Fifteen tribal nations in southeast Alaska have petitioned an international commission for human rights for help in influencing the Canadian government to take action against six mines in B.C. The Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission filed the petition Wednesday, seeking support in obtaining relief from mine violations, the Juneau Empire reported. The petition sent to the Washington, D.C-based Inter-American Commission on Human Rights claims the mines are likely to pollute rivers, threatening fish populations essential to maintaining life in the tribes. Petition seeks in-depth reviewEarthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law firm, has been working with the transboundary commission for about year on drafting the 215-page petition. The transboundary commission includes representatives from the Ketchikan Indian Community, Sitka Tribe of Alaska, and Juneau-based Central Council of Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska.

Source: CBC News December 08, 2018 00:22 UTC