#No.36 Mount Polley, Indigenous Land Rights and the Real Cost of Mining – with Nuskmata

In this episode, I speak with Nuskmata , Jacinda Mack  Indigenous land defender from the Nlaka’pamux and Secwépemc peoples, and a long-standing advocate for reform in the global mining industry. We return to the 2014 Mount Polley mine disaster, when a tailings dam collapsed into the Fraser River watershed. More than a decade on, the consequences are still unfolding. Communities lost food sources that had sustained them for generations. Questions remain about water quality. How the clean up is only partial and the effects of the dam burst that will last for hundreds of years if not for ever .  We talk about what it means when a mine waste tailings facility  within twenty years. How the promised prosperity for the mine  did not materialise in the way it was sold. Higher-paid jobs largely went to those flown in and out, while local people were left with the social strain  increased alcohol, drugs, prostitution  and the fracture of community life. Nuskmata shares her experience as spokesperson for the Northern Secwépemc Tribal Council after the disaster, her work shaping Indigenous mining policy, and her ongoing efforts to centre Indigenous rights, environmental protection and accountability in extractive industries worldwide. 📣 Share, review, and help amplify our story -Have a listen, and if you have time  hit the  follow button  5 stars and a review on the podcast app , and please share if you can. it really makes a difference to the algorithm    LINKS FOR THIS INTERVIEW  https://open.spotify.com/album/78aNBVp2xfXkqjH4VM72Ew?si=YLUsqAj8S5acC4rnop91nQ Link to album with which Nusmaka collaborated with on  - specifically tracks 2,4, 9  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Iwf1AuZCQ Dr. Ray Kostaschuk, a geoscientist specialising in sedimentary processes in rivers, lakes and estuaries, presented to the PH Wildlife Society on February 21st, 2023 the environmental impacts of the Mount Polley Mine tailing dam catastrophe. https://youtu.be/P2dUNMcvDLI?si=T6MO8Tl4jXjbiJq9   Mount Polley  is the most significant environmental mining disaster in Canadian history. Seven years later, there have still been no charges or fines issued against Mount Polley for the disaster. Instead, Mount Polley has received permits to pollute by being allowed a mine wastewater discharge pipe into Quesnel Lake. Concerned Citizen of Quesnel Lake want the pipe removed.   Link to Dr Steven Emerman podcast No.23  https://buttonsoptions4u.podbean.com/e/dr-steven-h-emerman-%e2%80%93-the-science-of-failure-truth-risk-and-responsibility/   SAVE OUR SPERRINS ( Social Media)  https://linktr.ee/saveoursperrins   https://www.youtube.com/@SaveOurSperrins   LINKS TO OTHER RESOURCES  http://caimnetwork.org/mining-in-ireland/ Mining in Ireland is a contentious issue, with 19% of the Republic of Ireland and 27% of Northern Ireland’s land area issued in prospecting licences. While mining companies claim to bring jobs and development, communities like those near Tara Mines and Gypsum Ltd have faced significant environmental and social impacts. Communities Against the Injustice of Mining (CAIM) is an all-island network resisting prospecting and extraction. https://yestolifenotomining.org/ The Yes to Life, No to Mining website is a global hub for communities resisting destructive mining projects. It shares stories from the frontlines, practical resources for local campaigns, and research that exposes the true costs of extraction. The network connects people around the world who are protecting their land, water, and ways of life, and promotes alternatives grounded in care for nature and community wellbeing. https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/after-the-goldrush-by-gerry-mcgovern/id1681123169 Do Irish people know that Ireland has been selected as a Green sacrifice song for the so-called green technology, renewable energy transition from the beautiful wilds of Clare, Wicklow and Leitrim to the outstanding natural beauty of the Sperrin mountains of Tyrone. Rural Ireland is on Big Mining's chopping block. This podcast is about the power of community, about how communities of Ireland are organising to stop this disaster happening. For short term returns, the government wants to sell Ireland  to mining interests as silently and quietly as possible. Let's make some noises. We will try to unravel why the Irish government is doing this   LINKS TO Greencastle People’s Office(GPO) Facebook Page - and the site of the GPO ( The GPO is a humble caravan which has become a hub for the campaign against the goldmine )     https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063579042613&sk=about   https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cz7FHdUoi5ByxECz7?g_st=ipc   #dontmineus #SaveOurSperrins #notoxicmining  #EnvironmentPodcast #JusticePodcast #ActivismPodcast #IrishPodcast #HumanRights