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First Nations leaders meet with Husky representatives in N.B.

Jul 28, 2016 | 5:07 PM

Leaders from several First Nations communities met with representatives from the company responsible for an oil spill in their area and say there’s some progress being made to improve communication.

Representatives from Husky Energy came to North Battleford Thursday, July 28, to meet with leaders from the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Prince Albert Grand Council, Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs and Battlefords Tribal Council.

FSIN Chief Bobby Cameron said it was the beginning of a dialogue he hopes will result in full inclusion and communication, but was disappointed representatives were sent instead of the CEO.

“We get he’s a busy man but it would have meant to us the symbolism that he came here with good intentions and he wants to fix things, that he wants to make things right,” he said. “Our message to his representatives to go back to the CEO is if you want to make things right, you meet with our First Nations leadership, you meet with our people face to face, you want to make things right, you begin a true partnership, true relationship.”

Cameron said one key sign of progress from the meeting was two First Nations representatives being appointed to the command centre. This means having a voice in the decision making, he said.

Chief Lori Whitecalf of Sweetgrass said she was disappointed Premier Brad Wall or Minister Jim Reiter didn’t come to the meeting after they were invited.

She said a tweet from Wall stating he and Reiter continue to reach out to communities along the river frustrated her. She contacted the other chiefs from the area to ask if they’d been contacted by Wall or Reiter’s offices and none have.

“That’s proof right there that we don’t exist in the provincial government’s eyes,” she said. “All we hear is crickets from their offices and I’d like that to change.”

She said this meeting was progressive though, and sees it as a door for First Nations leaders to fully engage with industry and all levels of government.

 

Sarah Rae is battlefordsNOW’s court and crime reporter. She can be reached at Sarah.Rae@jpbg.ca or tweet her @sarahjeanrae.