[IPSM] MNN: Why is Kanehsatake so important to Canadian government? Niobium!

[Devin Butler]

WHY IS KANEHSATAKE, A LITTLE COMMUNITY WITH LESS THAN 1000 PEOPLE, SO 
IMPORTANT TO THE CANADIAN GOVERNMENT?  NIOBIUM.  THE THREAT TO THE 
ENVIRONMENT.



MNN.  March 13, 2005.  Why are Canadian government officials pouring 
millions of dollars into propaganda against popular government in 
Kanehsatake?  The Mohawk Nation has been asking this for sometime.   Could 
the answer be niobium?

Niocan is a Canadian mining company founded in 1995.  It quarries for 
niobium, a rare talc-like mineral that is used in the production of steel 
and superalloys.  Only two mines exist in the world, one is in South Africa. 
  The other is in Kanehsatake.

Steve Bonspille headed the opposition to the mine before he went on council. 
During February 2002 James Gabriel was in court fighting the 'no confidence' 
vote that kicked him off council.  At this time the Mohawk Council of 
Kanesatake took the opportunity to pass a resolution to protect their 
traditional territory from the pollution and degradation that would be 
caused by exploitation of this mine.  This is why Indian Affairs hates 
Steven Bonspille.

The Mohawks demanded a full environmental assessment be conducted by Québec 
and the Federal government.  Eventually James Gabriel was reinstated on the 
council by a court order. He could not rescind the resolution.  He did make 
some secret deals and the people and council members are still trying to 
find out what they are.

The resolution stated that "the Mohawk Council will continue to oppose this 
project through all means available to us."

Niocan is proposing an underground niobium mine close to a closed columbium 
mine that had been operated by St. Lawrence Columbium. This mine was exempt 
from environmental assessments because its production was so small.

The niobium mines continues to be protested.  It will have an impact on over 
25 sq. kms. of agricultural land which markets directly to the city of 
Montreal. This is all part of the traditional territory of the Mohawks of 
Kanesatake.

Isotopes of radium, polonium and other radioactive materials, including 
radium-226, lead-210 and thorium-230, will be left behind in the large 
volumes of radioactive wastes.  These will be left over from the mining 
operations in slag and tailings. Niocan intends to use water from the 
processing to irrigate farmers' fields.  Niocan's Environmental Impact Study 
did not include any expertise on radioactivity.  The company does not have a 
management plan for dealing with these effects.

Opposition.  A referendum was carried out by the Parish of Oka, with more 
than 60% opposing the mine. Then the municipality hired Donat Bilodeau.  He 
found that the mine would have a worse effect on the aquifers than Niocan 
had predicted.  Then the Mohawk Council became involved. They hired lawyers 
and consultants and opposed the mine in court.  The Commission for the 
Protection of Agricultural Territory of Québec (CPTAQ) appealed to allow the 
mine to proceed.

The main concern is radioactivity, Aboriginal and fiduciary rights and the 
location of the mine near a major river and major population centre.

Mohawk concerns are as follows:

   1.. The mine will be on Mohawk lands which are part of their current land 
claims negotiations with Canada.
   2..  The Mohawks absolutely oppose to the mine.
   3.. Niocan has not done a proper assessment.  Damages have been ignored 
by the company.
   4.. The mine will deplete and lower the underground water table.  The 
mine and the farmers will compete for water in the area.  This will affect 
both surface and underground water supplies, fauna, flora and agriculture in 
the area.
   5.. Niobium is radioactive, containing high levels of uranium and 
thorium, along with 36 different radioactive by-products.
   6.. The mining process will stir up the ore body and release uranium, 
polonium, thorium and their radioactive by-products into the air and water, 
as well as radon gas.  Niocan's Environmental Assessment fails to mention 
these.
   7.. Mining residues will be buried within two mine pits and the old St. 
Lawrence Columbium mine pit. Both surface and underground waters will be in 
direct contact with these radioactive residues.
   8.. Although there will be room to bury the slag, almost all the sandy 
radioactive residues will be left behind.  The 6.5 million tons of tailings 
and waste rock will be added to the old ones.
Many areas in Northern Canada have been irrevocably poisoned because similar 
treatments of mine tailings failed to contain destructive materials.

Niocan's response in October 2000 to the MiningWatch Canada website posting:

   a.. They claimed the mine will all be underground so there will be no 
pile of waste rock.  They mentioned no methods for containing water seepage 
and other natural processes that occur underground;
   b.. They claimed the tailings from the mine meet the BNQ requirements for 
soil use and they are not radioactive;
   c.. Accordiing to them, mining has nothing to do with producing radon 
gas.  Any increase of radon gas associated with their operations would be 
purely coincidental;
   d.. Quebec has provided an equity investment of $427,000 out of $6 
million in private money invested in the project.
The Mohawks, MiningWatch Canada and the farmers of Oka have all demanded 
that there be a full environmental assessment.  Is this why $17,000 a month 
is being spent on public relations to defame the people of Kanehsatake?  
Indian Affairs promotes a guy whose connections with a convicted criminal, 
Richard Walsh, are well known.  Otherwise it just doesn't compute.

Military-industrial use.  It is obvious that the Mohawk and public are 
against this mine.  Can you imagine all that release of poisons in the 
middle of a residential farming community right on the outskirts of the city 
of Montreal that is already suffering from pollution?   What is this metal 
used for?  The prime use is for arms and other products of the 
military-industrial complex.  The real threat is not just Kanehsatake.  It 
threatens the populations of Montreal and the world.  Everytime something  
crashes through the atmosphere it is damaged beyond repair.

Not only would the Canadian public object to this project if they knew 
about, so would the rest of the world.



Kahentinetha Horn

MNN Mohawk Nation News

Orakwa at paulcomm.ca

Kahntineta at hotmail.com

You may reprint or send this around.  Please credit as follows:  "By 
Kahentinetha Horn, MNN Mohawk Nation News, March 13, 2005, 
orakwa at paulcomm.ca or kahntineta at hotmail.com"