Deusdedit Ruhangariyo
Special to ICT
Around the world: The Canadian government hopes to share ownership of the Trans Mountain pipeline, an Aboriginal call center is drawing accolades in Australia, and Vietnam detains activists for distributing UN papers on Indigenous rights
CANADA: Government offers stakes in Trans Mountain pipeline
The Canadian government is planning to sell stakes in the Trans Mountain oil pipeline expansion to Indigenous groups with financial support from the federal government, CBC News reported on Aug. 9.
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A letter spelling out the details of the potential purchase was recently sent to Indigenous groups by Finance Minister Chrystia Freeman. The letter was first obtained and reported on by Bloomberg, CBC reported.
The letter outlines a strategy for Indigenous groups along the path of the Trans Mountain pipeline and within the shipping corridor to own a portion of the project.
The Trans Mountain pipeline expansion involves the “twinning” of the existing pipeline route extending from Strathcona County, Alberta, to Burnaby, British Columbia., and crosses numerous traditional Indigenous territories and reserves.
The federal government acquired the Trans Mountain pipeline from Kinder Morgan in 2018 for $4.5 billion. In 2019, the government committed to its expansion and indicated it was investigating the potential for economic involvement of 129 Indigenous groups in the project.
“This commitment was made in response to interest from Indigenous groups,” stated a government of Canada press release, which indicated that potential forms of economic participation included “equity ownership, revenue sharing, and resource ‘royalty’ agreements,” according to CBC News.
Other Indigenous activists, however, have protested against the expansion, saying trees will be felled to expand the path of the pipeline.
Costs have continued to rise for the pipeline. As of March 2023, the project’s expenses had surged to $30.9 billion, up 44 percent from the $21.4 billion cost projection from the previous year.
AUSTRALIA: Aboriginal-owned call center brings jobs
Australia’s first-ever Indigenous-owned and -operated call center and technology provider debuted at the Supply Nation “Connect” Conference with the goal of empowering Indigenous communities, National Indigenous Times reported on Aug. 9.
The First Nations Network, which hopes to pioneer a home-based flexible work model and enable community members to provide call center services, underscores the company’s objective of generating employment opportunities in Indigenous communities, National Indigenous Times reported.
“The mission is to foster meaningful employment opportunities for First Nations people within community, jobs that have a low barrier to entry and a skillset that is transferable to enable staff to work within their communities which could have a huge effect in remote and regional settings,” siad John Burgess, a Gurindji man who co-founded the First Nations Network.
The idea originated with Burgess’ agency, Little Rocket, in collaboration with Unity4, an international call center and technology enterprise. Unity4 has previously conducted a successful pilot with the Māori community in New Zealand and the local community in Western Australia.
Mark Vaughn, co-founder of Unity4 and director at First Nations Network, said the joint effort will help local communities.
“With this novel service, our aim is to forge routes to achievement and self-reliance,” Vaughn told National Indigenous Times. “Our commitment is centered on nurturing talent and providing clear career development programs, from entry-level positions to management roles.”
VIETNAM: Activists arrested for sharing UN Indigenous report
Three members of Vietnam’s Khmer Krom minority group accused of distributing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples were arrested in the Mekong Delta region, Radio Free Asia reported on July 31.
One of the men identified, To Hoang Chuong from Tra Vinh province, had reportedly been subjected to physical assault by local policemen in June while he was visiting a friend in the neighboring Soc Trang province, according to Radio Free Asia’s Vietnamese Service.
The other two men apprehended, Danh Minh Quang from Soc Trang province and Thach Cuong from Tra Vinh province, had been reported for distributing copies of the UN report, authorities told local media.
UNDRIP, as the report is known, asserts the rights of Indigenous peoples to uphold and advance their political, economic, and social systems or institutions.
The Khmer Krom, a community numbering almost 1.3 million, reside in a region of Vietnam that was historically part of southeastern Cambodia. Over time, they have encountered significant limitations on their freedom of expression, assembly, and movement, Radio Free Asia reported.
Charges have been filed against the three men under Article 331 of the Penal Code, citing “abuse of democratic freedoms.” This legal provision is often employed by Vietnamese authorities to suppress individuals advocating for human rights.
The Union of Khmers Kampuchea Krom, based in the U.S., has condemned the “brutal and inhuman treatment” of Chuong by the Soc Trang Provincial Police.
Soc Trang provincial authorities surrounded the home of two other activists, and have harassed some for wearing T-shirts showing the Khmer Kampuchea Krom flag.
The Vietnamese government has prohibited human rights publications and has exercised strict control over the practice of Theravada Buddhism by the group. The religious practice is considered a cornerstone of their unique culture and ethnic identity.
My final thoughts
My final thoughts are in Canada where the federal government, in a commendable move, has advanced its dedication to facilitating Indigenous groups’ involvement in the Trans Mountain pipeline expansion project.
This action recognizes the inherent right of these Indigenous communities to have a stake in projects that directly intersect with their traditional territories and ancestral lands.
By extending the opportunity for Indigenous groups to invest in the pipeline expansion, the government is not only acknowledging the historical injustices and marginalization faced by these communities, but also acknowledging their vital role as custodians of the land.
I urge other governments the world over to emulate this Canadian example. Indigenous peoples must not be left behind while their ancestral lands are being used to bring developments to their regions and communities.
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