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Update on the Fight to Save Fish Lake Part Two

The fight to save Teztan Biny (Fish Lake) is on again in earnest.  Taseko Mines has resubmitted a plan - a worse option than the one that was rejected - and it is now going to be reviewed by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA). This process will take roughly one year.  In addition, the province recently issued permits to allow Taseko to go in and build roads and drill at 59 sites, in advance of the federal EA. So now the Tsilhqot'in are in court as of Monday, November 28th, trying to get injunctions to prevent this from occurring and fighting legal action from Taseko aimed at preventing them from protecting their land.

And in case it isn't clear, all the costs for this - from preparing legal arguments to having a lawyer stand in court, to hiring appropriate experts to research and write the scientific reports needed for the hearing, to getting the elders in to the hearings to testify ALL cost money that must be paid by the Tsilhqot'in. They bear this burden alone. There is no legal aid. Government does not pay for this. They just launch the process and then it is up to the band to pay for it. 

As a result, RAVEN is now launching a second round of calls for help for the Tsilhqot'in - setting up a legal defence fund and raising the much needed funds to cover both the court applications and the experts and reports that will be needed for the upcoming CEAA review. Please share this and if you can assist with this effort, your energy, time, resources will be gratefully received!

Tax-deductible donations can be made online.  Or you can mail in a cheque made payable to RAVEN if you prefer.  Here's our address:

RAVEN
2nd floor, 844 Courtney Street
Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 1C4
Canada

Please note that when making an online donation, you can use the drop down box to designate Fish Lake. 

Although the burden of this rests on the shoulders of the Tsilhqot'in - we are really all in this together and that's the only way we'll turn it around.  By standing as one with the Xeni Gwet'in and Tsilhqot'in Nation, we can stand up for First Nations rights and our environment.  It doesn't make any sense to go through this again - given that this second option is worse by Taseko's own admission than the first proprosal.  It stands to become another shameful example of the mining industry doing whatever it takes to make a profit and leaving it for the Tsilhqot'in and the rest of us to put up with the mess and permanent aftermath.

However, the Tsilhqot'in successfully defended their land and rights once.  We can help them to do it again.

Posted by Susan Smitten Thursday Nov 24, 2011 15:13
Categories: Fish Lake | Tags: Aboriginal, British Columbia, environment, First Nations, fish, fund-raising, gold, indigenous, lakes, Prosperity, Taseko, Tsilhqot'in, water, Xeni Gwet'in

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