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PoliticsFirstNations3TuesdayJanuary212014Continuedfrompage1.WehavematchedandmultipliedthemoneywehaveraisedfromCanadianssupportinghonourthetrea-ties.Wewillbepositionedtomatchthelegalpowerofouroppositiondollarfordol-larhesaid.ACFNChiefAllanAdamsaidhewouldliketoseethefederalgovernmentaddresstheFirstNationsconcernsaboutconsultationandtreatyrightsratherthanframeACFNasanti-developmentorattackYoungwhorstmetACFNsleadershipwhenhedrovehiselectriccartoFortMcMurraylastfall.Ithinktheprimeminis-tershouldfocusontheat-tentionthatweredrawinginregardstohonouringthetreatiesinsteadoffocusingattentiononbringingdownaniconlikeNeilYoungwhohadtoraisetheagaboutbrokenpromisesthechieftoldTheJournalfromYoungstourbusonthewaytoWinnipegwhereheperformedandgavean-otherpressconferenceonJan.16beforeheadingofftoanothershowinReginaonJan.17andCalgaryonSunday.PrimeMinisterHarpershouldsitdownandfocusontheissuesinregardstothetreatiesAdamsaid.WehaveoutstandingclaimswithCanadathatwerestillnego-tiatingover20years.ThechiefsaidrecentmediapollsshowingthemajorityofCanadiansareinfavourofYoungscampaignalongwiththeveryresponsiveandsupportiveconcertaudiencesreinforcehisbeliefthatwhattheyaredoingisright.Thesold-outconcertatTo-rontosMasseyHallfeaturedarounddanceinthestreetsbeforehandwhereAdamsaidover200peopleshowedupundertheIdleNoMoreban-ner.AsimilarrounddancewasheldinWinnipegalongwithateach-inontreatiesandtheIdleNoMoremovementinCalgaryonSunday.ThesepeoplewerentgoingtotheconcerttheyshoweduptosupportwhatweweredoingAdamsaid.BenettoursucceedsbeyondwildestdreamsNeilYoungaddressesmediaonhislastconcertstopinCalgary.ACFNwantsoilsandsexpansiondeclaredunlawfulFirstNationleslegalsuitwhileontourwithfolkiconNeilYoungByMEAGANWOHLBERGWithoverhalfamilliondollarsinlegalfundsraisedbyNeilYoungsongoingHonourtheTreatiescon-certtourtheAthabascaChipewyanFirstNationACFNofnorthernAlbertaisgearingupforanotherlegalghtinanattempttostopfurtheroilsandsexpansiononitstraditionalterritory.TheFirstNationledanewlawsuitagainstthefederalgov-ernmentandShellCanadalastweekontheeveofYoungsrstconcertinTorontorequestingtheFederalCourtreviewtheCrownsDec.6decisiongivingthego-aheadtoShellsJack-pineopen-pitoilsandsmineexpansionproject.ACFNishopingthecourtwillndthedecisioninvalidandunlawfulbasedonwhatitsayswasinadequateconsul-tationregardingtheprojectsrecognizedimpactsontheFirstNationssection35rights.DuringthehearingsfortheJackpineprojectACFNrepeatedlyattemptedtohaltthereviewprocessuntilitcouldbeconsultedonthreatstomembersTreaty8rights.Thoselegalchallengesweredeferredwiththepanelrul-ingthatitcouldnotdeter-minewhetherconsultationhadproperlytakenplaceuntilafterthedecisionhadbeenmade.NowthattheminehasbeenapprovedACFNsleadersaresayingtheystillhaventbeenadequatelyconsultedonim-pactstotheirtreatyandAb-originalrightsallofwhichwereacknowledgedbythereviewpanelinitsreportasbeingcompromisedbytheproject.TheCrownisindirectviolationoftheirduciaryobligationssaidACFNChiefAllanAdam.Wehavenotevenbeguntoef-fectivelyaddressthemanyimpactsthisprojectwouldhaveonACFNsAboriginalandtreatyrightsyettheyhavealreadygrantedanap-provalTheapprovaloftheprojectwashypocriticalononehandtheyoutlinedallofthevariousviolationsoflawsandlegislationbutultimatelyapprovedtheprojectinthepublicinterest.Franklyitsinsultingandunlawful.InitscaseACFNallegesthatCanadabreacheditsdutytoconsultandaccommodateACFNandthatthemitigationmeasuresofferedareincon-sistentwithlegislationpro-tectingmigratorybirdsandspeciesatrisk.ACFNremainsunsatisedwiththeCrownsresponsetoconsultandaccommo-datestatedDoreenSomersACFNsIndustryRelationCorp.IRCconsultationco-ordinatorinapressreleaselastweek.TheCrownisun-willingtomeaningfullyad-dresstheextensiveconcernswehavebroughtforwardbe-foreduringandafterthepub-licreviewprocessforShellsJackpineMineExpansion.TheFirstNationisre-questingthatthedecisiontoapprovetheminebesus-pendeduntiladequatecon-sultationandaccommodationtakesplace.ThelegalchallengeisdrivenbyACFNsEldersDeclarationoutliningapro-tectionzonenorthoftheFire-bagRiveranareatheysayiscriticalforprotectingat-riskwildlifepopulationsandtheconstitutionallyguaranteedtraditionalland-useactivi-tiesoftheFirstNation.PhotoMikeHudemaPhotoMikeHudemaACFNChiefAllanAdamspeaksduringapressconferenceSundayinCalgarypriortoNeilYoungsnalconcertontheHonourtheTreatieslegaldefencefundbenettourjoinedbyACFNrepresentativesandscientistDr.DavidSchindlercentre.PoliticsFirstNations