The future of Bristol Bay should be decided by Bristol Bay

It was very disappointing to see former Alaska Native leader Willie Hensley from Northwest Alaska touting his support of the proposed Pebble mine.

The Pebble Limited Partnership used Mr. Hensley in their ads because they are hard pressed to find any leadership in Bristol Bay willing to endorse the proposed Pebble mine. While we are saddened by Mr. Hensley’s disregard for the people of Bristol Bay, we want to make sure Alaskans know that Mr. Hensley does not and will never speak for the Native people in our region.

For nearly two decades, more than 80% of the people of Bristol Bay and our regional organizations have been fighting to protect our Yup’ik, Dena’ina and Alutiiq way of life from the Pebble mine. More than 90% of the testimony across the region at the public hearings on Pebble’s permit review last spring was opposed to the mine. And in a poll commissioned by Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) last spring, 76% of BBNC shareholders opposed the project, and 85 percent were concerned about the potential risks. Poll after poll, year after year, our people have been unwavering in our fight against the Pebble mine to protect our way of life. A majority of Alaskans are with us as well: The BBNC poll last spring showed more than 50% of Alaskans oppose the mine.

This opposition is well-founded. The company has been and continues to be a bad neighbor in our region, and the project itself is not scientifically sound. In 2014, the EPA studied several mine sizes and concluded that Pebble would do irreparable harm to our watershed. With Pebble’s permit application in hand, state and federal scientists have raised serious concerns on the mine plan this year, saying that it could have significant adverse impacts on our watershed – that water is the basis for our entire way of life. And that is a risk we cannot take, no matter what a leader from another region tries to say.

We do not appreciate and will not tolerate Pebble, the government or others disrespecting our rights as Native peoples and we will not stand silently as Mr. Hensley attempts to tell us and Alaskans what is best for the people of Bristol Bay. We didn’t get involved in Mr. Hensley’s home region’s decision to develop Red Dog Mine, or any of their in-region disputes that followed. We didn’t get involved because we respect other region’s rights to self-determination, to make its own decisions about appropriate economic activity in their homeland. Mr. Hensley needs to afford Bristol Bay the same respect.

We sincerely hope Mr. Hensley can come to respect our region’s position on Pebble, a position that is rooted in our values as the Native people of Bristol Bay. We will continue to teach our children to respect and protect the lands and waters that have sustained our people since time immemorial so our descendants can thrive here for generations to come. We understand some things are more precious than gold, and Mr. Hensley should respect our decision that Pebble is a risk we will never be willing to take.

Joe Chythlook is the chairman of Bristol Bay Native Corporation.

Ralph Andersen is the CEO of Bristol Bay Native Association.

Robin Samuelsen is the president of Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation.

Robert Heyano is the president of United Tribes of Bristol Bay.

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