Coast Salish Traditional Territory/West Vancouver – The First Nations Summit strongly rejects comments made by Northgate Minerals CEO, Ken Stowe, who suggested last week at the Denver Gold Forum, shortly after the company’s Kemess North mine was soundly rejected by an environmental review panel, that the Tse Keh Nay and Gitxsan leadership are unrepresentative of their community views on the failed project.
“The people that are most impacted probably have had the least public say,” said Stowe in Denver last week, in reference to First Nations community members. “You’ve heard the least from them.
“You’ve heard more from the political arms of the First Nations, who are very outspoken,” said Stowe.
“In this case, it is nonsense for Mr. Stowe to suggest that the First Nations leadership have not properly represented the views of their communities,” said Grand Chief Edward John, a member of the First Nations Summit’s political executive.