Last week the Federal Court of Appeal granted the Gitxaala Nation approval to apply for a judicial review of the Northern Gateway pipeline. The Gitxaala are arguing that their rights were not considered when the Northern Gateway pipeline was granted approval. The proposed pipeline would send huge tankers through the indigenous harvesting territory. Indigenous nations tend to be extremely protective of their sacred land, and for such reasons rarely let companies infringe on their territory. Indeed, it is tribes such as the Gitxaala or the Tsilhogoti’n, as mentioned in readings, that are major external factors that impact companies such as Enbridge.
Enbridge has been fighting for the approval of the Northern Gateway pipeline since the mid 2000s but to this day still has severe opposition. The proposed pipeline would cost between $5.5-6.5 Billion USD and would generate billions of dollars of revenue for Enbridge and the First Nations tribes along the route. In an effort to help persuade the different tribes to sign on they have offered numerous different incentives for them. Incentives such as, agreeing to hire aboriginals to be 15% of their total labor force, and offering the tribes a 10% total equity stake in the pipeline over the next 30 years. However, such incentives are still not enough to purswade the Gitxaala. Infact the Gitxaala just recently evicted railway, logging, and sport industries off their property. They claim that the Tsilhoqot’in v. British Columbia legal case, the case we were supposed to read for class, gave them confidence in their decisions. This goes to show how native tribes are banding together in an effort to prevent industries from profiting off of them. Going forward Enbridge and other companies trying to accomplish similar goals will have to take greater steps if they want to negotiate with the first nations tribes. Mere cash incentives have proven not to be enough motivation for the natives to sign off. For the companies to have the greatest success rate they need to learn more about their way of life and fully appreciate their culture and the land more than they previously have.
Sources
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gitxsan-first-nation-evicting-rail-logging-sport-fishing-interests-1.2703664
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/There+will+pipeline/10122968/story.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/gitxaala-first-nation-granted-leave-to-appeal-northern-gateway-pipeline-1.2779604