Ontario Minister Michael Bryant, Aboriginal Affairs was in Sharbot Lake on Thursday May 8 2008 to hold talks with the Shabot Obaadjiwan First Nation. Discussions revolved around the uranium exploration at Robertsville, Ontario, 20 minutes north of Sharbot Lake on Highway 514. The Minister met with the Chief, Council and Justice Circle for 4hours. Elder William Commanda also attended the meeting.

Chief Doreen Davis said after the meeting, "the Minister listened quietly and respectfully to the opinions of the Elder, the Council and Justice Circle. He seemed particularly moved when Elder Commanda unveiled the Wampum Belt he had brought with him." The Wampum Belt, for which Elder Commanda is responsible, depicts three equal sized figures holding hands in a row and a cross. It represents an early agreement between the Algonquin, French and English to work together in partnership. The agreement was witnessed by a representative of the Vatican as indicated by the cross.

The Shabot are seeking consultation with the Province about the uranium exploration and are pressing for a moratorium on uranium mining until at least the resolution of the Algonquin land claim agreement. They are not interested in negotiating an impact benefit agreement with the mining company. "We pressed for a negotiated resolution, in keeping with the recommendations of the Linden Commission", said Chief Davis. "The Minister indicated he would be speaking with the Premier and the Ministers of Natural Resources, and Northern Development and Mines about his visit, but did not commit the Province to any particular action."

According to Chief Davis it is Ontario's choice how matters unfold from here. "We can negotiate or we can litigate. It is Ontario's call. Shabot Obaadjiwan has agreed to respect the rule of law. But we will also use the law to protect our rights. If there is no positive response from the Province before June 2, we will be proceeding with litigation against the Crown for failure to meet its lawful duty to engage in honourable consultation."

The Chief also spoke about the reasons why the Shabot Obaadjiwan are so passionate about this issue. "We rely on these lands for our food, medicine and peace of mind. Our children's future happiness and well-being is dependent on the health of this land. We know that the health and well-being of the settlers also depends on the health of this land. We wish to ensure these lands are used for sustainable purposes. Uranium mining is the exact opposite."

The land currently staked for uranium exploration is a wetland, rich in biological diversity. It has been identified as an area with significant and sensitive environmental and conservation interests. Canada and Ontario have committed to the protection of biological diversity and to respect the relationship between Aboriginal cultures and the environment. There is a positive relationship between biological diversity and the health of Aboriginal cultures because Aboriginal peoples rely on these areas to sustain their needs for food and medicine. Protecting Aboriginal rights to use these lands in a sustainable fashion will ensure the wetland environment and its high biological diversity will be sustained and protected for the future. Likewise, protecting the environment will ensure the survival of Algonquin culture in this territory for generations to come.

As Chief Davis noted, "Not only is this an issue of Aboriginal rights and a breach of the duty to consult by the Crown, but a significant environmental issue for everyone. We are fighting to protect our Aboriginal rights so that we can protect the environment and these environmentally sensitive lands".