The chief of Aamjiwnaang First Nation says the community continues to work on a pilot project to address environmental racism as part of Bill C-226.
The bill, which received support from the federal government last year, aims to develop a national strategy to address the harm caused by environmental racism.
Chief Janelle Nahmabin said for Aamjiwnaang, environmental racism relates to allowances given to facilities for things that impact the environment and the health of community members.
"It's evident in our community that environmental racism has impacted us," she said.
The First Nation is still under a state of emergency, which was issued nearly one year ago, due to high levels of benzene emissions.
Nahmabin said Aamjiwnaang will be the pilot community as the legislation rolls out across Canada.
"Canada has two years to implement a plan and this could mean changes to plans, policies, laws and procedures," she said. "As we navigate through addressing environmental racism and pursuing environmental justice, it might be uncomfortable along the way, but it's something that's necessary."
Since it is a community-driven process, Nahmabin said meetings have been held with Aamjiwnaang members, as well as the Treaty Council and Anishinabek Nation.
"So just creating awareness about the environmental racism bill," Nahmabin said. "If other communities are impacted by environmental racism, that's up to those communities to be able to reach out to the federal government to work on that, but as of right now, for Aamjiwnaang, we're gaining community perspective and insight and ideas and going from there."
Nahmabin said one of their priorities is to have an environmental law, which would include having their own pipeline permit policy.
"If there are permits that are issued out by the province that are not agreeable with Aamjiwnaang First Nation -- or it impacts us -- we should have a say in those things," she said. "We've been building good relationships with our industry neighbours so being able to have those conversations and work together on trying to find out which pipelines cross or community -- that we don't know anything about, or that there's no environmental oversight on -- knowing that information is going to help us form a better emergency plan."
Nahmabin said there are roughly 100 pipelines running through her community, some of which are abandoned.
Chief Nahmabin was the guest speaker during Tuesday's Kiwanis Club of Sarnia-Lambton Golden K meeting, where she also discussed governance structure, reclaiming cultural ceremonies, and the housing shortage.
She mentioned the community would like to build on a parcel of land returned by Shell about six years ago, but due to a lengthy Additions to Reserve process, developing the land -- in the area of Tashmoo Avenue and Lasalle Line -- is in limbo.
"There are some communities in Ontario -- First Nation communities -- that have been waiting for 30 years," she said. "My understanding is that different provinces have a different process and Ontario is not where it should be."
Nahmabin said Aamjiwnaang, the Anishinabek Nation, and Chiefs of Ontario have been vocal on the matter, advocating for the return of land process to be quicker.
Aamjiwnaang First Nation has 2,500 members and 950 live on reserve.