Director of Treaty, Rights, & Governance,
“Giant Mine is a Monster that has loomed over many generations of Yellowknives Dene.
It is constantly changing shape, but its legacy is always destruction and death.”
– Johanne Black, Director – Treaty, Rights, & Governance Yellowknives Dene First Nation
Giant Mine Monster and the Yellowknives Dene
The Giant Mine is one of the richest and longest-running gold mines in Canadian history.
Between 1948 and 2004 it produced seven million ounces of gold. The companies that controlled the mine made more than $1 billion in profits, with millions in subsidies from Canada.
But for Yellowknives Dene it unearthed a monster.
It destroyed the critical harvesting area our ancestors had long protected.
Arsenic contaminated our air and water.
It poisoned our people and caused the death of at least one child.
All with the Government of Canada’s knowledge, permission, and support.
Together, we are doing better.
With your help, our petition had over 32,000 signatures, and led to three initial agreements to set the path for the work ahead.
Yellowknives Dene is bringing together community leaders and Giant Mine survivors to formally call on Canada to provide an apology and compensation for the damage and long-lasting impact to their lands and people caused by Giant Mine’s operations: The Giant Mine Monster.
Guardians of Eternity – ShebaFilms © 2018
Giant Mine created a decades-long toxic legacy of broken promises, displacement, arsenic contamination, and ongoing social, environmental, and economic harm to the Yellowknives Dene people.
During the time Giant Mine was operating, Canada did not protect us from the arsenic poisoning coming from Giant Mine. Our community remembers the illnesses and deaths caused by the mine, but Canada did not warn us of the contamination of our food and water.
Our land is spoiled. It is not like what it was. We are fearful of harvesting anything near Giant Mine. We are fearful of fishing in the Yellowknife Bay and gathering berries close by.
“My parents…they used that area lots because it was good berry-picking, and it was good fishing there, and a good hunting area for moose, and other small game like rabbit, grouse, beavers, and muskrat…
They had a good diet there at the time. But as the mine progressed, and they weren’t told they were going to use all kinds of, you know, how to get the gold out, different stuff to get the gold out, all the poisons that they use… They weren’t told at the time.” – Phillip Liske
“My parents…they used that area lots because it was good berry-picking, and it was good fishing there, and a good hunting area for moose, and other small game like rabbit, grouse, beavers, and muskrat…
They had a good diet there at the time. But as the mine progressed, and they weren’t told they were going to use all kinds of, you know, how to get the gold out, different stuff to get the gold out, all the poisons that they use… They weren’t told at the time.” – Phillip Liske
Before the Giant Mine
The Yellowknives Dene people have occupied and used an extensive area around Tı Ndeè, or Great Slave Lake, in what is now Canada’s Northwest Territories, since time immemorial.
The west side of Yellowknife Bay, where the Giant Mine site and the City of Yellowknife are today, was particularly important to the Yellowknives Dene for harvesting, cultural and spiritual practices. The Yellowknives Dene protected this area by establishing their villages on the east side of the bay and only visiting “the store,” as Elders still call it today, for hunting and gathering purposes.
No Consultation
Canada allowed Giant Mine to disrupt our hunting way of life the Government had promised to protect.
Canada knew arsenic from the mine poisoned the water sources we relied on.
But Canada never consulted or even communicated effectively with us about the mine or its risks.
No Consultation
Canada allowed Giant Mine to disrupt our hunting way of life the Government had promised to protect.
Canada knew arsenic from the mine poisoned the water sources we relied on.
But Canada never consulted or even communicated effectively with us about the mine or its risks.
A Toxic Legacy
1940s – Canada encourages gold roasting at Giant Mine – a process the Government knew released arsenic directly into surrounding air and water.
1950s – Arsenic from Giant Mine kills one child and sickens multiple Yellowknives Denemembers.
Today – 237,000 tonnes of arsenic trioxide are still stored inside the mine. Canada has no idea how to get rid of this poison and no plan for its disposal.
Reconciliation
Today, Canada has the opportunity to address these wrongs and to reconcile with our people.
We call upon Canada to apologize to the Yellowknives Dene First Nation and to ensure our people, who have suffered Giant Mine’s toxic legacy, benefit from repairing it.
Although Giant Mine makes it impossible for us to exercise our harvesting rights in our own backyard, it does not extinguish our rights to manage the environment.