Staff
A traditional ceremony celebrating the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Naicatchewenin First Nation (Northwest Bay) and Mineral Mountain Resources Ltd. will be held there this Friday (Oct. 7).
Mineral Mountain reported in a press release Monday that it formally has executed an MOU committing to an ongoing relationship with respect to gold exploration activities on its current and future properties in the Straw Lake area.
“We are very pleased to have reached agreement with the Naicatchewenin First Nation on the MOU, and are looking forward to celebrating this milestone signing at the ceremony on Oct. 7,” Nelson Baker, president and CEO of Mineral Mountain Resources Ltd., said in the release.
“We believe that having a strong and respectful relationship with the Naicatchewenin First Nation is critical to our company’s success, and the MOU is an important first step in establishing a strong relationship and helping us grow together,” he added.
“The MOU and IBA [Impact and Benefits Agreement] will put us on a sound business footing, which will serve to mutually benefit Naicatchewenin and the company,” Baker pledged.
“It is by building positive relationships, such as the one with Mineral Mountain, which allows the leadership of Naicatchewenin First Nation the ability to build capacity and create employment opportunities for members of our community,” Naicatchewenin Chief Wayne Smith said in the same release.
“As lead negotiator for the First Nation, I firmly believe that the interest-based approach to the negotiation was the key to success of reaching this agreement,” noted Chief Business Development Officer Tony Marinaro.
“The community has to grow with the Straw Lake project, allowing the company the ability to reach its goals while actively participating in the process,” he reasoned.
“The signing of the MOU with Mineral Mountain is a historic day for the people of Naicatchewenin First Nation,” echoed Jeremiah Windego, CEO of Naicatchewenin Development Corp.
“It shows the company’s commitment to bringing economic benefit to our region, and to consulting with us when operating in our traditional lands,” he remarked.
“It’s through true partnerships like this which allow our community and Mineral Mountain to work together for the success of the project,” Windego added.
Mining Mountain’s Straw Lake gold exploration project is located within the boundaries of the Grand Council Treaty #3 territories, and Naicatchewenin First Nation, which will be the most affected by the continued exploration and development.
Naicatchewenin and Mineral Mountain are entering into the MOU “to reflect their commitment to forge a mutually-beneficial relationship, founded on mutual respect, through a process of ongoing dialogue and regular interaction,” noted the company.
“To that end, the company has agreed to inform Naicatchewenin in advance of its exploration proposals and timetables, and to conduct all exploration activities in an environmentally-responsible manner,” it added.
Mineral Mountain also has committed to offer employment opportunities to qualified Naicatchewenin FN members, as well as the opportunity to bid on contracts for services and equipment in an open bidding process.
Under the MOU, Mineral Mountain and Naicatchewenin also have committed to develop and implement an Impact and Benefits Agreement (“IBA”) to realize their objectives in a mutually-beneficial manner.
The IBA will include provisions concerning:
•a process which sets out the requirements of notice and consultation during the development, construction, and operation phase of the Straw Lake project;
•Naicatchewenin rights with respect to access to, and maintenance of, its traditional territory without adversely affecting the company’s continuing operations;
•the identification by Naicatchewenin of registered traplines and “sensitive sites” having significance to the communities or individuals within the communities, so the company can avoid and protect such sites to the extent reasonably possible; and
•a process for resolving disputes or disagreements arising out of the terms and provisions or the interpretation of the IBA.
