In the first ever consent-based decision-making agreement under the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act, the B.C. government has agreed to recognize the Tahltan Central Government‘s title and rights within its territory.
On Monday, the province said the agreement will advance reconciliation and provide clarity for the Eskay Creek Revitalization Project in northwestern B.C., which aims to reopen a mine there as a gold and silver open-pit operation.
The government has been negotiating with the Tahltan since June 2021 under its UNDRIP legislation.
“Today marks an exciting step forward in the evolution of the relationship between the Tahltan Nation and the Province of British Columbia,” Tahltan Central Government president Chad Norman Day said.
“The Tahltan Central Government has been clear on behalf of all Tahltan people that there will be no world-class mining jurisdiction in Tahltan Territory without robust Tahltan stewardship which must include world-class wildlife and fisheries management, strong environmental mitigation measures and recognition of our 1910 Declaration.”
Monday’s agreement lays out a shared intent to create a model for sustainable mining and updated environmental practices and standards.
The project would produce 2.45 million ounces of gold and 70.9 million ounces of silver over the course of its approximate 10-year operating life.
In passing UNDRIP legislation in 2019, the province can recognize Indigenous jurisdiction in law and decisions within the provincial statutory decision-making framework.
The Tahltan territory is 95,933 square kilometres, or the equivalent of 11 per cent of B.C.