‘Mining and salmon have never gotten along’; Alaskan tribes don’t want B.C. gold mine

APTN News: Southeast Alaskan tribal groups are decrying a proposed mine in northwestern British Columbia, arguing it will have disastrous environmental repercussions for the Taku River watershed.

Vancouver-based Canagold Resources Ltd., is proposing to develop the New Polaris gold mine, an underground gold mine located 100 kilometres south of Atlin, B.C. and 60 kilometres northeast of Juneau, Alaska.

The remote, fly-in mine would produce around 1,000 tonnes of ore per day.

“The people of the Taku have subsisted, survived and stewarded the Taku River watershed for thousands of years,” said Jill Weitz, government affairs liaison for the Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

“It’s such a magical place that to even think about activity like that, for those of us downstream, it’s kind of mind boggling,” she said.

The Taku River, as well as the Stikine and Unuk rivers, flow from northwestern B.C. to southeastern Alaska.

The rivers are home to all five species of wild Alaska salmon, brown bears, moose and other wildlife and fish species.

Salmon fisheries derived from the three rivers help generate $50 million in economic activity annually in Alaska. The rivers also help contribute towards the state’s tourism and cruise ship industries.

In October, B.C.’s Environmental Assessment Office (EAO) recommended the project proceed to the process planning phase, the next step in the environmental assessment stage.

But Alaskan tribal groups said the project raises many concerns.

Mining and salmon

“Mining and salmon have never gotten along,” said Guy Archibald, executive director for the Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission.

Archibald takes issue with the project’s proximity to the rivers’ watersheds. He said river-bearing salmon help nourish southeast Alaska’s rainforest, providing marine nutrients that are vital to the forest’s ecology. The salmon are also an important food source for wildlife.

He noted Canagold intends to barge supplies to the site on the Taku River during the two-year construction phase, which he argues can be challenging to navigate.

He’s also concerned with the company’s proposal to build an air strip adjacent to Flannigan Slough, the Taku watershed’s largest wetland and critically important habitat for salmon, moose, swans, geese, and other wildlife.

Archibald further noted New Polaris will be a gold mine, which he said isn’t a critical mineral.

“It’s mainly used for jewelry, which is basically vanity,” he said. “It’s short-sighted. It’s ridiculous.”

Tulsequah Chief mine

Perhaps one of the biggest concerns for Alaskan tribal groups is the mine’s proximity to the Tulsequah Chief mine, located 100 kilometres south of Atlin. They would operate nearly within eyesight of each other.

Tulsequah Chief operated between 1951 to 1957 without any reclamation plan. For nearly 70 years, the mine has leaked acidic drainage into the surrounding environment and nearby waterways.

While the B.C. government has committed to cleanin up the site, Weitz said progress has been slow.

“Part of the delay in the cleanup of the Tulsequah Chief site is that access to the site is so challenging … That will be no different at the New Polaris site if that project moves forward,” she said.

“They’re pushing this ahead when they, again, have not yet been able to reclaim and close (the Tulsequah Chief) site.”

‘Short end of the stick’

The New Polaris project will be located on the traditional territory of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation (TRTFN) in Atlin.

The First Nation signed a collaborative engagement agreement (CEA) with Canagold last year ensuring the project would not go ahead without its consent.

According to a news release, the agreement allows TRTFN to veto the project if it doesn’t feel it should proceed – even if the B.C. government gives it the green light.

But TRTFN said the agreement doesn’t mean it’s on board with the project.

“Importantly, the CEA does not constitute any express or implied consent by Taku River Tlingit for the proposed New Polaris Project,” the release states. “The CEA outlines the minimum requirements to guide the mutual interests of the parties and facilitate a collaborative, respectful, and long-term relationship.”

TULSEQUAH CHIEF — *Acidic drainage at the Tulsequah Chief mine. Photo: Chris Miller*

While Weitz’s organization supports the agreement, she said the provincial and federal governments aren’t obligated to take Alaskan tribal groups’ concerns into account as they would for Canadian First Nations.

She said that goes for other mining projects in northwestern B.C. that impact tribes in southeast Alaska.

“I absolutely think that we got the short end of the stick in this scenario,” she said.

“By way of pollution, we are on the receiving end of any downstream pollution of projects in B.C. We receive no economic benefit for the projects that are in B.C., and again, the B.C. government, nor the federal government of Canada, are required to pay attention to our comments and concerns.”

‘We want to do everything we can’

In a news release, the company said it had “actively addressed” concerns raised by TRTFN, Alaskan tribal groups and other stakeholders.

It noted it incorporated feedback into its project planning, for instance, forgoing the use of cyanide in the flotation process and reducing the size of fuel storage facilities required on-site.

But Archibald disagrees.

“(Alaskan tribes) could submit comments. That’s not consultation. That’s not anywhere close to consultation,” he said.

“The Indigenous people here have been here for tens of thousands of years. They stewarded these rivers. They have a vast amount of knowledge of the river, of the resources, of how to manage it or co-operate with it. And none of that is going to be required to be included in the analysis here.”

Weitz agrees.

“To suggest that they’ve addressed concerns from downstream tribes is far from the truth,” she said. “We want and need binding and enforceable protections, and until we have those in place, our concerns will remain elevated.”

According to the EAO, Alaskan tribal groups’ concerns will be discussed in the future if the project proceeds.

Weitz hopes all parties can work collaboratively to ensure the Taku watershed will be protected.

“It’s very special and significant to the people of this region, and we want to do everything we can to ensure that it is stewarded for the generations to come.”

TRTFN, Canagold and the B.C. government declined to comment.