Northvolt discussed at climate conference
Representatives from Kahnawake were in Calgary last week for the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) third national climate gathering.
“Catalyzing First Nations Climate and Conservation Leadership for Transformative Change” was the title of the conference, which featured a range of panels and workshops.
Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK) chief Ross Montour and Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO) director of environment protection Benjamin Green-Stacey were in attendance and spoke on a panel that focused on how First Nations communities may be involved in leading and owning clean energy projects themselves or with partners.
While opportunities for involvement in these projects might be strong economic opportunities for communities, Montour and Green-Stacey contributed to discussions about the importance of being mindful of the process of mining and the use of critical minerals during energy transition projects.
They presented a case study of the ongoing situation with Northvolt, which has led to the construction of an electric car battery plant in the Monteregie, that they say could cause irreversible harm to wildlife and biodiversity in Kahnawake.
“I talked about what my concerns are, and the impact of destruction of wetlands at the Northvolt site,” Montour said.
He spoke to attendees about the duty to consult, which the MCK believe wasn’t fulfilled by Northvolt, the provincial government, or the federal government.
“The response was good, actually. We got a bit of applause. People are looking at whether their nation can benefit from engagement in the mining process, but the impact to the environment is pretty questionable.”
Kahnawa’kehró:non Kenneth Deer also spoke on a panel titled “Turning Our Minds to Implementation,” which was the last panel of the event. Other panels included “Advocating for First Nations Climate Action at the Local, Provincial, National, and International Level,” “Drought Preparedness and Resilience,” and “Indigenous Conservation Finance: Lessons Learned from the Great Bear Rainforest and Haida Gwaii.”
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Montour said he noticed many youth were at the conference, including drum group Baby Flats (pictured), made up of Indigenous youth aged six to 11.
AFN meetings continued in Treaty 7 territory this week, with MCK chief Arnold Boyer attending Special Chiefs Assembly for Long-Term Reform of the First Nations Child and Family Services (FNCFS) Program, which took place on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.
