This game-changing mining lawsuit needs your support
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- Published on Sunday, 29 November -0001 16:00
- Written by editor

Dear Paov,
The first week of hearings just wrapped up today in Gitxaała Nation’s landmark legal challenge to BC’s mineral tenure regime. This ground-breaking case could change the future of mining in British Columbia – challenging the archaic system that currently grants mineral claims in Indigenous territories without consultation, consent or even notification.
As part of Gitxaała’s legal team, West Coast Environmental Law has been in the courtroom all week with Gitxaała leadership and allies supporting the case. Staff Lawyer Gavin Smith joined powerhouse lawyers from Ng Ariss Fong to make arguments against BC’s outdated mineral claim staking regime, which is completely out of step with both section 35(1) of the Constitution and the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Gitxaała’s case is the first to put BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA) to the test. A successful court outcome could result in a much-needed overhaul of BC’s mineral claim regime – which we and many others across the province have been demanding for decades.

If you can, please show your support for Gitxaała by making a donation today. Donate Right now, when you make a donation to the case, RAVEN will TRIPLE what you give, multiplying your impact. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to protect ecosystems, uphold Indigenous rights and make better laws, and it’s powered by people like you.
Sitting in court this week with Gitxaała and our colleagues, it’s been difficult to deny the transformative potential of this case. Challenging unjust colonial laws takes courage – but seeing the support flow in from people across the province continues to give us all hope.
You can be part of this game-changing legal challenge by supporting Gitxaała’s case now. Thank you for standing with us!
With gratitude,
Jessica Clogg, Executive Director & Senior Counsel
West Coast Environmental Law



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