The Southern Chiefs Organization is demanding a full environmental audit of Manitoba Hydro.
The organization said Friday that 26 of its member First Nations are affected by the environmental, cultural and economic impacts of flooding on Lake Winnipeg and its basin, controlled by the Crown corporation.
"Right now, we have 296 houses impacted by the flood this past spring, and there are still houses in need of repair," Peguis First Nation Chief Glenn Hudson said at a news conference at the chiefs' office in Winnipeg.
Leaders of the southern Manitoba First Nations say the situation has grown worse in the last two decades. They want the province and the federal government to promise an independent audit of all current and future hydro-related projects.
"We have to ensure that Manitoba Hydro is accountable for these changes," said Hudson.
Indian Affairs is helping to pay, but that doesn't solve the problem and won't prevent the continuous flooding that's making homes on the reserve mouldy, he said.
"Manitoba Hydro is the culprit," Hudson said in an interview.
"There are still people out of their homes in Winnipeg hotels," he said. "You tell me if other Manitobans would accept that."
Dauphin River First Nation Chief Emery Stagg said commercial fishing in his community has been hit hard by Hydro manipulating lake levels, and his community is being ignored.
"Hydro is never there for us. If there's a big storm in Gimli, they're there right away to set up berms."
In Sagkeeng First Nation, shoreline erosion from fluctuating lake levels is threatening homes.
"Seven homes are within 10 feet of the shore," said Coun. Lyle Morrisseau. "It used to be 50 feet."
The band councillor said there's been no compensation or offer of help from Hydro or the province's emergency measures organization.
"We've taken action ourselves," he said. "We've moved one home at a cost of $80,000, but we have another seven in a similar situation."
He said the province, the Crown utility and the federal government — which has a fiduciary responsibility to First Nations people — aren't taking responsibility to solve the problem or helping the community to stem the erosion.
"It's a constant ping-pong game," said Morrisseau.
The Southern Chiefs' Grand Chief Morris Shannacappo said they are planning a trip to Minneapolis to show Manitoba Hydro's major export customers they're not buying clean energy, but power produced at the peril of people's communities.
"We're not against development, but we're certainly against destruction," said Shannacappo.
(Winnipeg Free Press)
