Tthe Breathing Lands coalition intends to push Canadian law to recognize that First Nations in Treaty 9 share jurisdiction over territory in what is now northern Ontario. According to the treaty — in place from 1906 —  Indigenous signatories did not agree to “give up the land”, but rather to share it. By Indigenous interpretation, Treaty 9 was an agreement whereby two Peoples — settlers, and First Nations —  would peacefully coexist while maintaining their own social and political structures. 

This case will be a game-changer in terms of how decision-making happens in the far north of Ontario. In addition to creating a legal requirement that First Nations must consent to any development — including the "Ring of Fire_ —  and be equal partners in decision-making about what happens in their territory, the Nations are also hoping to advance the law. With an intent to push case law on the interpretation of historical treaties towards recognizing that many treaties did not cede and surrender Indigenous lands, the coalition is breaking new ground in the struggle for Indigenous justice that will benefit all Nations in the country.