Innu First Nations welcome dismissal of Rio Tinto's lawsuit appeal
The Supreme Court of Canada has rejected Rio Tinto's appeal to throw out a $900-million lawsuit filed by Innu First Nations in Quebec.
The lawsuit claimed the Iron Ore Company of Canada, majority owned by Rio Tinto, has violated the rights of the Innu First Nations of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam (Uashaunnuat) and Matimekush-Lac John for decades.
The Innu Nations said in a statement Rio Tinto and IOC were seeking to "delay the judicial process in the hopes that they would exhaust us," adding it was a strategy they were familiar with.
"This decision by the Supreme Court of Canada means that Rio Tinto (IOC) will no longer be able to evade our lawsuit," said Mike McKenzie, chief of Uashat Mak Mani-Utenam in the statement.
"We are more determined than ever to see it through to the end, and, sooner or later, the company will have to answer for what it has done, including its systematic violation of our rights since the 1950s."
The Innu claim the iron ore mines and other facilities operated by IOC and Rio Tinto have ruined the environment, displaced Innu from their territory and interfered with the traditional way of life.
In addition, the Innu say a 578-kilometre railway between Schefferville and Sept-Îles, Que., has opened their territory up to other destructive development projects.
With files from the Canadian Press