Statement of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.
Gathering at blockade, Tataskweyak Cree Nation, May 21, 2020.
Manitoba Keewatinowi
Okimakanak (MKO) Inc. is issuing this statement along with the
four Cree Nations that have entered into a partnership with
Manitoba Hydro in the construction and operation of the Keeyask
Generating Station in Northern Manitoba. The four First Nations
are: Tataskweyak Cree Nation, Fox Lake Cree Nation, War Lake
First Nation, and York Factory Cree Nation.
MKO First Nations have been expressing concerns
about Manitoba
Hydro's plans for the Keeyask construction site since March.
Manitoba Hydro plans to implement a shift transition starting
today, May 19, when 700 current employees at Keeyask will be
allowed to leave the site to return home. Manitoba Hydro is
starting to bring in up to 1,200 new workers to the site. Staff
will come from various parts of Canada and the United States,
including regions hit hard by COVID-19 such as Quebec, Ontario,
and British Columbia.
The Tataskweyak Cree Nation, a community of 2,500
people,
announced on May 14 that it planned to shut down the Provincial Road
(PR) #280 and
enforce a lock down with the aim of stopping the spread of the
COVID-19 virus to their community. The First Nation is also
blocking the main gate and north access point to Keeyask. On May
18, Manitoba Hydro served the Tataskweyak Cree Nation with an
injunction to end the community's blockade of PR #280.
The Fox Lake Cree Nation has also issued a State
of Emergency
and enforced a lock down of the community. Fox Lake Cree Nation
is restricting access to Keeyask on the South Access Road until
Manitoba Hydro properly addresses community concerns about the
risk to communities and the safety of their people during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Quotes
MKO Grand Chief Garrison
Settee, said "Corporate interests do not trump the safety of First
Nations
peoples in Northern Manitoba." "As leaders, our role is to protect our
people, this is
our foundational concern. The provincial government deems the
Keeyask construction site as essential, critical infrastructure
and yet this construction site is not providing any
hydro-electric power at this point so it doesn't make sense that
it's deemed as essential. MKO asserts that the Keeyask project be
classified as being non-essential infrastructure at this
time."
"Other jurisdictions have placed resource
development projects
on hold until the risk of COVID-19 passes. We are urging the
Province of Manitoba to place this construction site into 'care
and maintenance mode.' First Nations have undertaken many actions
to restrict the transmission of COVID-19, including closing our
borders to ensure our communities are safe. We urge the province
to do their utmost to protect our people as well," stated Chief
Doreen Spence of the Tataskweyak Cree Nation.
 "By allowing over
one thousand people to travel to Northern
Manitoba, the actions undertaken by Manitoba Hydro are
inconsistent and contradict public health orders shared by the
Province of Manitoba," stated Chief Betsy Kennedy of War Lake
First Nation. "The 1,000 plus people are coming from Manitoba, as
well as numerous jurisdictions across Canada and the United
States. We are told that the workers coming to Northern Manitoba
are asked to self-isolate for 14 days in their home province
prior to travel. How do we know these people are truly
self-isolating? There is no way we can actually know this as
Manitoba Hydro has not shared information on how self-isolation
is being monitored, if at all. Also, workers from other provinces
will be tested for COVID-19 upon arriving in Winnipeg and, if
negative, will be allowed to immediately travel north to start
working. If a worker was infected during travel to Winnipeg, the
COVID-19 test is not sufficiently sensitive to identify infection
after such a short incubation period. It is noteworthy that,
unlike workers from other provinces, all Manitobans returning
from out of province must isolate here for 14 days following
travel."
"As First Nations leaders, we are extremely
frustrated," said
Chief Leroy Constant of York Factory First Nation. "We have been
discussing these issues for weeks, but it seems that our partners
at Manitoba Hydro are not interested in hearing our concerns.
This is not how a partnership is supposed to operate. We have
raised the issue of putting Keeyask into 'care and maintenance
mode,' which would mean the operation is reduced to 250 workers
without advancing construction. If Manitoba Hydro was to reduce
the number of people working at the project while we come to
terms with this pandemic, it would show respect for the concerns
we have for our people's health and wellness."
"We are calling on the CEO of Manitoba Hydro to
meet with the
four First Nations that are supposed to be partners in the
Keeyask construction project," stated Chief Billy Beardy of the
Fox Lake Cree Nation. "Despite multiple and ongoing calls for
action, Manitoba Hydro continues to ignore the concerns expressed
by First Nations. This is a flagrant violation of how they should
be carrying out a mutually respectful and cooperative
partnership. We absolutely should be working together in the best
interests of the people who call Northern Manitoba home since
time immemorial."
This article was published in
Volume 50 Number 18 - May 23, 2020
Article Link:
Statement of Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak Inc.
Website: www.cpcml.ca
Email: editor@cpcml.ca
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