Indigenous-Led Development: Det’on Cho-Nahanni, Cheetah Resources Sign Mining Agreement For Rare Earth Project

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January 23, 2020

The Northwest Territories made history yesterday at AME Roundup in Vancouver.

For the first time, an Indigenous government-owned business in Canada signed a contract to lead a mine site. And for the first time, a rare earths project is poised to begin in Canada.

Det’on Cho – Nahanni will lead a three-year demonstration project to extract rock from Cheetah Resources’ Nehchalacho deposit, stockpile it, and screen out mineralized ore for sorting by Cheetah.

Premier Caroline Cochrane and Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment Katrina Nokleby joined leadership from Det’on Cho – Nahanni, the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, and Cheetah Resources at a signing ceremony at AME Roundup.

Minister Nokleby summed up the importance of this initiative to the NWT, and to Canada, in remarks at the ceremony. 

“It is fitting that this chapter in our mining future begins with this story of firsts: Canada’s first rare earths mine and the first Indigenous government poised to lead a mine site in our country. Our government looks forward to seeing this partnership unfold; this demonstration project succeed; and our territory take its place once again at the centre of an evolution in Canadian mining,” the Minister concluded.

Read Minister Nokleby's full remarks here.

The government’s participation in the event reinforced the commitment they made when they traveled to Roundup this year — to put their priority of increasing exploration at the fore and highlight the NWT’s leadership in sustainable development.