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For the band councils of the Innu of Uashat-Maliotenam and Matimekush-Lac John, the almost 60 years of alleged damage is worth suing IOC for $900 million.

Although the allegations have yet to be proven in court, this case has already changed Canada’s natural resource landscape by clearing the way for Aboriginal communities to directly sue companies for damages instead of only being allowed to seek compensation from the government. The end result could be tens of billions’ worth of new lawsuits against Canadian companies.

The Innu have Impact Benefit Agreements with other companies in the area, including ArcelorMittal SA, which owns an iron ore mining operation just a few kilometers from IOC that started in the late 1950s.

Documents obtained by Radio-Canada show that the Uashat-Maliotenam band council receives between $12 and $15 million a year from these agreements, depending on the companies’ production.

But the Innu do not have one with IOC or its parent companies,global mining giant Rio Tinto, which acquired a 58.7-per-cent stake in 2000, Mitsubishi and Labrador Iron Ore Royalty Corp.

The Innu say IOC has sold nearly a billion tonnes of iron ore from its mines (at varying prices) in Schefferville, Que., and Labrador City, NL.

Negotiations broke down with Rio Tinto without a settlement in 2012 and the Innu got word the company was looking to sell its IOC assets. In March 2013, the Innu band councils sued.

“We sent a strong message to the company and all of their investors that would like to buy this company: before thinking to buy something, you should look at what is behind it,” said Jean-Claude Pinette, director of the Uashat mak Maliotenam land and protection office.