At around the same time that Enbridge began licking its wounds after losing a non-binding referendum in Kitimat on Saturday about the proposed Northern Gateway pipeline, another group was stepping forward with their own suggestion to move crude from the Alberta oil sands through northern B.C. to the Pacific Coast.
The group, made up of Eagle Spirit Energy and the Aquilini Group, has the support of the Nee-Tahi-Buhn First Nation near Burns Lake and the Stellat'en near Fraser Lake. The Aquilini Group was in the news last week, too, after firing Mike Gillis as the president and general manager of the hockey team they own - the Vancouver Canucks - and then hiring Trevor Linden to take care of business.
Eagle Spirit says it has the support of 30 First Nations so far, although the company isn't kissing and telling so far.
Cynical observers were quick to jump on news of the Eagle Spirit proposal to build both a pipeline and refinery. Some of the online comments accused area First Nations of talking out of both sides of their mouths by rejecting Enbridge's proposal while also wanting to get into the pipeline business themselves.
So what's wrong with that, anyway?
Although environmental issues did come up when it came to aboriginal opposition to Northern Gateway, that was a side argument. The real issue for First Nations opposed to Northern Gateway was sovereignty. First Nations in central and northern B.C. have time and again made it crystal clear that they are not opposed to resource development on their traditional territories. They want it done on their terms, however, and to the benefit of their people. Premier Christy Clark has taken a similar tact with her five conditions before her government will support pipeline projects.
In other words, there's nothing wrong with First Nations saying they'll sit tight and wait for a better offer, rather than delivering a flatout and forever no.
And with sovereignty comes control. Many First Nations, not just in B.C. but across Canada, want to pick their own dance partners in the natural resources business, rather than just picking the first rich and handsome suitor to come along. In the case of the Eagle Spirit project, there's no doubt who's in charge and who's simply offering financial support and opening doors to get more big money behind the project.
These kinds of initiatives have led some to go so far as to suggest putting First Nations in charge of resource development on their traditional territories. Individual bands could either form development corporations or engage project management firms to match them with resource companies that best meet the needs and parameters set out by the band.
Working under this system, the federal and provincial governments would still conduct environmental reviews and still collect taxes on the output of the resource project, but leave companies and First Nations alone to work with each other - or not.
For projects that would cross the territories of multiple First Nations, such as Northern Gateway, separate agreements would have to be worked out right across the line and/or multiple First Nations would partner together in the development corporation handling the project.
It's a radical and perhaps a naive idea but clearly the status quo isn't working and the uncertainty over First Nations rights when it comes to resource projects is holding back economic activity. Giving First Nations control of the undeveloped natural resources on their lands would give their governments both the incentive and the responsibility to harvest those resources in the best manner possible.
In other words, First Nations need to be given the power to make themselves part of the solution, rather than their constant portrayal within government and business as an annoying obstacle to overcome on the path to resource development.
