B.C. Assembly of First Nations balks at new mining consultation plan – APTN News
Mar 27, 2025
The regional chief of the B.C. Assembly of First Nations chief says the new mining consultation framework “does not come close” to the collaborative approach outlined in the province’s Indigenous rights law.
In an op-ed published by the Vancouver Sun, Terry Teegee says B.C.’s law adopting the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples reflects a “duty to consent,” going beyond the duty to consult First Nations on issues affecting their lands, and the new mineral framework represents “a step backward.”
A statement from B.C.’s Mining Ministry says the changes to the mineral tenure system were required to align with a 2023 B.C. Supreme Court ruling, which established that First Nations must be consulted at the time of claim staking.
