Government oversight in the permit review process does not protect Indigenous lands, the Indigenous Resource Network’s executive director, John Desjarlais, argues.
In many Canadian provinces, the permit review process leaves out Indigenous voices, placing communities at risk, Desjarlais told The Northern Miner early this month. The process also fails to look at long-term effects on the land.
“Government assurances fall short of protecting our lands,” he said at the PDAC conference in Toronto.
Indigenous groups have raised concerns over the permit process for years. Leaders say government assurances do not match the risks posed by the system and that actions are needed to protect their lands. Officials have not yet detailed how they plan to address these concerns.
The IRN helps Indigenous communities join the mining and support industries.
Watch the full interview below with The Northern Miner host Devan Murugan. Joint venture videos are paid-for content in arrangement with The Northern Miner.
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