Another tribe in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta has come out against the proposed Donlin gold mine. Kasigluk passed an anti-Donlin resolution last week; all five of its traditional council members voted in favor of it.
Kasigluk is the 12th tribe to take a stand against Donlin in the past two years. Its council members are concerned over the mine’s potential impacts to health, the environment, and the subsistence lifestyle that most Y-K Delta residents practice. The mine could be one of the biggest in the world if completed.
The village sits on the Johnson River, a tributary of the Kuskokwim River, and about 100 miles downriver from the proposed mine site. The project’s opponents fear a mine accident could contaminate the Kuskokwim River and its tributaries, which are vital food sources for the region.
However Donlin Gold, the company developing the mine, says that they held more than 400 meetings in the region to address those concerns. The project recently got two major federal permits that will allow the mine to proceed.
So far, the tribes against the mine are: Kasigluk, Bethel’s ONC Tribe, Eek, Tuluksak, Tununak, Nunapitchuk, Chuloonawick, Kwigillingok, Kongiganak, Chefornak, Chevak, and Napakiak.