Treaty 8 Tribal Chief Liz Logan asks UN to pressure BC government to respect treaty rights

Part of the anger that many First Nations feel is that neither Canadian government nor industry have been honouring the treaties that were signed by Aboriginal leaders in the past in hopes of getting a more just arrangement for their people. The industry projects go through, whether or not the First Nations approve of them, she says. The duty to consult and engage First Nations, however, is written into the Canadian constitution. 

When I ask her what she hopes will come out of her talk with James Anaya, she points to the maps on the conference room table where we're sitting. They display Treaty 8's vastness well.  With a manicured nail, she traces a line around the British Columbia territory.  She waits while I absorb how big it is and where it is, and get the picture of how much is at stake.

"We’re hoping that with his influence, James Anaya will be able to convince the provincial government to do a regional strategic environmental assessment to look at the cumulative impacts of all of this development, now, before the LNG projects are discussed. Because when and if those projects happen, where is the gas going to come from?"

She checks to see if I'm following her.  

"It will come from Treaty 8 territory," she says. "They say there could be more than 6,000 wells drilled to meet the demands of the LNG plants, to keep those plants running, to be able to ship this gas to China."

Her words come quickly and, it's true, I'm struggling to keep up.  "Did you say 6,000?"  

She repeats the number.  "These new wells are all going to be fracking wells that have a gamut of environmental and health issues associated with them. They're out of sight for most British Columbians, but not for our Nations. We’re right in the midst of it."

Most comprehensive treaty in Canada

Treaty No. 8 is the largest, most comprehensive treaty in Canada according to Logan, who explains that "in the oral history that has been brought down through our elders about Treaty 8, we know that it was a peace, co-existence and sharing agreement. It wasn't a cede-and-surrender agreement which is how this provincial government and the Canadian government treat it." 

Mining projects are also coming at the Treaty 8 area fast and furious, Logan says. “We have four active mines on the Western portion of our territory and there are six on deck.  And we have the premier of this province gloating that there are  hundreds of mining applications and we believe that most of them will be in our territory." The Treaty 8 Tribal Association was finally able to convince Health Canada to fund a contaminate study in the Del Rio area right by Saulteau First Nations and West Moberly First Nations.  A biologist determined that 75 per cent of the flare pits and sump pits were contaminated from the hydrocarbons in the oil and gas. 

“They found that it exceeded provincial and federal standards.  Our concern is what are the effects on the wildlife that we eat and on our people’s health.  Cancer is rampant and they are very unusual cancers," she says with concern in her voice and a sad look in her eyes.

"Not only are there the hydrocarbons that they use in the oil patch, but also there are pesticides they use in the oil patch because they have to keep all their right of ways free and clear.  We have read that in Alberta there was a study done where they found that the cutting of timber in the oil patch exceeded the allowable cut according to provincial regulations.  In Northeast BC, they’ve cut 8 million cubic meters of timber every year, but that does not include what is cut out in the oil patch.  They just leave it out there or burn it because the cost of bringing it to market are too high. It’s slash and burn."

Chief Logan looks weary as she lists the projects and their ramifications for the remaining pristine land and the four nations who depend on it. "We're people who still practice our traditional way of life out on the land. We still have families who are out there 24/7, families who still live off the land.  This is the land that has been impacted by the onslaught of oil and gas since the first gas well was drilled in the Peace Block.”

Fighting the Site C Peace River Dam

Thursday was Logan's second meeting with Anaya.  She and her colleague went to New York in 2011 to express their concerns, particularly about the proposal to build "Site C", a third dam on the Peace River, a dam Logan says would primarily create electricity for gas projects -- LNG projects that helped the current BC government get elected.