Yukon First Nation calls for accountability over mine disaster

By Sonal Gupta, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Canada’s National Observer A year after the catastrophic collapse at Yukon’s Eagle Gold Mine, a government-commissioned investigation confirms a series of technical failures — including unstable slopes, faulty drainage and construction mistakes which sent nearly two million tonnes of cyanide-laced ore into the valley and local waterways. For the Na-Cho Nyäk Dun First Nation, whose traditional territory surrounds the mine, the disaster only confirmed what they already knew. Chief Dawna Hope said the community raised concerns about the mine’s safety for years, but their warnings were not heeded. “Our lands and our way of life are constantly under tremendous threat, and our treaty partner is failing to take steps to protect our traditional territory,” Hope said. The collapse upended daily life in surrounding…

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