Indigenous Communities and Organizations
Numerous partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations
For the Wasamac mining project, we maintain communications and exchanges with twelve (12) communities and organizations based mainly in Abitibi-Témiscamingue.
This meaningful collaboration has three main objectives:
- to promote communication and collaboration with Indigenous communities and organizations on the environmental impact assessment and subsequent project phases;
- to share information about the project regularly and transparently;
- to encourage Indigenous communities and organizations to define their rights, discuss the project’s impacts on those rights, and work with us to identify effective mitigation measures.
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Photos: Representatives of the Abitibiwinni and Timiskaming First Nations visited
the Wasamac project site on August 26, 2021
Demonstrating our collaborative approach, several activities were arranged with Indigenous communities and organizations in 2021. Here are a few good examples:
- Multiple communications (newsletters, correspondence, telephone conversations, site tours, etc.) were used to share information and develop a close relationship with the respondents of each interested community.
- More than a dozen online meetings were held to explain the project, discuss elements of interest to the Indigenous communities and organizations, and plan joint tasks for the environmental impact assessment.
- An initial multi-community meeting was held at the end of the year to discuss water issues and promote concerted dialogue on a wider, regional scope.
- Operational agreements have encouraged the involvement of Indigenous communitiesand organizations in drilling work, inventory-taking, and producing studies.
Our team will continue to seek out ideas, advice and feedback from Indigenous communities and organizations to help us create a project that takes their interests and ancestral presence on the land into consideration.
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2021-2022 progress report – relations with Indigenous communities and organizations as part of the impact study
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Glenn Polson, Coopérative PikoganSince the launch of the impact study for the Wasamac underground mining project in March 2021, numerous communications and exchanges have taken place with the Indigenous communities and organizations interested in taking part in the assessment of the project's impacts.
Throughout the discussions, it was possible to identify various issues relating to the Wasamac project and its review, as defined and expressed by Indigenous communities and organizations. These comments, questions and suggestions contributed to the process of optimization and continuous improvement of the project, in order to prevent or limit the impacts on the environment. The entire Yamana Gold team as well as the firms involved in relations with the community and the carrying out of the impact study would like to thank the teams from the Indigenous communities and organizations for their time and their contribution to improving the project and for the collaborative process.
We invite you to consult this 2021-2022 progress report to see the efforts undertaken as well as the concrete impact of the contributions received at the level of the project and its review.
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Meetings with Indigenous communities – summer 2022
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As part of the ongoing impact study, the Yamana Gold team recently had the opportunity between May and July to meet with three Indigenous communities, namely the First Nations of Abitibiwinni, Long Point and Timiskaming. The objective of these meetings was to discuss with them and some of their members on the evolution of the project and the environmental impact study to which several communities are contributing, to hear their concerns and suggestions for improvement on the project and to take stock of the various collaboration and business opportunities available to them in the months and years to come. Members of the Yamana team were warmly welcomed to the 3 communities and would like to thank them for their respective contribution to the ongoing dialogue as the project evolves.
It should be noted that operational agreements are in place with certain communities to confirm their involvement, in particular in the conduct of inventories, the revision of studies on various components of the project and sometimes even the production of studies led by themselves.
A series of thematic meetings with the communities concerned is planned for September with the aim of continuing to solicit their ideas, advice, and concerns in order to build a project that respects their interests, values and ancestral presence in the territory.
