Attached please find Legal…

Attached please find Legal Advocates for Nature's Defence's comments on behalf of the Friends of the Attawapiskat River, regarding Juno Corp's proposals for mineral exploration permits (ERO NO. 019-9399, 019-9400, 019-9401, 019-9402, 019-9403). The Friends of the Attawapiskat River, an Indigenous grassroots advocacy group, strongly oppose the proposals to issue the aforementioned mineral exploration permits to Juno Corp. As explained in our submission, the brief window of time in which to comment (thirty days) on each individual application, the lack of details regarding the potential adverse effects on the environment and Indigenous rights, and the absence of broader context and cumulative effects, are not consistent with the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR), do not meet the Crown's duty to consult, and inhibit the Friends’ ability, as Treaty rights holders, to meaningfully engage. Exploration activities in Treaty 9 territory, absent the free, prior and informed consent of the Indigenous people of Treaty 9, infringes on inherent and Treaty rights and will cause irreparable harm to the carbon-rich Hudson-James Bay Lowlands, which are critical to mitigating climate change and protecting biodiversity, and have been relied on by the Friends for food, water, medicine, traditional practices, ceremonies and burials since time immemorial.