The editorial regarding the Nisga’a treaty, in your issue of Nov. 8-14, was right on. It outlines the situation precisely. The most frightening aspects, however, are the implications of follow-up agreements already negotiated by the New Democratic Party government in other parts of British Columbia.
The Clayoquot Sound agreement-in-principle is an example. It gives control of resources in this region, which includes the 180-million-tonne Catface deposit and many other prospects, to the Hawiih of the Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations. Control over all land-use decisions, including approval of permits for mineral exploration projects, is exercised through an agency known as the Central Regional Board (CRB).
Although people of aboriginal descent have a vote in federal, provincial and municipal elections in the area of their residence, people of non-aboriginal descent can only be represented on the CRB (the agency making important land-use decisions) by political appointment — and then only in a minority position.
Democracy is being defeated in British Columbia.
In a letter to the editor dated Nov. 2, 1998, I asked how it is possible to develop a valid geostatistical model on the basis of widely spaced exploration data if closely spaced blasthole grades do not even display a significant degree of spatial dependence.
I also offered $1,000 to the first geostatistician who shows how to calculate unbiased confidence limits for contents and grades of reserves and resources without using degrees of freedom, but have yet to receive a single response.
Be the first to comment on "No takers for $1,000 challenge"