There is a large movement among Sub-Arctic First Nations communities to return to traditional land use activites (hunting, trapping) as a way to reduce their reliance on government support. Flooding the land seriously threatens their way of life and their ability to provide for themselves economically. It is short sighted to suggest that we should in some way be able to reneg on the contracts we negotiated (Treaty 8 in this case) just because we want the land now.
If economic conditions have changed so much as to render the treaties outdated, reopen negotiations and re-settle the land claims. That is the sollution that many First Nations people want.
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