“We need a seat at the table.”
That’s according to Williams Lake First Nations (WLFN) Chief Willie Sellars who attended the BC Natural Resource Forum in Prince George yesterday (January 16th).
“We are a resource-based economy in Williams Lake. What we want to do is build relationships, create revenue streams, and make sure that we are a part of the works that are happening in our traditional territory, because of the significance of the impacts that those works have to our traditional territory.”
Chief Sellars says that the WLFN is approaching new opportunities with an “open heart and open mind”, adding politicians and industry need to keep that in mind to work together when making new policies and diversity within forestry.
“We want to be a part of those conversations, and we welcome anyone that wants to have a conversation, as long as it’s respectful and we’re holding each other up at the same time.”
WLFN is one of the largest employers in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, and in the traditional territory, with a logging company, holds in the cannabis industry, retail space, and exploring improvement opportunities in health and wellness.
Chief Sellars says First Nations are looking at ways to diversify their economies, while looking at the legacy and impacts forestry projects have on their territory.
He thinks about the economies in Indigenous communities in different territories across the country.
“We are going to be the backbones of these economies, especially in rural communities in this province. Politicians have to hold up what First Nations are representing in their community, and how we can continue to work together.”
– Files from Teryn Midzain, My Cariboo Now staff
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