Treaty 3 Grand Council Signs Energy East Communications and Engagement Funding Agreement – Idle No More

On July 27 at Wauzhusk Onigum, Grand Council Treaty #3 (GCT3) and Energy East Pipelines Ltd (a subsidiary of TransCanada) held a ceremony and public relations event for the announcement of a pre-signed, July 10 ratified Communications and Engagement Funding Agreement (CEFA) for the Energy East Pipeline project. The purpose of the CEFA is “information sharing and discussion… to identify and consider strategies or measures to avoid, mitigate and manage” concerns about impacts from the pipeline project. The CEFA deal does not signal consent for the pipeline project, but it does allow TransCanada to dictate and constrain the process of “consultation”—money always comes with strings. TransCanada is currently in discussion with many individual Treaty 3 First Nations Band Councils, in the hopes that they will lead to more CEFA deals. The GCT3 CEFA deal makes specific reference to “any regulatory or governmental authority that is… undertaking a review or assessment of the adequacy of consultations with GCT3 .“  So, while GCT3 is actually just an advocacy group for Treaty Rights, there is no doubt that TransCanada will be able to use this process as evidence of it having consulted with Treaty 3 First Nations. However, they still need to “consult” with individual First Nations that will be impacted by the pipeline. This is why it is more important than ever that grassroots organizing against the pipeline be supported and elevated.  

Join us for all or any part of Anishinaabe Water Walk from Eagle Lake to Shoal Lake against the Energy East pipeline, from August 2-8, and learn more about the Energy East Pipeline project, and what Anishinaabe people are doing to try to stop it. For more info contact Grassroots Indigenous Water Defence (GIWD) or visit http://anishinaabewaterwalk.causevox.com to donate. If you want support organizing against Energy East in your community, you can contact GIWD atGrassrootsIndigenous2015@gmail.com.

For a copy of the actual CEFA document click here.

For a preliminary analysis of CEFA click here.