Trump’s threats to annex Canada for critical minerals could put Indigenous land defenders at increased risk
Photo: 6,000 people took part in the Land Defence Alliance “March for the Land” in Toronto, September 27, 2023. The Ojibwe nation of Neskantaga, Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug (KI-Big Trout Lake), Ojibways of Onigaming, Muskrat Dam, Asubpeeschoseewagong-Grassy Narrows and Wapekeka First Nations, are part of First Nations Land Defence Alliance.
CBC reports: “The Ring of Fire in northwestern Ontario has become a key figure in the battle to control critical minerals, which experts say is the heart of U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada.”
“U.S. President Donald Trump is now eyeing Canada’s rich mineral deposits as America can’t produce enough of its own, said Elizabeth Steyn, an assistant law professor at the University of Calgary.”
“The Ring of Fire contains minerals including nickel, chromium, palladium and platinum, said Steyn, who teaches a course on critical minerals, regulatory frameworks and geopolitics. These minerals are highly appealing to the U.S.”
This CBC article further notes: “Potential development has faced pushback from some First Nations, which have previously said they haven’t been properly consulted and see it as a potential threat to their traditional ways of life.”
Photos: On March 29, 2023, The Narwhal reported: “As incoming Neskantaga Chief Chris Moonias and his predecessor, Chief Wayne Moonias, called to [Ontario] Premier Doug Ford from [the Queen’s Park legislature] balcony [in Toronto], Ford stared straight ahead and refused to acknowledge them.” They were then ejected from the legislature by security. Photos by Carlos Osorio/The Narwhal
In late-February, Ontario Premier Doug Ford stated: “As we face down the threat of President Trump’s tariffs, we need to do more, and we need to do it faster. To protect Ontario, we have to get our critical minerals out of the ground, processed and shipped to factory floors. We have to double down on working with First Nations to speed up approvals and get shovels in the ground on critical mineral projects.”
His government has pledged to “unleash the economic potential of the Ring of Fire and Ontario’s critical minerals” by “designating regions where multiple critical mineral deposits are present or likely to be present, including the Ring of Fire, as regions of strategic importance for Ontario’s economy and security…”
And earlier this month, Northern Ontario Business reported: “Premier Doug Ford is ready to shove Ottawa out of the way to make progress in the Ring of Fire. Fresh off last week’s provincial election win and armed with a strong majority, an emboldened Ford appeared at the PDAC mining show in Toronto, March 3, ready to pick a fight with the feds in order to expedite critical minerals production in the face of a looming trade war with the U.S.”
Photo of Ontario Premier Doug Ford.
In response to statements like these, Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) has stated: “Premier Ford’s promise to ‘unlock’ the Ring of Fire and fast-track development is a direct attack on the Inherent, Treaty, and Aboriginal rights of First Nations who have governed and stewarded these lands since time immemorial. …These are not ‘Ontario’s minerals; they exist within our territories…”
The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) represents 49 First Nations with a total population (on and off-reserve) of approximately 45,000 people.
Photo of Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler.
UN Special Rapporteurs on the Ring of Fire
The Report of the Special Rapporteur on the rights of Indigenous Peoples, José Francisco Calí Tzay (July 2023) and the Report of the Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation, Pedro Arrojo Aguda (September 2024) following their visits to Canada recommended:
Cali Tzay: “Suspend large-scale mining and other business activities in the Ring of Fire region and cease construction or operation of the Coastal GasLink, Trans Mountain and Line 5 pipelines, until the free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous Peoples affected is secured.”
Arrojo-Aguda: “Suspend large-scale mining and oil and gas pipeline projects, such as mining in the Ring of Fire and the Coastal GasLink, Trans Mountain and Line 5 pipelines, until the necessary processes of assessing the impact of long-term risks to human rights, the environment and biodiversity, and guaranteeing the right of the Indigenous Peoples concerned to respect for the principle of free, prior and informed consent, have been completed.”
Indigenous land defenders at risk
While there is no indication at this point of risks to the lives of Indigenous land defenders opposed to the Ring of Fire megaproject, there is a worrisome global context.
Global Witness has reported that 2,106 land and environmental defenders were killed between 2012 and 2023. The Washington, DC-based organization further highlights: “Worldwide, Indigenous Peoples and Afrodescendents continue to be disproportionately targeted, accounting for 49% of total murders.”
Their September 2024 statement also notes: “While establishing a direct relationship between the murder of a defender and specific corporate interests remains difficult, Global Witness identified mining as the biggest industry driver by far, with 25 defenders killed after opposing mining operations in 2023.”
That statement adds: “In total, 23 of the 25 mining-related killings globally last year happened in Latin America. But more than 40% of all mining-related killings between 2012 and 2023 occurred in Asia – home to significant natural reserves of key critical minerals vital for clean energy technologies.”
We continue to follow this.
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