by Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press
Posted May 9, 2021 5:00 am ADT
Last Updated May 9, 2021 at 5:09 am ADT
VANCOUVER — Demand for jade has sparked both a reality TV series set in the remote northwestern corner of British Columbia and opposition from an Indigenous nation over its lack of consent
to jade mining in its territory.
The Tahltan Nation has strong ties to the mining and mineral exploration sector, but the extraction of nephrite jade is “a very problematic industry for us,” said Chad Norman Day, president of the Tahltan Central Government.
B.C.’s consultation with the nation over jade mining permit applications has been “minimal,” Day said in an interview, and in recent years the nation has expressed opposition to new permits and the industry overall.