The Bigstone Cree Nation is beginning to take action in the Wabasca-Desmarias area in response to what representatives say is unfair treatment by some members of industry.
In a letter dated Feb. 20, Bigstone Cree Nation (BCN) Chief Gordon Auger and Land Manager Troy Stuart wrote to Minister of Indigenous Relations Richard Feehan stating that BCN would be installing “gates” near the entrances of their traditional territory and reserve lands.
The letter states that the gates were originally to be installed on March 12 and were to control all traffic going through the reserve, and were to bar vehicles from oilfield, forestry and mineral industries from entry if they did not have express written consent of BCN.
The letter also states that the band had tried “many routes of civil means to end the unjust enrichment of Multi-National Corporations,” listing Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) and Alberta-Pacific Forest Industries.
In an interview on March 12, Auger said that the BCN council will be setting up toll stations that would allow the nation to control who can enter the reserve and traditional territory while generating revenue for their community.
Auger said the justification for setting up these toll stations is to help reaffirm their pre-Alberta treaty and Aboriginal rights. Some of these rights include more involvement with the local economics and to help improve the quality of life within the reserve.
“We need recourses to look after our people and improvements,” he said. “Improvement on the reserve, improvement on the quality of life the education – everything.”
Auger said there were too many “broken promises” with industry utilizing the natural resources in the BCN territory, with the nation not receiving any economic benefits from it.
“All the oil, all the timber that’s around – it’s been extracted. We don’t get a cent,” he said. “We don’t get any type of royalty regime, and yet we live next door to it.”
“We want more benefits than what we’re getting from the government, from the industry – and that’s what we’re fighting for, we’re negotiating for and we are striving for,” he added. “The time has come where we have to say enough is enough.”
Auger said that the toll stations will not be implemented right away, but is currently planning an appropriate action. No date has been set on when the toll stations will go up.
“There’s a lot of organizing to be done and a lot of planning to be done,” he said. “I have to have a location. I have to train my people that are going to be on the border line. It takes a while.”
During that time, members of BCN will be in discussions with industrial companies to still improve the relationship.
“With that we can come up with some kind of agreement with the nation, industry and the government,” he said. “Once we establish that relationship, everybody will be happy on the same page and have an agreement in place.”
