Connie O’Connor

Ontario’s free-entry mining system allows prospectors to stake mineral claims on Indigenous territories with minimal oversight and no prior consultation. Once staked, these claims grant exclusive exploration rights—often in ways that physically disturb culturally and ecologically significant areas. The duty to consult First Nations is triggered only when prospectors apply for a mineral exploration permit. This presentation will highlight, as illustrated in the Mineral Tracker developed by Wildlife Conservation Society Canada, challenges with these practices in high-activity regions like the Ring of Fire due to the volume of exploration notifications requiring review by Indigenous communities of the implications to continued traditional uses and cultural practices.

Session Facilitator: Faiza Waheed