Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug Chief Donny Morris and Council members face six months in jail as their fight against Platinex Inc. continues.
In a decision March 17, the Ontario Superior Court sentenced the Kl chief and councillors to a six-month prison term for contempt of court. The Kl leaders defied an October 25 court order giving Platinex Inc. access to the First Nation’s ancestral land at Big Trout Lake, north of Thunder Bay, Ont.
Formerly known as Big Trout First Nation, the community is calling on the Ontario government to revoke Platinex Inc.’s exploratory drilling licenses, which were granted without the First Nation’s consent or consultation.
According to Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982, governments are required “to consult First Nations when they are contemplating conduct that may adversely impact Aboriginal or treaty rights.”
Other First Nations supporting Kl’s fight against Platinex include the Anishinabek Nation (Union of Ontario Indians) and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs.
