The return of protesters to the Red Chris mine site this week reinforces how strongly both the Tahltan and others value our culture, our land and building a strong future for our children.
As the elected government of the Tahltan Nation, the Tahltan Central Council (TCC) is the only organization with a mandate to represent the Tahltan people. No agreements on Red Chris will be made without the support of a vote, and we are committed to listening, communicating and answering our people’s questions at this critical time.
It is also important that the Red Chris mine still does not have many of the permits required to operate.
The TCC has cooperated with those protesters that speak for some of our people. When the first roadblock occurred in August, we worked with them to make sure that their demands and the requests of the TCC were included in ongoing conversations and agreements. That included a third party review of the plans for tailings from the Red Chris mine, and a commitment from Imperial Metals to implement recommendations supported by the TCC.
For years, the TCC has been in conversations with Imperial Metals and has held several rounds of community meetings in and outside our territory to ensure people are informed and involved in the process. That will continue and improve over the coming months, and we welcome your feedback and suggestions about how to further improve.
Like so much development in our territory, the Red Chris mine brings with it potential risks and benefits. We must all understand and consider these so that we can make an informed decision in a vote on any agreements towards the end of the year.