In what can be described as an about-turn, Minister of Amerindian Affairs Pauline Sukhai has said that the government lacks the power to grant “outsiders” permission to operate on Indigenous peoples’ lands.
The minister made this statement at a press conference on Thursday, explaining that the government only facilitates the crafting of legally binding agreements between Indigenous communities and investors.
“Government has no authority to provide permission to any outsider… because the law is clear in the Amerindian Act, that the Village Council is the body that approves and makes the decision if they want to lease lands…,” Sukhai said. “… All the ministry does is to ensure on both sides they present their positions. We put it in a legal format, … we want to ensure both sides have a good agreement and we refer it to the Attorney General office for vetting.”
