The Social Injury From the Plan Nord and Non-consensual Resource Extraction
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Transcript of The Social Injury From the Plan Nord and Non-consensual Resource Extraction
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The university is in a privileged
position to lead on such issues, and
therefore has a responsibility to
preserve that position whenever
possible by ensuring that the
university is not tied to destructive
industriesorinitiatives.
-McGillStudent
THESOCIALINJURYFROMTHEPLANNORDANDNON-CONSENSUALRESOURCEEXTRACTION
ByDivestMcGill
Summary
he students, alumni, faculty, and staff of McGill University have made clear their
strongdesiretoseeresponsibleinvestmentpracticesbeadoptedbythisUniversity.
McGillmustdivestitsholdingsincompanieslobbyingforthePlanNordandincompanies
doingbusinessonnativelandwithoutthepermissionofthenativecommunitieswhoown
theland.
The PlanNord is amassive giveaway to corporations
that will occur on the land of the First Nations and Inuit
peoplesofNorthernQuebecwithouttheirpermissions.McGill
maintainsinvestmentsincompanieslobbyingforthePlan.
Similar projects exist across Canada, including in
Alberta and British Colombia. Across the world, manycorporationsdobusinessonthetraditional,protectedlandofnativecommunitieswithout
theirfreeandpriorconsent.
Thesignificantlegal protectionsaffordedaboriginal peoplesandcommunities are
oftenviolatedandwillfullyignored.
WerequiresignificantactionfromtheBoardofGovernorstoredressthissituation.
ItisclearthatactionisneededtoensurethatthisUniversitysinvestmentsareinlinewithourvalues.
LegalBacking
T
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I will never donate
moneytoMcGillifmy
moneywill end upin
theseplaces.
-McGillAlumna
ndigenouscommunitiestheworldoverareprotectedbytheUnitedNationsDeclaration
ontheRightsofIndigenousPeoples, 1whichprovidesforthecollectiveandindividual
rightsneededtosafeguardnativepeoplesculturesandreligions,landsandterritory,and
self-determinationandconsensualgovernance.CanadaisasignatorytotheDeclaration.
In particular, the Declaration protects the rights of indigenous
peoplestotheirland,whichmaynotbetakenorputtouseswithoutfree
andpriorconsentofthecommunities,andmorespecificallytherightsof
aboriginal peoples to maintain their cultural, spiritual, economic, and
conservationpracticesontheirtraditionalland.2
First Nations and Inuit peoples in Canada are afforded additional enumerated
protectionsbytheCharterofRightsandFreedoms,3throughsections35and35.1ofthe
Charter,4whichreaffirmsthegovernmentscommitmenttoexistingaboriginalandtreaty
rights,includingtheDeclarationontheRightsofIndigenousPeoples.
Despitethesignificantlegalprotectionsofaboriginalpeoples,thoseprotectionsare
oftenignoredandwillfullyviolatedbystatesandcorporations.Inparticular,thetraditional
territoriesofFirstNationscommunitiesinNorthAmericaoftenlieovermineralorfossilfuel reservesor lie in the way of infrastructureprojects; inAlberta,native peoples live
overtopofandaroundtarsandsreserves,5whileinQuebecnativepeoplesliveovertopof
andaroundsignificantmineraldeposits,riverswithhydroelectricpotential,andareaswith
highwindenergypotential.InBritishColumbia,nativepeoplesliveinthewayofplanned
1UnitedNations.UnitedNationsDeclarationontheRightsofIndigenousPeoples(NewYork:107
thPlenary
Meeting,13Sept2007).2Appendix1fullyenumeratestherelevantarticlesoftheDeclaration.3GovernmentofCanada.ConstitutionActs,1867to1982:TheCanadianCharterofRightsandFreedom s
(GovernmentofCanada:1982).4Appendix2fullyenumeratestherelevantarticlesoftheCharter.5Seethe_________________________________brief
I
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Plan Nord represents
further environmental
damage to our country.
Surely any good and
beneficialdevelopmentin
the north can be made
withtheconsentofthose
that live and own the
land?
-McGillStudent
pipelinestransportingoilfromtheTarSands,6andsimilarlyinQuebecproposedhighways
andhigh-capacityelectriclinestraverseNorthernaboriginalcommunities.7
PlanNord
uebecs Plan Nord constitutes a massive giveaway to some of the largest, dirtiest
companies on theplanet andprovides for extraordinaryenvironmentaldestruction
across huge swaths of Northern Quebec. Much of this will occur on native land, as the
voicesofindigenouspeoplesfallonthedeafearsofpoliticians.
ThePlanNordisaplanproposedbythegovernmentofQuebec
toexploitNorthernQuebec.Calledtheprojectofageneration,this
25-year project will incorporate $80 billion in public and private
funding.8Itcoversover72%ofQuebec,mostofthelandofthe49 th
Parallel.9 Almost 1 in 4 of the 120,000 people in the region are of
aboriginaldescent;thisincludes16,000membersoftheCreeNation,
16,000membersof the InnuNation, 1,000membersof theNaskapi
Nation, and 10,000 Inuit people living mainly in 14 northern
6Mickleburgh,Rod.B.C.NativesWillingtoGototheWallAgainstEnbridgePipeline(Vancouver:TheGlobeand
Mail,30July2012).77GouvernementduQubec.MinistredesRessourcesnaturellesetdelaFaune.PlanNord:BuildingNorthern
QuebecTogether:TheProjectofaGeneration(Quebec,2011).
8Brandon,Jaqueline.StillWeColonize(McGillDaily,25Oct2012).
9GouvernementduQubec.MinistredesRessourcesnaturellesetdelaFaune.PlanNord:BuildingNorthern
QuebecTogether:TheProjectofaGeneration(Quebec,2011).8.
Q
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villages.1011IftheplanisimposedontheNorth,corporations,includingHydro-Quebec,will
build hydroelectric dams, log the forests, construct poisonous mines, and building a
tremendousnetworkofroads,ports,andairportstosupportthecolonialproject.
Despite intense opposition by many of the native peoples of Northern Quebec,
environmentalists, and students, the new Parti Quebec government seems unwilling to
change course. The sovereign nations of Quebec have been largely shut out of the
discussion.AccordingtoarepresentativeoftheInnuNation,12
Malheureusement,pourlinstant,nousnesentonspasquenousnesommes
partieprenantedefaonpleineetentireaveclegouvernementduQubec
DispossessionandDestruction
lanNordhasbeendescribedastheTarSandsoftheEast:dispossessionofindigenous
communitiesanddestructionof theenvironment inone.13Indeed,DeniseJourdain
explainedheroppositiontothePlan,saying,Iamfightingfortherecognitionofourrights
andtoprotectourland,theNitassinan.WesaynotoPlanNordbecauseitwouldmeanour
destruction.14Jourdain,anInnulanguageteacher,walked900kilometresfromSept-Ilesto
Montreal to draw attention to the environmental destruction that caused by the
infrastructureprojectsandwas one of twelvewomen jailedby the state for blockading
10GouvernementduQubec.MinistredesRessourcesnaturellesetdelaFaune.PlanNord:BuildingNorthern
QuebecTogether:TheProjectofaGeneration(Quebec,2011).10.
11ConsultAppendix3toseethelocationofFirstNationandInuitCommunitiesinNorthernQuebec.
12Meteopolitique.PlanNordduQuebec:Contre,Pour,entrelesdeuxousansopinion.
13Brandon,Jaqueline.StillWeColonize(McGillDaily,25Oct2012).14IndigenousSolidarityMontreal.PressRelease:LeadingIndigenousOpponentsofPlanNordtoHoldPress
ConferencetoChallengeBusinessConvention(ForumAnti-ColonialContrelePlanNord:28Sept2012).
P
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Investment inPlanNord and the tarsandsdoesnotfollowMcGill'sstated
intentions. Your integrity is only as
strongandastruthfulasyourword.
-McGillStudent
Highway138tostopHydro-Quebecfrominstallingahigh-powertransmissionlineacross
theirland.
ThePlaninvolvesopeninguptheNorthtosomeofthe dirtiest industries on the planet, to tremendous
localizeddestruction.TheNorthproducesallofQuebecs
platinum, nickel, and zinc, andmost of its gold;mining
could be expanded to exploit reserves of uranium,
lithium,diamonds,andrare-earthmetals.15While thegovernment nominally designated
select regions for environmental protection, the Environmental Minister of the ousted
Charest government suggested thattheprotection offeredwouldnotprecludemining.16
The process to extract many of these minerals creates extraordinary environmental
damagethatcanpersistforyears,includingtheleachingofheavymetalsintothesoiland
groundwater, deforestation and the destruction of animal habitats, and the release of
mercuryintotheairandwater.17
Many of the traditional hunting and fishing practices of native communities are
threatenedbythePlan.AconfidentialreportfromtheMinistredesRessourcesnaturelles
etdelaFauneobtainedbyLeDevoir 18warnsthatalldevelopmentonforestedCreeland
must stop for the threatened population of caribou to reestablish itself, and many
indigenous peopleshaveexpressedconcern thatHydro-Quebecs proposeddamswill do
irreparableharmtoriverecosystems.
15GouvernementduQubec.MinistredesRessourcesnaturellesetdelaFaune.PlanNord:BuildingNorthern
QuebecTogether:TheProjectofaGeneration(Quebec,2011).58.
16Squires,Jessica.JeanCharestsDestructivePlanNord(Rabble,2Apr2012).
17Larmer,Brook.TheRealPriceofGold(NationalGeographic,Jan2009).18Nadeau,Jessica.PlanNordNouvellemenacepourlecaribouforestier:Lescoupesforestiresetle
prolongementdelaroute167accentuentledclindelaharde(LeDevoir,30Aug2012).
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Let us dare to be wise
and respectful, I no
longer wish to stand for
anythingotherwise.
-McGillAlumna
Elyse Vollant, an Innushku woman from Maliotenam, decried the Plan Nord,19
saying,PlanNorditwilldestroytheNitassinanlandandHydroQuebecwilldamagethe
rivers.
McGillUniversitysInvestmentsinthePlanNord
dentifyingthecompaniesthatlobbyfororwillparticipateinthePlanNordisdifficult,as
thePlanisnotyetimplementedandmostcorporationsarenotpublicwiththeirinterest.
TheDecember2011reportonthePubliclyTradedEquityHoldingsoftheUniversityisthe
mostrecentdataavailableonMcGillscurrentinvestments,andallinformationonthe
compositionofMcGillsinvestmentscomesfromthatlist.
McGillinvestsin645publiclytradedcorporations.15areinvolvedinthePlanNord,
2.3%oftheUniversitysuniqueholdings.Thenumberofsharesineachisnotpublicly
availableatthistime,althoughAccesstoInformationrequestsfiledundertheAct
respectingaccesstodocumentsheldbypublicbodiesANDtheprotectionofpersonal
informationwillhopefullyprovidefurtherinsighttomembersoftheMcGillcommunity.
Thecompaniesidentified20aremembersofQuebecprofessionalassociationsthatare
lobbyingfor the plan,including the AEMQ, theACRGTQ, the Associationdes Ingenieurs-conseilsduQuebec,theAQME,andtheAQPER.
StolenNativeLand
evelopment without consent happens across the world. In
Canadaalone,nativecommunitiesthecountryoverareresisting
19Dangl,Benjamin.ConnectingtheStruggles:RegionalActivistsGreetNewEnglandGovernorsConferencewith
Protests(TowardFreedom,30July2012).20SeeAppendix4forthecompletelistofcompanies.
I
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projectsoftremendousscaleanddestructivepotential.
British Columbia faces its own challenges, as Enbridge builds a pipeline from
AlbertasTarSandstothecoast.GrandChiefPhillip,PresidentoftheUnionofB.C.IndianChiefs,urgedfederalandprovincialministerstorejecttheproject,saying,21
Ourpeopleareprepared to go to thewall against this. There is no doubtaboutthat.Thereisabsolutelynowaywewilltolerateaprojectthatwouldviolate the environmental integrity of our traditional territories along thepipelinerouteandalongtheB.C.coast.
Theenvironmentalintegrityofthelandofnativecommunitiesisarightguaranteed
bytheDeclarationand therefore bytheCharter,but Chief Jackie Thomas,of the Saikuz
FirstNation,decriedthefederalbullytacticsbeingusedtopushthroughthepipeline.22
Developmentthatoccurswithouttheconsentofthecommunitiesinvolvedistheft.
Itisthecontinuationofahistoryofcolonialism.Therighttoself-determinationoverthe
useoftraditionallandisprotectedinCanadaandacrosstheworld,andviolationsofthose
basiccollectiverightscannotbeendorsed.
FinancialInstitutions
uebecs Plan Nord would marshal tens of billions in public and private capital
investments,theTarSandsaretheworldslargestcapitalproject,anddevelopmenton
nativelandtheworldoverisoftencapitalintensive.Thoseinvestmentscomedirectlyfrom
financial institutions,endowments,andpensionfunds.These financialinstitutionsenable
everyday exploitation of native communities, facilitating the extraction of resources,
pollution of the air and water, and destruction of cultural and spiritual spaces. The
21Mickleburgh,Rod.B.C.NativesWillingtoGototheWallAgainstEnbridgePipeline(Vancouver:TheGlobeandMail,30July2012).22McCarthy,Shawn.DecryingFederalBullyTactics,B.C.NativesVowtoBlockPipeline(Ottawa:TheGlobeand
Mail,13Mar2012).
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I call on McGill University, as a
responsible and leading organization
ineducation, todivest itsholdings in
fossil fuels companiesand companies
thatlobbyforthePlanNord.
-McGillStudent
participation of financial institutions in the localized destruction caused by these
companiesiswillfulandirresponsible,andtheyareequallyculpableforthedamagecaused
bythesepractices.
OurResponsibility
cGill University invests in companies that violate
international treaties and the basic rights of
indigenous peoples across the world. We, the students,
alumni,faculty,andstaffofMcGillUniversity,demand:
That the Investment Committee immediatelybegin todispose, inanorderly andresponsible fashion,of the University's holdings incorporations that profit from,
lobby for, or are members of professional organizations or interest groups that
lobbyforQuebec'sPlanNordproject,asdeterminedbytheCommitteetoAdviseon
MattersofSocialResponsibility.
ThattheInvestmentCommitteedispose,inanorderlyandresponsiblefashioninnolongerthanthreeyears,oftheUniversity'sholdingsincorporationsthatdobusiness
onnativelandagainstthewishesofthenativepeoplesofthatlandasdeterminedby
theCommitteetoAdviseonMattersofSocialResponsibility. ThattheInvestmentCommitteedispose,inanorderlyandresponsiblefashioninno
longerthanthreeyears,oftheUniversity'sholdingsinfinancialinstitutionswhich
havenotadopted,asdeterminedbytheCommitteetoAdviseonMattersofSocial
Responsibility,apolicyofmakingnofurtherloanstocorporationsthatdobusiness
onnativelandagainstthewishesofthenativepeoplesofthatland.
M
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APPENDIX1:RELEVANTARTICLESOFTHEUNITEDNATIONSDECLARATIONONTHERIGHTS
OFINDIGENOUSPEOPLES23
Article8
2.Statesshallprovideforeffectivemechanismsforpreventionof,andredressfor:
(b)Any action which has the aimor effect of dispossessing them of theirlands,territories,orresources.
Article11
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to practise and revitalize their culturaltraditionsandcustoms.Thisincludestherighttomaintain,protectanddevelopthepast,presentandfuturemanifestationsoftheircultures,suchasarchaeologicalandhistorical sites, artefacts, designs, ceremonies, technologies and visual andperformingartsandliterature.
Article18
Indigenous peoples have the right to participate in decision-making in matterswhichwould affect their rights, through representatives chosen by themselves in
accordancewiththeirownprocedures,aswellastomaintainanddeveloptheirownindigenousdecisionmakinginstitutions.
Article20
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and develop their political,economicandsocialsystemsorinstitutions,tobesecureintheenjoymentoftheirown means of subsistence and development, and to engage freely in all theirtraditionalandothereconomicactivities.
Article25
23UnitedNations.UnitedNationsDeclarationontheRightsofIndigenousPeoples(NewYork:107
thplenary
meeting,13Sept2007).
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Indigenous peoples have the right to maintain and strengthen their distinctivespiritualrelationshipwiththeirtraditionallyownedorotherwiseoccupiedandusedlands,territories,watersandcoastalseasandotherresourcesandtoupholdtheirresponsibilitiestofuturegenerationsinthisregard.
Article26
1.Indigenouspeopleshavetherighttothelands,territoriesandresourceswhichtheyhavetraditionallyowned,occupiedorotherwiseusedoracquired.
2. Indigenous peoples have the right to own, use, develop and control the lands,territories andresourcesthattheypossessbyreasonof traditionalownership orother traditional occupation or use, aswell as thosewhich they have otherwiseacquired.
3.States shall givelegal recognition andprotection totheselands, territoriesandresources. Such recognition shall be conducted with due respect to the customs,traditionsandlandtenuresystemsoftheindigenouspeoplesconcerned.
Article29
1. Indigenous peoples have the right to the conservation and protection of theenvironmentandtheproductivecapacityoftheirlandsorterritoriesandresources.Statesshallestablishandimplementassistanceprogrammesforindigenouspeoplesforsuchconservationandprotection,withoutdiscrimination.
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APPENDIX 2: RELEVANT ARTICLES OF THE CANADIAN CHARTER OF RIGHTS AND
FREEDOMS24
Recognitionofexistingaboriginalandtreatyrights
35.(1)The existingaboriginaland treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples ofCanada areherebyrecognizedandaffirmed.
DefinitionofaboriginalpeoplesofCanada
(2)InthisAct,aboriginalpeoplesofCanadaincludestheIndian,InuitandMtispeoplesof
Canada.
(3)Forgreatercertainty,insubsection(1)treatyrightsincludesrightsthatnowexistbywayoflandclaimsagreementsormaybesoacquired.
(4)Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the aboriginal and treaty rightsreferredtoinsubsection(1)areguaranteedequallytomaleandfemalepersons.
Commitmenttoparticipationinconstitutionalconference
35.1The government of Canada and the provincial governments are committed to the
principlethat,beforeanyamendmentismadetoClass24ofsection91ofthe ConstitutionAct,1867,tosection25ofthisActortothisPart,
(a)a constitutionalconference that includes in its agenda an item relating to theproposed amendment, composed of the Prime Minister of Canada and the firstministersoftheprovinces,willbeconvenedbythePrimeMinisterofCanada;and
(b)the Prime Minister of Canada will invite representatives of the aboriginalpeoplesofCanadatoparticipateinthediscussionsonthatitem.
24GovernmentofCanada.CanadianCharterofRightsandFreedoms:PartIIRightsoftheAboriginalPeoplesof
Canada(GovernmentofCanada:1982).
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APPENDIX3:LOCATIONOFNATIVECOMMUNITIESINNORTHERNQUEBEC
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APPENDIX3:COMPANIESINVOLVEDINTHEPLANNORD
The following companies are members of professional organizations actively
lobbyingforthePlanNord.
AngloAmerican Arcelor-Mittal AtlasCOPCO AVIVA CAMECO GE* GoldcorpInc Holcim Iamgold Sandvik SGS SNC-Lavalin SuncorEnergy Xstrata ZurichFinancialServices*
*ItsCanadiansubsidiaryisinvolvedinthePlanNord.