First Nations chief calls for shared decision-making in British Columbia mining

Chief Rosanne Casimir told the AME Roundup that reconciliation in B.C.'s mining sector must be based on shared decision-making, respect for Indigenous law, and early engagement with First Nations; she framed those points against heavy mineral tenure activity in Stk̓emlúpsemc te Secwépemc territory and recent court rulings on DRIPA.

Chief Rosanne Casimir of the Tk̓emlúps te Secwépemc Nation delivered a keynote at the AME Roundup in Vancouver calling for shared decision-making in British Columbia's mining sector. She said meaningful reconciliation should be grounded in respect for Indigenous law and early engagement with First Nations. Casimir spoke as the province and industry navigate a changing legal context after a December 2025 Court of Appeal ruling on the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. She noted that Stk̓emlúpsemc te Secwépemc Nation (SSN) territory is heavily mineralized and under pressure from mineral tenures. Key points: - Chief Rosanne Casimir urged shared decision-making, respect for Indigenous law, and early engagement with First Nations. - The article reports that many mineral claims in SSN territory have been issued without First Nations' consent or recognition of Indigenous authority. - The British Columbia Court of Appeal ruled in December 2025 that DRIPA incorporates the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and creates legally enforceable obligations, the article says. - The article mentions the Afton copper-gold mine as the only major operating mine in SSN territory and notes SSN did not consent to that project in 2017 following assessment processes. - Casimir described SSN's use of its own environmental assessment processes, emphasized stewardship responsibilities, and invited companies holding claims to meet with the nation. Summary: Casimir's remarks position reconciliation in the mining sector as a matter of governance, law and stewardship rather than simple transactions. She connected mineral tenure pressures and recent court rulings to a need for decisions rooted in Indigenous law and caretaking responsibilities. She extended an open invitation for early engagement with companies; how governments, industry and First Nations respond will shape outcomes going forward.