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Indigenous communities grapple with new relationship with oilsands industry

Several Indigenous communities north of Fort McMurray are undergoing a monumental shift in their relationships with the oilsands industry.

Leaders who once partnered with environmentalists and hosted Hollywood stars are now changing course

David Thurton · CBC News ·

WATCH: One Indigenous community's complicated relationship with the oilsands

6 years ago
Duration 4:42
Historically Indigenous communities in Northern Alberta have opposed the oilsands. That’s changing. Fourteen Indigenous groups have made deals with Teck Resources whose proposed oilsands project is undergoing an environmental review. But, as the CBC’s David Thurton found out, there’s still unease in one northern community about the project.

Several Indigenous communities north of Fort McMurray are undergoing a monumental shift in their relationships with the oilsands industry.

Fort Chipewyan's Indigenous leaders, who once partnered with environmentalists and hosted Hollywood stars like Leonardo DiCaprio and Jane Fonda, have now signed deals with industry.

Last month, the Athabasca Chipewyan and Mikisew Cree First Nations joined 12 other Indigenous groups in signing participation agreements with Teck Resources, which is developing the $20.6 billion Frontier Mine.

CBC News travelled to Fort Chipewyan to speak to the Dene, Cree and Métis communities about the mine.

Watch the mini-documentary above to hear how community members are grappling with the new direction the community is taking.

The Frontier Mine is under review by the Alberta Energy Regulator and the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency.

Connect with David Thurton, CBC's Fort McMurray correspondent, on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or email him at [email protected] 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

David Thurton

Senior reporter, Parliamentary Correspondent

David Thurton is a senior reporter in CBC's Parliamentary Bureau. He covers daily politics in the nation’s capital and specializes in environment and energy policy. Born in Canada but raised in Trinidad and Tobago, he’s moved around more times than he can count. He’s worked for CBC in several provinces and territories, including Alberta and the Northwest Territories. He can be reached at [email protected]

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