On the Fourth of October, 2014, the Tsilhqot’in First Nation declared Dasiqox Tribal Park. A controversial declaration as the first nations do not have rights to, or land claims over a large portion of the declared land. This land is owned by Taseko Mining and is the site of their long-proposed billion dollar mineral mine.

The First Nations and Taseko have been quarelling over the proposed mine for over a year and although the natives do not have title rights for Taseko’s property, they are still stakeholders in the project, as any industry in the area would have a measurable effect on their lives.

However, I don’t believe that R. Edward Freeman’s stakeholder theory applies here. The First Nations and big business have forever been at odds and they always will be. They fail to understand each other on even the most basic levels, and they make no attempts to do so. If Taseko had consulted with First Nations before proposing this mine, the outcome likely have been increased friction, as the parties are too far diverged. Due to their essentially dissimilar interests, and an unwillingness to concede, there is attainable no middle ground.

The desires of the first nations are an external force that’s impeding Taseko’s mine development: it is a threat. But instead of addressing these issues directly, and coming to a compromise with the native peoples, Taseko instead chose to fight in court: a logical move as Taseko’s primary responsibility is to maximize returns of their shareholders, and any willing concession to do so would be a hindrance to potential share purchasers.