First Nation blasts boat decision

By Connor McDowell, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Brandon Sun The chief of Keeseekoowenin Ojibway First Nation issued a statement last week saying he did not consent to the return of motorboats at Clear Lake. Chief Dwayne Sonny Blackbird, responding last Wednesday to Parks Canada’s boat policy announcement earlier in the day, said the decision did not reflect a collaborative or mutually supported outcome, even though engagement sessions took place. “Our people have a sacred responsibility to protect these waters,” Blackbird said in a public letter. “Engagement without consent is not partnership, it is process without authority. We will not allow our rights to be interpreted as agreement where none has been given.” He said the First Nation, which has land on the northwest shore of Clear Lake, would continue to…

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