SAPOTAWEYAK CREE NATION BI-POLE III CHALLENGE

January 27, 2015. Treaty 4 Territory. The AMC Grand Chief Derek Nepinak is visiting the camp
of the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation today as they challenge proprietary interests in hydro
development in their ancestral lands.
In recent weeks, an attempt by Chief Nelson Genaille to seek an injunction before a provincial
court judge to delay the project was rejected. In light of his efforts, the community members
have decided to take the protection of their ancestral lands into their own hands. The AMC has
a standing mandate to support the efforts of the Sapotaweyak Cree Nation to challenge the bipole project to respect the original occupants of the land and the treaties that bind respectful
interactions.
I have observed divide and conquer economics being utilized by Manitoba Hydro to advance
its development agenda in the ancestral lands of our people. The bi-pole line itself adds a
further nuance of destruction to already significantly stressed eco-systems in the western part
of Manitoba. We have seen this with the loss of the moose population and fur bearers in the
region. This challenge by Sapotaweyak is supported by the Chiefs stated Grand Chief Nepinak.
Sapotaweyak Cree Nation is located in the central west of the province of Manitoba near Lake
Winnipegosis with a population of around 1000 community members living on-reserve.

For more information please contact:

Kayla Frank
Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs
204-296-3601
kfrank@manitobachiefs.com