MiningWatch is pleased to post the following on behalf of the White River First Nation. We have made a few minor modifications including adding links and expanding initials used in the original text.

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Box 2 - Beaver Creek, Yukon - Y0B 1A0
Telephone (867) 862-7802 | Fax: (867) 862-7806

Media Release

Yukon Government finally listens - terminates Tarsis Resources' Class 3 Mining Licence Application – WRFN again calls for immediate staking ban in their Territory and Consultation and Accommodation for previous mining activities

October 15, 2013 - For immediate release Whitehorse, Yukon. White River First Nation is pleased to announce that the Yukon Government (YG) has finally listened to WRFN; to the courts and to the Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) regarding a failed Class 3 mining licence application. YG has rejected the licencse completely. An October 11, 2013 Decision Document released by YG makes it clear that they have finally rejected the Tarsis Resources Ltd Class 3 application.

WRFN had publically called on the Premier to take action on this matter back in August 2012, when YESAB recommended rejection of the Class 3 licence Application. Those requests fell on deaf ears and WRFN had to go to court to fight the wrong that was being perpetrated on their Traditional Territory lands by YG and Tarsis Resources. WRFN is again calling for the banning of all staking in WRFN Traditional Territory while consultation and accommodation issues are being resolved with Government.

WRFN Deputy Chief Dwayne Broeren said. “It is a shame that YG wasted all this time and money fighting for a company that disregarded WRFN interests blatantly. However, we are pleased that ultimately they listened to WRFN. WRFN seeks a new relationship with Canada and YG that reflects our unique status of unextinguished aboriginal rights and title to our Traditional Territory. The recent Ross River Dena Council decision that ended “Free Entry” mining in YT applies to WRFN Territory, and is a call to action of the Pasloski Government. All staking must be banned in our Territory. Its our hope that YG stops their policy of using the confrontational approach. WRFN has asked for years for a true process to resolve issues with Government to create certainty for all. To date, there has been no real commitment to this from YG, and the economy continues to falter as a result with terrible uncertainty for investment.”

The WRFN have informed YG and Canada that they are reasserting the Traditional Territory maps provided to Government before the Umbrealla Final Agreement (UFA) Land Claim process began with WRFN, and long before mineral discoveries were made on their lands. WRFN took this step after conducting extensive Traditional Land Use and Historical land usage studies of their people’s history.

“The WRFN win in court over YG and Tarsis as well as RRDC killing “free entry” in court show that the old ways of doing business in YT for mining are over. WRFN is not interested in a UFA based land claim but we are willing to negotiate a new relationship with Government that reflects the modern reality and our unextinguished title. WRFN is re-asserting our land claim to our entire Traditional Territory and we have the evidence to support this. We hope the Premier respects what was learned from the Tarsis fiasco and will join WRFN in now establishing a more productive process to resolve our issues that abandons their confrontational previous approaches,” said WRFN Land Coordinator Janet VanderMeer.

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For more information contact:
Acting Chief Dwayne Broeren 867-862-7802
Lands Coordinator Janet VanderMeer 867-862-7802