Dear Editor,
I have been following the issue that has recently been in the news regarding mining in the Amerindian Village of Chinese Landing. From what is being shared in the public domain it paints a picture of the rights of the villagers not being respected and the miners being given a free pass onto a land that is legally privately owned and controlled by the village. With the miners being aided and abetted by officers sworn to uphold the law at all times. How or why is this possible?
There seem to be many parts of this story that are missing and it has left many questions swirling around. Like, how did a miner get mining lands on a titled Amerindian Reservation? How did the CCJ rule in favour of a miner when the lands are on a titled Reservation? Why hasn’t the government, and the Ministry mandated to look after the welfare of the Indigenous people, been doing more to protect the welfare of the villagers of this community?
As an indigenous person, there are more questions than answers. Can the media, and your newspaper in particular, undertake the responsibility to bring out the full story behind this situation? From the genesis of this problem to where it is at this present time. And what are possible solutions for the future?
It’s time we learnt the full story.
Yours faithfully,
M. Allicock
