Fort Chipewyan is Suing for Its Life

Well, it’s come down to this.

The Mikisew Cree First Nation has filed a Statement of Claim against the Governments of Alberta and Canada, alleging that decades of cumulative industrial development in northeastern Alberta have severely infringed Treaty 8 rights, harmed the Nation’s lands and waters, displaced wildlife, and contributed to serious health impacts within the community.

It always comes down to this when governments refuse to listen to and respect Indigenous sovereignty.

Here, a community has been suffering for years — with zero action or accountability from governments or industry. Here’s to praying something will be done.

Chief Billy-Joe Tuccaro put it plainly in the Nation’s press release when the Statement of Claim was filed today:

*“Our people are downstream from one of the largest industrial developments on earth, and we are paying the price with our health, our lands, and our way of life. For generations, our people have relied on these lands and waters for hunting, fishing, trapping, and cultural practices. Today, those practices are being severely impacted as wildlife declines, waters are contaminated, and access to our traditional territory is increasingly disrupted.”*