The Innu and Inuit have achieved a victory as big as the famous Cree court victory over Hydro-Quebec in 1973.
After a six-day protest at Voisey’s Bay, the Newfoundland Court of Appeal has stopped work on a massive nickel mine near Innu and Inuit burial grounds.
The victory came after almost 300 Innu and Inuit descended on the project and put up a camp to block bulldozers. They said they wouldn’t leave until Inco Ltd. addressed their concerns. They want an environmental assessment of the project and compensation.
The protesters cheered and hugged when word of the judge’s decision reached them. “We’ll be celebrating tonight,” said Geoffrey Pastashi of Sheshatshiu. “We’ll probably form circles and dance around the camp.”
Mervin Andersen of the Labrador Inuit Association seemed stunned. “We’re so happy we can’t stop smiling. To be honest, we weren’t expecting this.”
Three judges agreed that the Inuit should be granted an injunction stopping Inco’s work. The injunction will suspend construction until an appeal can be heard of an earlier court decision that paved the way for the company to begin building a temporary road and airstrip.
“We have concluded that the failure to grant relief will cause irreparable harm to the applicants and to the people they represent,” said Justice William Marshall.
The appeal will decide whether another judge was correct in exempting the construction from review by a joint environmental-assessment panel that has Aboriginal representation. The judge agreed with Inco’s argument that the construction is related to exploration work, and so does not have to be reviewed.
Marshall said the case illustrates the classic problem of how industrial society can conflict with the concerns of those who want to enjoy their traditional way of life in a clean and healthy environment.
