formation of the Canadian Aboriginal Minerals Association. CAMA informs native peoples of the benefits and opportunities available to them through the mineral industry. Priorities include the environment, employment and training, and economic development. It is reasonable to assume that, having lived on it for generations, aboriginal groups possess a greater understanding of the land than do urban-based environmentalists. Too often, the latter venture into the wilds only occasionally, and usually so that television cameras can record yet another protest.

Indeed, many aboriginal groups are less than enamored of environmentalists. In British Columbia, the decision to designate the Tatshenshni- Alsek region a wilderness park not only scuppered development of the Windy Craggy deposit, it also shattered any hopes natives in the area harbored for gainful employment. Aboriginal unemployment in Tatshenshini runs at about 70%. The mining industry has blundered, too. Recently, DC-3 aircraft, loaded with exploration gear, landed near the Lac de Gras area in the Northwest Territories. The Dog Rib tribe, whose land it is, did not take kindly to this incursion, especially since they had not been consulted. Fortunately, the misunderstanding was cleared up and staking went off without a hitch. Curragh, on the other hand, took a more constructive approach. It established its Sa Dene Hes operation in the Yukon by nurturing a close working relationship with the Kaska Dene Nation. The 4,000-member Kaska Dene, in fact, exemplify the transition many aboriginal groups have undergone — where once the Kaska Dene were hostile to exploration and development, today they are in favor of consultation and participation with Curragh at Sa Dene Hes. This kind of co-operation between industry and aboriginals will be further advanced — we hope — at a conference to be staged both in Toronto (Nov. 4) and Vancouver (Nov. 9). Sponsored by CAMA, it will feature speakers from industry and from native groups.

Of course, all is not sweetness and light between the industry and aboriginals. This may be most acute in Ontario, where continuing negotiations over land claims have virtually frozen exploration in some areas. But in such time of trouble for the Canadian mining industry, forging alliances with aboriginals through sincere consultations and co-operation might help matters.