Resolution No. 2004-09-12

Attawapiskat First Nation

Chief Leo Friday Kashechewan First Nation

Kashechewan First Nation

Fort Albany First Nation

Chief Mike Metatawabin Fort Albany First Nation

Moose Cree

First Nation

Adopted by Consensus

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First Nation

Chapleau Cree First Nation

Certified Copy of a Resolution passed on September 16, 2004

Missanabie Cree First Nation

Re: Nishnawbe Aski Nation and Mushkegowuk Council Collaboration on Resource Development

WHEREAS the Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) has received several. NAN Chiefs Resolutions providing Executive mandates to deal with Lands and Resource Development issues across the NAN territory; and

WHEREAS these First Nations issues on Lands and Resource Developments vary from region to region across the NAN territory and often impact First Nations within different Tribal Council areas; and

WHEREAS there are Lands and Resource Development issues currently impacting First Nations' Treaty and Aboriginal Rights to Hunting, Fishing and Trapping within the Mushkegowuk Council area in the sectors of forestry, mining, tourism and water resources, including the proposed DeBeers Victor project near Attawapiskat First Nation; and

WHEREAS Nishnawbe Aski Nation, as the regional, political entity and advocate, is mandated to support Mushkegowuk Council and its member First Nations on their initiatives in addressing and partaking in such lands and resource developments; and

September 16, 2004 Cochrane, Ontario

WHEREAS the NAN Executive with the Resource Development Portfolio and the Grand Chief of Mushkegowuk Council, on

Resolution No. 2004-09-12, cont.

behalf of its member First Nations, wish to collaborate and work together on resource development in order to address current and future impacts as well as economic development strategies; and

WHEREAS Mushkegowuk Council together with its member First Nations is in the process of developing a Resource Development Protocol; and

WHEREAS NAN is prepared to provide political and technical capacity with assistance from other external advisory services, to generate more funding and revenues from all sources to assist Mushkegowuk Council to complete and implement the protocol; and

WHEREAS the proposed protocol may offer a working model to other NAN First Nations in dealing with their own Lands and Resource Development issues; and

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Mushkegowuk Council Chiefs hereby mandates its Grand Chief to work in collaboration with Nishnawbe Aski Nation to explore opportunities to work together on resource development issues, including the development of an economic development strategy; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Mushkegowuk Council Chiefs support their Grand Chief and the NAN Executive to begin this process by scheduling a retreat, subject to funding, to begin the planning requirements for closer collaboration and the development of such a strategy.