Four First Nations Sign Relationship Agreement
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Four First Nations Sign

  Four First Nations Sign Relationship Agreement

by Scott A. Sumner
  Four First Nations in Northern Ontario recently signed a landmark collaboration to pursue the ownership, development and operation of a preferred corridor in the Ring of Fire.

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Chief Roger Oskineegish of the Nibinamik First Nation
“ We signed a Four First Nation relationship agreement. It is something we always wanted in the past and we agreed together as a unit.  We would like to own the all weather road because once we own the road we will have a say in what comes in and out. The road would start at
Pickle Lake and follow the winter road route. The winter roads are built in swamp or low areas. The road from Pickle Lake to Webaqua Junction would be about 240 km. Our ancestors lived together in the past and used the river system in the old days and to us now it is a
shared territory.  We have a common interest so we should own the corridor.  In the next five years I see two mines going in the Ring of Fire, a copper nickel mine and chromate mine. Also in terms of  the all weather road I would like to see a transmission line with fiber optic
line with Bell Alliance  up north. The corridor would help our First Nation lower costs. One of our goals is to help our members to get more educated  and work in the mines.”
Harry Papah Chief of Fort Hope
“ This means a lot because I think it will be a strong hold on what we want to do in the corridor, as a First Nation. We want to be self sufficient and to get things moving . We don’t want to wait for people to help us. The signing of the agreement  will  allow us to get a working group together to work on the corridor so we have started the process. One of our options is to get the road, the fiber optic lines and hydro transmission line through the corridor. Now we work off
diesel generators that hurt the environment and are noisy  where they are located. In the summer the only way here is by plane with Wasaya and Nakina Air. Life is pretty good. To me it is home and I feel comfortable. It is a place where I want to live for the rest of my life. It is not how the media portray it, it is a beautiful place. I get teachers and the cops saying it isan't  what it is like on the news. You guys are welcoming people. Our people have dances, pow wows,
fishing, hunting, camping and snowmobiling in the winter.  Hopefully the Ring of Fire will prosper us in the way of jobs . We have an issue with drugs  and want  to help those people to sober them up and get off that addiction. The goal from the governments is they want a mine up there so we hope our people will work there and  a better education to go above labour  jobs to forestry and mining jobs such as geologists.

Cornelius Wabasse,Chief of the Webequie First Nation  located  500 kms north of Thunder Bay.
  “ We only get in by plane and with the winter road. Last year it was a short year  for the road because of the weather. The agreement means moving forward working together collaborating the 4 nations, develop plans to secure benefits in our communities.”
  “  Life is good for me, although we have our challenges and problems  but continue to work to have a better community. We have 850 plus members. The unemployment is high at 80 % to 90% so we are looking forward to providing opportunities for our communities. We would like to see the road and us working side by side with government and industry and being able to have a solid input in the the process. How the Ring of Fire will look is something we are still looking into and we want to help form the process. The road will be important.”

Peter Moonias Chief of the Neskantaga First Nation south of Webaqua and
  near Fort Hope.
  “ We are smack in the middle of the Ring of Fire. Today is an important today for us because it will bring development which most likely will be the access road for our communities. The cost of living is so high to bring in the supplies. A 2 quart containers of milk in the First Nation costs $14.00 versus $2.50 in Thunder Bay. The diesel generation is expensive and the funding is not enough to allow us to operate it to the maximum. Our membership is about 450 people with some living in urban centers. The positive impact of the road would out weigh the negative impact. There is always a negative impact in everything we do where ever you are.I see my community as industrial more of a centre. I see it with paved streets because of the benefits of the Ring of Fire. Our work force is not very big but it it isan't hard for us to be all employed. In the
summer time our community is almost fully employed with the current mining companies. A lot of them bypass our First Nations and didn't consult our people. This agreement will give us more strength because it gives us the territorial ownership. We are really looking forward to
it as it will help people here and in the larger centers. In our community we have two Wasaya and 2 Nakina flights each day 7 days a week.”



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