Moisie River Faces New Threat
1/27/97
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Subject: Moisie Watershed Threatened
Jan 27, 1997
Nickel Deposit Found on North Shore: Moisie River Watershed Faces New
Threat
In August, 1996 another serendipitous nickel discovery was made in
Nitassinan--this time in the Quebec North Shore region near the Nipissis
River, a tributary of the Moisie. A clearing in the middle of a vast
stretch of forest extending north from Sept Isle, caught the eye of a
government geologist, and was found to be strewn with glittering and rust
colored rocks, characteristics of mineral deposits. The Quebec government
immediated claimed the area and soon after, hundreds of claim stakers
arrived in the region to drive their posts into the ground.
For reasons that remain unexplained, the Quebec government quickly
put a freeze on any further claims within an 800 km zone surrounding Lake
Nipisso, the site of the deposit discovered by the government geologist.
Neverthleless companies contued to stake claims up to the limit of the 800
km zone. The freeze was lifted after six weeks, when the companies
immediately converged upon the region.
The Moisie River was the battleground of the debate over HQ's SM3
dam project. The Moisie is considered to be the most important Atlantic
salmon spawning river in North America. HQ was required to shelve its
plans to divert the Moisie's tribuatries, the Peken and Carheil rivers,
because of its potential impacts on the salmon.
Last autumn an Innu Elder, Philomene MacKenzie, and two of her
sons, staked their people's claim to the land by setting up their camp in
the midst of the Klondike activity. Philomene's late husband was awarded
the staked area by the government in the 1950's as his family's hunting
and trapping territory.
Philomene was also present at the 1994 Peace Camp established to
protest Hydro Quebec's SM3 dam project. She was one of several Innu Elders
arrested and jailed by HQ police.
The mayor of Sept Isle, Jean-Marc Dion, has called the Innu
"opportunists." "If there was no copper and nickel they wouldn't claim it.
Wherever there's a development it attracts them." The mayor's statements
were backed up by the office of the Minister of Mining. "I don't see how a
mine would inhibit traditional activities of the natives," said Christian
Larviere, an advisor to the Minister. "A mine doesn't take up very much
space."
Thank You HQ
It will take several months for the geological tests to be completed
which will determine the grade of the ore. But even if the grade is
significantly lower that what exists at Voisey's Bay, it may still prove
to be more profitable because the infrastructure is already there.
Powerlines dissect the vast boreal forest all the way from Labrador; a
railroad runs from the iron ore mines at Wabush to Sept Isle; and, HQ has
just completed a spanking new all-weather highway to the SM3 dam site.
From Nitassinan News
The Friends of Nitassinan is an international
support group for the Innu people of the Quebec-
Labrador peninsula (Nitassinan), in their struggles
to defend their homeland from indistrial intrusions.
The Nitassinan news is produced by Alexis
Lathem and John Clark.
The Friends of Nitassinan would like to thank
the Haymarket People's Fund, the Ben & Jerry's
Foundation, the Human-i-tees Foundation,
and the Green Mountain Fund.
For more information contact:
Innu Nation
POB 119
Sheshatsiu, Labrador
A0P 1M0 Canada
709-497-8398 fax: 8396
email: innu@web.apc.org
Katie Rich, Band Council Chief
General Delivery
Davis Inlet, Labrador
709-478-8902 fax: 8936
Friends of Nitassinan
POB 804
Burlington VT 05402
ph/fax: 802-425-3820