DRIPA: Tahltan leader urges B.C. to keep the law as Eskay Creek deal is signed

Tahltan Central Government president Kerry Carlick said British Columbia should not weaken the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act as she and deputy premier Niki Sharma signed a mineral revenue‑sharing agreement for the Eskay Creek mine; the province recently issued an environmental assessment certificate to restart mining after a collaborative DRIPA process.

The Tahltan Central Government and the provincial government signed a mineral revenue‑sharing agreement tied to the Eskay Creek mine in Vancouver. Tahltan president Kerry Carlick urged British Columbia not to reduce the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act and said it should be strengthened. The provincial government issued an environmental assessment certificate for Eskay Creek after a collaborative assessment under DRIPA. Deputy premier Niki Sharma and Carlick both praised the agreement and its process. Key facts: - Kerry Carlick said it is not a "good idea to take anything away from DRIPA" and added that it should be strengthened. - Carlick and deputy premier Niki Sharma co-signed an agreement to share mineral tax revenue from the Eskay Creek mine in Vancouver. - The province issued an environmental assessment certificate to Eskay Creek Mining Ltd. to restart gold and silver mining after a first-of-its-kind collaborative assessment under DRIPA. - The provincial government has said it will revise DRIPA in response to a series of court rulings around Aboriginal title; Sharma said amendments "won't be about stepping back" and aim to avoid returning matters to the courts. - A government statement said the project would create about 1,000 construction jobs, more than 770 operational jobs, represent $713 million in capital investment and is expected to generate $1.19 billion in provincial revenues; the Mining Association of B.C. and some political figures also issued statements praising or questioning aspects of the deal. Summary: The agreement was presented as a first-of-its-kind collaborative outcome under DRIPA and was described by Tahltan and provincial officials as recognition of Tahltan jurisdiction and knowledge. The province has issued the environmental assessment certificate and announced plans to amend DRIPA to address recent court rulings; details of those amendments and the operational timeline for the mine are the next steps.