Jim - generally what happens is that some company will do exploraton and find a resource to exploit For example, deBeers' diamond mine near Attawapiskat. The natives then complain and set up blockades to extort money out of the company.
In November 2005 after three years of negotiation, a comprehensive Impact Benefit Agreement (IBA) was reached between De Beers Canada and Attawapiskat First Nation. That agreement includes specific compensation and protocols to ensure Attawapiskat First Nation is the primary beneficiary of benefits available during the construction, operation and closure of the Victor Mine. Compensation includes items such as training, employment, business opportunities and direct financial compensation.
The company then dumps huge amounts of money, training and opportunities into the natives' laps:
Since the start of construction (2005), over $325 million in contracts have been awarded to solely owned or joint venture companies run by the community.
Just this year alone (2011), contracts awarded to the community total $51 million. Earlier in this note I referred to the training facility we are operating in the community.
And then the companies give even more:
In fact, this was the second training facility that we constructed and donated to the community at a combined cost of almost $2 million. The community runs the other facility. Every year for more than five years, we have been purchasing and delivering new books to every child in the community from kindergarten to Grade 12 as part of a program to grow literacy and education levels in the community.
We also have in place a scholarship program. In support of the efforts for a new school, we donated project trailers, helped the community review a design proposal and offered our project management expertise.
And they give even more:
In 2009, a sewage backup in Attawapiskat displaced nearly 100 people. Although we had only been in operation for one year, we flew crews and project managers into the community at our expense to reconfigure previously donated multi-unit trailers into emergency housing for those displaced by the situation. These trailers are the same type still being used today by a number of our own employees at our mine, which is also fly-in/fly-out.
Working with the community over a period of a couple of weeks, we were able to complete that project just before the first snow. The value of the trailers combined with the costs to deliver them to the community, redesign and install them totaled more than $3 million � a cost covered by De Beers Canada.In 2009/2010, De Beers Canada funded consultant work on behalf of Attawapiskat First Nation so the community could undertake a comprehensive study into their housing situation.
In addition to those hundreds of millions, the Federal government has given Attawapiskat $104 Million since 2006.
Does that answer your question about the prospects of those aboriginals living in remote areas where no work exists?
