Natural Resources committee  I think the best process is to get the best information to all members. Dividing them between an elected body and a hereditary body is not a good way to go. I'm elected as a mayor in my position. I also belong to a tribe, so I am a tribal member. In our tribal system, we had chie

Natural Resources committee  I was elected into my position partway through a negotiation on a proposed LNG project in our area. NGOs infiltrated our community and there was controversy over where the project would be situated. That caused a lot of division amongst our members. What I had to do was get the

Natural Resources committee  I would equate it to what the Russians did in the federal election below the border where they created confusion. I think there are people in the States who want our energy resources cheap and they're good at what they do. It's well funded and well organized.

Natural Resources committee  You're talking about the consultation record?

Natural Resources committee  Well, as far as I'm concerned, the consultation was right after the Liberal government was elected. The minister came to Prince Rupert and met with some of our groups. I wasn't at the meeting at that time, but he did mention that they were going to impose a tanker ban. The Coast

Natural Resources committee  I would suggest that anybody wanting to do business understand the people in whatever territory they're looking at. We're having a dispute with one of our neighbours right now. There is a lot of interest on the coast again for LNG. One of our neighbours wants to buy some land wit

Natural Resources committee  Yes.

Natural Resources committee  Again, you have to go out and meet with the people. I beg to differ with your suggestion that half the people are for and half are against.

Natural Resources committee  One of the problems in our traditional territory is NGOs funding people in our communities, people representing hereditary leaders who aren't really hereditary leaders. Again, it comes back to understanding the people in the area.

Natural Resources committee  I think everybody should have a voice, but I think it should be in favour of whose traditional territory you're in. I won't go to the Haida Gwaii and tell them how to do business, and I don't expect them to impose something on us.

Natural Resources committee  Chair, honourable members, ladies and gentlemen, I appreciate the invitation to come here today to share our insights into engaging in indigenous communities on major energy projects within our territories. I will first provide some background on my community. Lax Kw'alaams is

Transport committee  Thank you for the question and for realizing that one of the worst ways to ship oil is by rail, but that it is increasingly happening right now. We know what happens when trains derail and if that product gets into the water. Pipelines are the safest way to ship or send product

Transport committee  Thank you. I'm John Helin, the mayor of Lax Kw'alaams. It's normally the chief councillor but in my community I'm called the mayor. We're a band of approximately 4,000 members on the north coast of B.C. We have lived from the sea for thousands of years like other first nations

Fisheries committee  I think you have to understand the different programs out there. We talked about the oceans protection plan. How does this fit into that and marine protected areas and everything else? What overlaps with what? I know in the past we spent a lot of money on land use plans and marin

Fisheries committee  Again, I'll point to Lelu Island, which was the flashpoint of a lot of controversy for the PNW LNG project up there, because they infiltrated some of our community members, and not the right ones, by going onto the island and building a house there without consideration of the ri