A second British Columbia First Nation says it has signed on to a sharing agreement with Enbridge Inc., in exchange for its support for the controversial Northern Gateway pipeline, but just as the first deal was nullified after an internal fight, this second one, too, appears in jeopardy after the chief that signed the agreement was turfed and a new band council looks at whether they can get out of it.
It’s an indication of the delicate job Enbridge has undertaken to ensure aboriginal bands along the pipeline route are adequately consulted, and it’s also an example of why aboriginal groups who might be interested in exchanging their support for some much-needed revenue from the project are reluctant to speak about it openly.
Enbridge maintains it has the support of 20 of an estimated 43 bands located within 80 kilometres of the proposed twin pipelines and about half of those 20 are in British Columbia, including the deal the Gitxsan signed and then rejected.
But telephone calls to the band offices of those B.C. First Nations along the pipeline route turned up only one other band that has signed a deal.
Recently-elected Yekooche First Nation Chief Henry Joseph said he’s called in lawyers to review the agreement his predecessor chief and council signed with Enbridge to share part of the pipeline profits.
“The previous chief and council had their own view and my view and the elders council view reflects what the views of my members are and that, you can deduce, is very different,” said Joseph from his Prince George, B.C. office.
But Joseph said it’s too early to declare the deal between his First Nation and Enbridge dead.
Last month, the Gitxsan Hereditary Chiefs of northwest B.C., voted to reject a $7-million Enbridge equity-sharing deal that lone Gitxsan Hereditary Chief Elmer Derrick signed on behalf of the chiefs.
Calgary-based Enbridge says it offered the 43 B.C. and Alberta First Nations located along the proposed 1,177-kilometre pipeline route from Bruderheim, Alta., to Kitimat, B.C. a 10 per cent equity stake in the project, worth about $400-million.
Enbridge spokesman Paul Stanway won’t name the 20 the company says have already signed.
“The deals we have with them, talking to the media is not one of the requirements,” said Stanway.
The Canadian Press contacted the more than 20 B.C. First Nations along the pipeline route, with only former Yekooche chief Partner Schielke confirming outright a deal with Enbridge.
Others, including the Burns Lake Indian Band, said they signed protocols with the company, but didn’t yet consider them equity deals. The Prince George area Lheidli T’enneh Band and Terrace’s Kitselas Indian Band, expressed interested in Enbridge, but say they have yet to sign anything.
The Terrace-area Kitkatla First Nation and Burns Lake’s Lake Babine Nation said they had worked with Enbridge in the past, but are no longer interested in Northern Gateway.
The Prince George-area McLeod Lake First Nation, the Fort St. John-area West Moberly First Nations and the Burns Lake-area Skin Tyee First Nation, did not return repeated telephone calls.
The situation is in stark contrast to that in Alberta, where First Nations support appears more open and pragmatic. Leaders there are concerned about their land title rights and what they will receive if the project goes ahead.
“If Enbridge does get the approval for this project, I would like to be able to ensure that Enoch Cree Nation can work alongside with Enbridge to ensure employment for our band members – to be able to be there during the construction phase if anything is found, whether it be graves, old Indian artifacts, so that we can provide and do the ceremonies that are required,” the band’s Leigh Ann Ward told Northern Gateway review hearings in Edmonton last month.
