As Geoff Russ writes in the Northern Beat:
On July 2, the federal government announced several major investments for the Canadian west, including a proposed West Coast oil pipeline with a possible Indigenous equity stake and upgrades to the Port of Vancouver–Roberts Bank trade corridor.
Shortly after, the critiques began to roll in.
Lyackson First Nation, based on Vancouver Island with territory around Valdes Island, said the announcements were made without direct consultation, despite the project being physically across the Strait of Georgia on the mainland.
Other First Nations soon raised similar concerns.
The Tsawwassen First Nation, whose treaty lands may be affected by the proposed southern pipeline route that will terminate at Roberts Bank, stated it wasn’t consulted. It said it would assess potential impacts on treaty rights, lands, waters, fisheries, and all the usual fare before taking a position.
More interesting than whether these concerns are reasonable or not is how they expose the new economic and political mechanisms of B.C. as First Nations jockey for position to demand a price before major projects are built.
Reconciliation has narrowed from the official goal of correcting historical and current wrongs perpetrated against Indigenous peoples into a pay-to-play model that increasingly resembles rent-seeking.
Read the full article here: https://northernbeat.ca/opinion/rent-seeking-reconciliation-industry-needs-conflict-of-interest-rules-and-an-end-game