An Indigenous advocate in northern Ontario says his community's past experience with Anglo American PLC's diamond mining subsidiary De Beers doesn't inspire confidence that the proposed merger of the British company and Vancouver-based Teck Resources Ltd. will benefit indigenous peoples.
Charles Hukimo, former director of lands and resources for the Attawapiskat First Nation, detailed his concerns in a letter earlier this month to federal Industry Minister Mélanie Joly, whose department is studying whether the $70-billion deal will be a net positive for Canada.
“I have observed first-hand that Anglo American has consistently failed to ensure that its subsidiary is upholding its social responsibility and the treaty rights of the Kattawapiskak (Attawapiskat) First Nations,” writes Hukimo, who now works as a freelance consultant on Indigenous issues.
“Despite repeated attempts to engage in respectful dialogue, Anglo American turned a blind eye, allowing its subsidiary to operate irresponsibly on our traditional territory.”
De Beers is 85 percent owned by Anglo American, with the rest owned by the Botswana government. Anglo American has controlled De Beers since 2011.
Anglo American intends to spin off or sell its stake in De Beers and a spokesman said the deal with Teck does not change those plans.
De Beers has a checkered history in Attawapiskat, a remote Cree community located near the shores of James Bay. Its Victor open pit mine operated from 2008 to 2019.
Residents complained that they saw no meaningful economic benefit from the mine as they continued to live in extreme poverty and lacked access to clean drinking water and adequate housing. In 2013, some community members blocked the winter access road in protest.
There was a lengthy legal battle with environmental groups, culminating in the company pleading guilty in 2021 to one count of failing to report monitoring data on mercury levels in water.
The decommissioning of the mine also caused controversy. The First Nation opposed De Beers' plans to land demolition waste on site rather than trucking it over winter roads for recycling.
In an interview, Hukimo described the relationship between his community, where he still lives, and De Beers as a “broken marriage.”
The parent company should have been more involved, he added.
“I do believe that Anglo American could have played a role in ensuring that the agreement we made with the company would benefit the whole community and have a lasting positive impact, but that did not happen.”
If the deal goes through, the combined company will be called Anglo Teck and be headquartered in Vancouver. Teck and Anglo American said the combined organization would be committed to maintaining and expanding commitments to Indigenous communities.
In an email, Anglo American vice president of communications Marcelo Esquivel said Anglo Teck will have an organizational culture that promotes “recognition of the importance of respecting the rights of indigenous peoples and communities.”
The UK company already has a document setting out guidelines for “identifying and engaging with Indigenous Peoples throughout the life of the asset.”
“It supports facilities in managing impacts on Indigenous peoples to achieve mutually beneficial, sustainable and equitable outcomes,” Esquivel said.
“We recognize the special rights, status and potential vulnerabilities of indigenous peoples. In addition to the human rights that all people have, indigenous peoples also enjoy collective indigenous rights, which are defined in international standards, principles and legal instruments, and in many cases also in national legislation.”
Last month, Chief Clarence Louis of the Osoyoos First Nation in southern British Columbia expressed concerns about the merger, saying it could have a significant impact on First Nations and could not be completed without including First Nations.
At the landfill, Hukimo said Attawapiskat had to approach Anglo American to ask its subsidiary to scrap the idea, which it eventually did. There wasn't much interaction beyond that, he said, except that the parent company was copied in communicating with De Beers, so it was in the know.
“They forced us to fight with this company almost daily on every issue,” Hukimo said.
“I don't see anything good in this merger. I think we will have problems with this company.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 20, 2025.
Companies in this story: (TSX:TECK.B)
