Scandium Canada Ltd. (TSX-V: SCD) has publicly welcomed and commended the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach for its announcement advancing the first phase of the Naskapi Nuuhchiimiiu Maaskinuw Project. This Nation-led initiative aims to assess potential multi-user access corridor options within Nuchimiyuschiiy, the traditional Naskapi territory, and examine their environmental, cultural, social, and economic implications.
As described in a June 12 press release by the Naskapi Nation, the initiative is a community-driven assessment grounded in engagement with community members, Elders, land users, and neighbouring Nations. The project is intended to gather information, conduct due diligence, and support informed decision-making regarding future infrastructure options.
Scandium Canada firmly believes that decisions about infrastructure in Nunavik must involve all First Nations and Inuit sharing that territory. The Company supports and salutes the Naskapi Nation's leadership in evaluating access corridor options and recognizes the priorities the Naskapi Nation has placed at the centre of this work: environmental stewardship, traditional land use, Indigenous governance, and collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and users of the corridor.
"We commend the Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach for the leadership it is showing with the potential multi-user access corridor of the Nuuhchiimiiu Maaskinuw Project," said Guy Bourassa, Chief Executive Officer of Scandium Canada. "What matters to us is that the benefits of development reach the people whose land makes it possible. We are deeply committed to a relationship that delivers lasting, shared value to the Naskapi Nation and neighbouring communities."
Scandium Canada emphasizes that the Nuuhchiimiiu Maaskinuw Project is an independent initiative led by the Naskapi Nation. The Company fully respects the objectives of the assessment, which is intended to gather information, carry out due diligence, and support informed decision-making on future infrastructure options.
In alignment with the Nation's initiative, Scandium Canada continues its own engagement with Indigenous communities connected to the Crater Lake project, which includes a hydrometallurgical plant in Schefferville. The Company aims to foster dialogue, understand community priorities, and build lasting relationships based on trust, mutual respect, and collaboration.
This announcement is significant because it underscores the importance of Indigenous-led infrastructure planning in resource development. By supporting the Naskapi Nation's independent assessment, Scandium Canada aligns itself with principles of free, prior, and informed consent, potentially setting a precedent for how mining companies engage with First Nations in Quebec. The outcome of this assessment could influence the development of the Crater Lake project, which aims to become North America's primary scandium source, and impact broader economic opportunities in Nunavik.
