Industry flags BC’s Tŝilhqot’in Nation land use plan

British Columbia has laid out a plan to discuss consent with the Tŝilhqot’in Nation for future mining projects in the Teẑtan area of the province’s interior, but the Vancouver-based industry group Association for Mineral Exploration (AME) says it wasn’t consulted. 

While there are no specific mining proposals under review for the Teẑtan area, the agreement with Tŝilhqot’in Nation includes government ministries for mining and Indigenous relations, as well as the Environmental Assessment Office, for potential negotiations, the government said in a press release June 18. The framework operates under B.C.’s 2019 law,  the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act.  

However, AME says starting this new process occurred without engagement with many of the companies who have exploration projects or properties in the area.

“AME is concerned on behalf of our members in the region and across the province due to the continued erosion of certainty for mineral exploration activities,” AME board chair Trish Jacques said in a statement issued June 19.

“For the mineral exploration sector to be successful, investment in mineral exploration projects is required,” Jacques said. “It is unreasonable for the government to expect investment in the mineral exploration sector without ensuring certainty of land access, which is the foundational requirement to support the search for the critical minerals societies need.”

‘Distraction’

The AME also called the new process a “distraction,” given that the province must also focus on getting its land use planning processes right within the one-year timeline for the Northwest region, which was announced earlier this month.

The government-led plan builds on previous agreements that affirm the requirement of Tŝilhqot’in consent before any reviewable mining project can proceed in the area.

If triggered, negotiations would be conducted under Section 7 of the Declaration Act, which allows for consent-based agreements as part of reconciliation efforts. The legislation also mandates engagement with other potentially affected groups, including local governments, other First Nations and mineral rights holders.

B.C. has identified a number of stakeholders to be consulted during any future negotiation process. These include: A
E, Cariboo Regional District, Mining Association of British Columbia, overlapping mineral tenure holders, and the Business Council of British Columbia.

Additional interest holders may be added if a specific mining project is brought forward and the Declaration Act Agreement is initiated, it said.

The Teẑtan Area has been the focus of longstanding stewardship and governance by the Tŝilhqot’in Nation, and the province’s announcement signals a continued shift toward consent-based decision-making in Indigenous territories.