Labrador Indigenous groups worry Churchill Falls MOU will see PCs repeat Muskrat Falls

The Labrador Friendship Centre’s executive director Holly Williams is eager to work with the PCs, but has clear demands. ContributedArticle contentWhile it’s easy to see why there’s such a fuss about the Churchill Falls MOU, which promises to add $225 billion to NL coffers, Indigenous groups in Labrador are wary that the newly-elected PC party will repeat the mistakes of the past.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle content“Mr. Wakeham has mentioned that his goal is to ensure the deal has the best interest for ‘all of Newfoundland and Labrador,’” said Holly Williams, executive director at the Labrador Friendship Centre.Article contentArticle contentArticle content“This sounds inclusive; however, for many of us in Labrador, it raises skepticism. Historically, when deals are made ‘for all’, they tend to have a higher benefit for Newfoundland, while Labrador is often left with the fallout and lack of resources to manage.”Article contentWilliams points to Muskrat Falls as a “very clear” example of that kind of deal.Article content The Muskrat Falls power station. – Hollis Yetman Jr./Contributed Hollis Yetman Jr.Article content“That project was pushed through by the PC government without any safeguards to social, environmental, or cultural impacts,” Williams said.Article content“Sadly, today we are still paying that price — community trauma, environmental degradation, loss of land and traditional practices, food insecurity, high cost of living, rental increases, lack of long-term supports — and will continue to do so for many generations.”Article contentIndigenous groups like the Labrador Friendship Centre and Indigenous people operate on the ‘Seventh Generation Principle’, which dictates that the decisions made today make for a sustainable world seven generations from now.Article contentArticle contentWhile it can apply to relationships, it also applies to environmental deals like the Churchill Falls MOU.Article contentArticle contentNCC is on board but asks for responsibilityArticle contentNunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) president Todd Russell, representing the Inuit people in south and central Labrador, is excited for the deal, but says they want responsibility.Article contentHe also describes the MOU as a cause for mourning.Article content“There’s going to be a third dam on a major river in Labrador,” he explained. “For many of our people, they do see it as the death of the river, the final knife, if you will, the cutting of this major artery.Article content“This has to be also part of the discussion going forward. The environmental impacts, the impacts on people, the social impacts of a 10-year, 15-year construction camp of 5,000, if that’s what it turns out to be.”Article content NunatuKavut Community Council (NCC) president Todd Russell. CONTRIBUTEDArticle contentHe feels, though, there are ways to mitigate some of that.