"When the people of the Haida nation won a decades-long battle for recognition that an archipelago off the coast of British Columbia in Canada was rightfully theirs, it was a long overdue victory. The unprecedented deal with the provincial and the federal governments meant the Haida no longer had to prove that they had Aboriginal title to the land of Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai, the islands at the boundary of the world Now, both governments will have to face what that might mean."
"On Thursday, the Canadian prime minister, Mark Carney, and the Alberta premier, Danielle Smith, agreed an energy deal centred on plans for a new heavy oil pipeline reaching from the province's oil sands to the Pacific coast. Heralded as a major political breakthrough between deadlocked parties, the deal lays the groundwork for an oil duct that could carry more than a million barrels each day from the oil sands to the Pacific. With new legislative powers, Carney's government could also slash permitting and approval delays."
"This is an opportunity for the government of Canada and the prime minister, to look in the mirror and see what kind of country he wants to lead and what kind of country he wants Canada to be. Despite Carney's pledge to obtain the full consent of First Nations and to share any windfall on any possible pipeline project, Gaagwiis said there was nothing federal or provincial leaders could say to move his nation. Because there's absolutely nothing that can fully guarantee the safety of our communities from an oil spill, there's nothing that can be said to convince us otherwise."
The Haida nation secured recognition that Xhaaidlagha Gwaayaai belongs to them, removing the need to prove Aboriginal title. The Canadian prime minister and the Alberta premier agreed an energy deal to build a heavy oil pipeline from Alberta's oil sands to the Pacific, potentially carrying over one million barrels per day and enabled by new federal powers to speed approvals. The Haida responded that the project will not proceed without consent, arguing the Crown must uphold its honour and that nothing can fully guarantee community safety from a potential oil spill.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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