By Eric Bowling, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, NWT News/North A recent sale of nearly half of an Australian firm’s holdings to an American-owned company, including a portion of a major project in the NWT, raises serious questions about First Nations’ rights over resources, says Yellowknives Dene First Nation. Vital Metals Inc., an Australian-owned mining operation, announced on Aug. 24 it was selling 19.5 per cent of its holdings, including the Nechalacho rare earths project in Chief Drygeese territory, to American-owned Strategic Resources LLC for approximately $2.7 million Canadian dollars. A further $3.4 million Canadian is being raised by selling off over 36 million more shares to “accredited U.S. investors” — approximately another 24.5 per cent of the company. In the announcement, Vital Metals says the funds raised will be put…
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