The Mikisew Cree First Nation (MCFN) is suing the governments of Alberta and Canada for the effects it says nearby industrial development and activity such as oilsands mines have had on its territory over the years.
In a statement of claim filed Monday, the First Nation, which is located in northern Alberta, alleges both governments have violated Treaty 8 which their ancestors signed with the Crown in 1899.
The lawsuit alleges both governments have allowed the land and water to be contaminated by substances that have caused higher than average rates of cancer among the First Nation’s members.
“Rather than protecting MCFN’s way of life and ensuring the meaningful exercise of their rights, the defendants have engaged in a pattern of conduct that, taken together, has significantly diminished MCFN’s right to hunt, fish, trap and gather on their traditional territory as part of their way of life,” the statement of claim says.
“Among other things, pollutants have been introduced, habitats have been fragmented, lands and waters have been degraded, and lands have been put to uses that are incompatible with the continued meaningful exercise of MCFN’s treaty rights.
