The English River First Nation dropped the Ghermezian's uranium proposal like it was a hot potato and the rejection by ERFN gained the curiosity of but a few compared to the news announcement in the spring of 2008. Triple Five Energy, a wholly owned Ghermezian entity, including Nader Ghermezian jetted in for a huge signing regarding the land of English River First Nation Dene, and there Triple Five disclosed a 30-year history in the uranium industry of Saskatchewan through First Nuclear.
Only 30 years? Guess that sounds about right. The Iranian/Jewish immigrants came to Canada around 1972, to Edmonton, Alberta. They erected a pair of unobtrusive hotels and a rather obtuse multi-phase, multi-layered mall, and built themselves an impressive circle of mansions atop Government Hill beside downtown Edmonton.
So why did English River say no, and no, and again, "It's still no." (Ghermezian lawyers keep sending homing pigeons to English River with notes and missives about the implications of not talking to them about uranium mining, while English River says, 'Talk to the hand' about the whole affair. Ghermezian-lawyer letters keep coming to ERFN so finally they felt the need to respond with legal wording of their own.)
Even though it went strangely unreported after all the bally-ho about 'signings', "We nixed it right away," said Chief Ralph Paul, "after membership was consulted. It was nothing arbitrary. It was a council-made decision made after results from the meetings with Triple Five. We wanted to talk about development," said Chief Paul, "and we made an agreement to join the discussion," nothing more.
When ERFN joined the dialogue on development they soon discovered, "We couldn't work together. The discussions with Triple Five went one-way and EFRN was basically ignored in the planning process, so we nixed it. All we agreed to do was talk but they wouldn't talk. They gave orders," said the chief.
"It was obvious from the start they were thinking of total control. We were put in a completely subservient position. It was clear it was their business. English River people would be 'yes-men.' Well we don't see things that way here. It's Dene land."
The English River First Nation is an amalgamation last century of Cree Lake, Porter Island, Elak Dase, Knee Lake, Dipper Rapids, Wapachewunak, and LaPlonge Indian Reserves. In addition to this Dene amalgamation in north central Saskatchewan ERFN participates in Meadow Lake Tribal Council. "The MLTC is made up of four Cree and five Dene members."
Chief Paul explained what their website (www.erfn.net) makes clear, ERFN is a well-organized close-knit group that is ready, willing and able to do business, "If they want to talk business they better listen to our proposals."
The chief added, "We can take care of ourselves," and he listed off a few of the businesses and property owned by ERFN. Regarding the uranium mining found in the Canadian Shield around north central Saskatchewan, Chief Paul said, "It's been going on since the 1970s. A lot of our people work in the area."
Cameco is the main employer of uranium mining of the Canadian Shield in Saskatchewan. ERFN's members obtain employment in the mines, some of which employ a few hundred miners in a region with few industrial opportunities, few roads, hardly anything besides pristine Canadian Shield.
ERFN runs TRON Power, a construction company with 30 employees and they find contracts in mining operations, "As long as there's mining we'll be working. The company is expanding. We build mining camps, buildings, roads, and drill wells, weld tanks," a lot of different projects.
If they don't need help, nevertheless, the Dene leadership continues to search for a ear in terms of intergovernmental communications. Chief Paul said the ERFN finds the provincial government unwilling to join frank discussions on economic development, "Although I must admit Premier Brad Wall is talking more to First Nations than the NDP ever did."
As for the federal government, obviously right now there is not a lot to work with; for more information contact the chief at English River First Nation via their website www.erfn.net
