No place for Proposed Strange Lake Rare Earth Mine

I am writing this with strong opposition to the Strange Lake rare earth project and the devastating effects it will cause. Having spent my summers on the George River with my family since I can remember, I can say that this land and what it holds is of utmost precious value to us as individuals and as a people. This is a place that many Inuit and Naskapi people call traditional and ancestral territory. Traditions and practices have taken place on this land four thousands of years. Occupying and caring for this land is an inherent right that these peoples hold and will continue to hold throughout the generations. This place has become part of who I am, I have grown here, I have witnessed the beautiful sights and wildlife that roam the valleys and the mountains along the George River. I have heard amazing stories about this land and have had countless experiences on this river. These moments have built me. These experiences are not only mine but belong to many other people who live and travel here throughout the year.

I was born when the George river caribou herd was at it’s peak, numbering at 800,000. The herd is now at it’s lowest in history, this alone is incredibly concerning. These lands are their calving grounds and migration routes. How can we say we will aid in the protection, conservation and increase in numbers of this herd if their own habitat will be put at risk. There is much work to be done and I do not believe this project will in any way help their growth. The clean and pure waters of the majestic George River is home to the Atlantic Salmon, Land locked Charr, Brook Trout, Whitefish, Lake trout, aquatic insects and other important species. This flowing waterway is also our drinking water for many months of the year, we rely on this river and so do the animals that inhabit this vast territory. The waste water from the mine would flow from Lac Brisson and into Lac Mistinibi which is the headwater source of the George River. This would greatly threaten and compromise the quality of these waters. This river and surrounding land is part of who we are, as a family, as a people and as a collective. It will remain this way for future generations to come.

 It seems as though we have become the center in which we structure and organize the world. It is surely time that we, as humans listen to other living beings that inhabit this planet. It is not because they do not speak the same languages as us that they do not have a voice. They are speaking. The time is dire now that we acknowledge their place in this world. The land, animals and people are one and we certainly should not place ourselves above our counterparts. This is how we have lived as a people and how we continue to live to this day, this is how we have thrived and these are the ways we will teach our children and grand children. Rare earth mining is toxic and has no place in Nunavik.

The economic benefits of this proposed project certainly do not outweigh the harmful consequences on the environment, aquatic fauna, soil and biological diversity. The contamination, infiltration of toxic chemicals, acid pollutants, heavy metals and radioactivive materials caused by the extraction of REEs is an immense environmental and health hazard. This is not a chance we need take. This project, if followed through will cause ecological disruption on our lands, waters, animals, organisms, ourselves and our future generations as we know it. The possibility of toxic contamination is immense and the destruction of this territory is not something that should be taken lightly. I am in strong opposition to the Strange Lake rare earth mine project.