The First Nations alliance insists on “No Ring of Fire mining without consent.”

On Thursday, members of five northern First Nations congregated outside Queen’s Park to voice their demand for an immediate stop to provincial mining explorations on their ancestral territories. They accused the Ontario government of neglecting its duty to engage in meaningful consultations with them.

Representatives from Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug, Wapekeka, Neskantaga, Grassy Narrows, and Muskrat Dam First Nations, all part of the First Nations Land Defence Alliance, spearheaded the rally outside the Ministry of Mines building in Toronto. Their united front aimed to draw attention to the issue and assert their rights and interests in protecting their traditional lands.

“Ontario is the Crown that has that legal obligation to work with our First Nations to make sure that they’re involved, they’re engaged, and more importantly, they work out a relationship that’s respectful, and that’s not happening today.”

“Ontario has a duty to accommodate our First Nations,” Wayne Moonias, former chief of Neskantaga First Nation, said

“We have a flawed system in the environmental assessment process,” he said. “Our communities and our people are not considered in those processes.

“Their voice, for example, is not something that’s respected, and that has to change especially when you’re dealing with what we’re facing.”

Moonias emphasized that the group is earnestly “urging” both the current provincial government and all future administrations to honor and uphold their rights.

Northern Ontario, particularly the Ring of Fire region situated in the James Bay lowlands under Treaty 9, holds significant potential as a crucial source of raw minerals in Ontario’s strategy to tap into the rising demand for critical minerals essential for advancing electric vehicle (EV) technologies.

The rally that took place on Thursday marks the most recent event in a series of ongoing efforts by northern First Nations to highlight their concerns regarding the proposed development on their ancestral lands. Central to their grievances is the perceived lack of proper consultation by relevant authorities.

For quite some time, both Premier Doug Ford and Greg Rickford, the province’s minister of Indigenous affairs, have consistently asserted that the government remains receptive to consultations and fostering agreement concerning northern development.

This stance was reiterated by a spokesperson for Mines Minister George Pirie in a statement provided to CBC News on Wednesday evening. The government continues to emphasize its commitment to engage in discussions and seek consensus on matters related to development in the northern regions.

“Our government will always work with Indigenous communities, including the people of Grassy Narrows First Nation, to to achieve healthy communities, good jobs and economic prosperity,” Wes Austin wrote in an email.

“The Supreme Court of Canada has confirmed that Ontario can authorize development within the Treaty 3 area in Ontario, including in relation to resource development projects, subject to satisfaction of the province’s obligations in respect of Aboriginal Peoples, including the duty to consult,” he said. “We will continue working toward consensus on resource development opportunities.”

According to a media release from the First Nations Land Defence Alliance, the province is alleged to be issuing mining claims without obtaining consent “trying to fast track dangerous mine approvals, delay safe closure plans, and build environmentally disastrous roads.“