Mr. Chad Day of the Tahltan Central Council reports

UNWANTED SHESLAY MINING EXPLORATION CAUSES TAHLTAN PROTEST

A group of Tahltan elders, supported by Tahltan Central Council president Chad Day, has travelled this week to a mine exploration site in the Sheslay area to seek a halt to work there.

Meanwhile, TCC president Mr. Day also issued an open letter to the province and junior mining company Doubleview Capital Corp. reminding them of the Tahltan Nation's requirement that all mining activity in the Sheslay stop.

The TCC has repeatedly asked for Doubleview's drilling rig to be removed because the Tahltan Nation strongly opposes mineral exploration in the area surrounding the Sheslay River.

Traditionally, Sheslay was occupied by the western Tahltan people. There are grave sites for many of the Tahltan clans there, and the whole area was occupied and used. Today, Sheslay remains an important cultural, spiritual and traditional use area to the Tahltan people.

"Our people have been clear that the Sheslay area is not appropriate for major industrial development," said TCC president Mr. Day. "We have repeatedly asked Doubleview and the province for the current work to stop, but we have been ignored."

Although Doubleview has permission from the province for exploration work, the Tahltan Nation was not properly consulted before a permit was issued. In May, the TCC sent a letter to all exploration permitholders asking them to stop work. Since then, TCC has also met with the province and with Doubleview to request that activity stops, with no success.

The TCC is not opposed to all mining development. It works with industry and with the province on its government-to-government relationship to make sure appropriate development takes place with proper consultation. In April of this year, the Tahltan people voted more than 80 per cent in favour of an agreement with the new Red Chris mine in the Tahltan territory.

TCC asserts that major mineral exploration in Sheslay is not in the interests of the province, industry or the Tahltan people when the chance of Tahltan approval of any development there is so small.