‘Neo-colonial’ environmental activists are tearing First Nations apart
‘Environmental NGOs misrepresent and abuse Indigenous communities to interfere in resource development’
Canadians need to be made aware of the ways in which non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are interfering in Indigenous participation in Canada’s natural resource sector.
These organizations — which are almost all foreign entities with Canadian branches — hire activists and promote misleading commentary about Canada’s oil and gas sector and First Nations’ interest in development. These organizations, which include the Sierra Club, Stand Earth, World Wildlife Federation and Tides Foundation, have garnered a great deal of sympathetic attention from the national and international media.
But in my experience in northern British Columbia, there are dozens of NGOs funded by both government and interest groups that actively befriend Indigenous communities, groups and urban organizations with the goal of using the community’s political capital to block and stall the development of Canada’s natural resources, particularly the oil and gas sector.
Canada’s unwillingness and inability to prevent interest groups from interfering in and blocking natural resource development harms Canada’s international standing among our energy starved democratic allies and stops us from opening new markets for our energy products.
