Little Buffalo, AB/ The Government of the Lubicon Lake Nation led by Chief Bernard Ominayak and Council wishes to congratulate the Tsilhqot’in Nation on their victory in the landmark Supreme Court of Canada decision this morning. The Lubicon Lake Nation has one of the longest unresolved Aboriginal Title claims in Canadian history and we recognize that this decision is supportive of the Lubicon position related to our territory. “Similar to the position of the Tsilhqot’in as recognized by the Court today, we know these are our lands, we are the original title-holders over them and our interests are overriding to that of the Province and Canada.” said Chief Ominayak. By ruling in favour of the Tsilhqot’in Nation the Supreme Court has ruled that they are the primary title holders to their ancestral lands. This means that First Nations interests are paramount and must be considered before those of the Provincial government and resource developers. If applied to the Lubicon Lake Nation this decision affirms the position the Lubicon Lake Nation has maintained all along.
Just days ago, in a letter from Alberta Aboriginal Relations Minister Frank Oberle, he refused to recognize the rightful and lawfully elected government of the Lubicon Lake Nation and further refused to enter into consultations and accommodations as required by law and today’s ruling. Clearly the Province of Alberta has no intention of looking to reconciliation as a goal with the Lubicon Lake Nation and are still actively participating in Federal actions that are having genocidal consequences on the vast majority of the Lubicon people in spite of this Supreme Court ruling. Chief Ominayak went on to say: “It’s up to our people to determine our governance in accordance with our laws, and the Crown needs to accept that and do the right thing. We’ve always tried to negotiate in good-faith, to be honest and fair, what we don’t understand is why the Province of Alberta would not want to do the same.”
The Lubicon Lake Nation, who know the impact of environmental degradation resulting from resource development without consent, have a number of cases before the courts outlining their Aboriginal Title over their lands. The requirement to consult is further amplified when there are potential for serious adverse effects as a result of resource development, such as the Plains Midstream pipeline spill in 2011 which destroyed a large tract of Lubicon territory and was the second largest spill in Alberta history at the time. The Lubicon Lake Nation who are actively supporting their friends and neighbours in their opposition to the Enbridge pipeline, hope this decision will assist in preventing that project from moving forward without the consent of all affected First Nations.
For more information contact:
Garrett Tomlinson, EMT
Communications Coordinator
Lubicon Lake Nation
Consultation@LubiconLakeNation.ca
(780) 618-3794 Direct
Cynthia Tomlinson, B.A.
Advisor, Lands & Negotiations
Lubicon Lake Nation
Admin@LubiconLakeNation.ca
(780) 625-2576 Direct
Twitter: @LubiconNation