en.Wedoany.com Reported - On June 2, 2026, the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi (CFNW), the Cree Nation Government, the Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) (CNG/GCC(EI)), and Windfall Mining Group Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Gold Fields, jointly announced the signing of the Impact and Benefit Agreement (IBA) for the Windfall Mining Project, known as the Uukiimau Agreement (ᐆᑮᒪᐤ ᓀᔅᑯᒨᓐ, Oo-ki-maw). Uukiimau means "leader" or "chief," signifying both origin and direction, like the source of a river, and pays tribute to Father Lake—a place of deep cultural significance to Cree land stewards. This agreement establishes a comprehensive framework encompassing financial, operational, environmental, and social commitments, ensuring that natural resource development in the region creates real, lasting benefits for the Cree community and future generations. A celebration ceremony will be held on June 10, 2026, in Waswanipi.

Grand Chief Paul John Murdoch of the Cree Nation Government stated that strong relationships are built when parties work together with honesty, respect, and a shared sense of responsibility, and that the Uukiimau Agreement reflects this approach, laying the foundation for responsible development that respects Cree values while creating long-term opportunities for the community and future generations. Chief Irene Neeposh of the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi added that the agreement marks a significant step forward in the partnership with Gold Fields, establishing a framework that will create lasting benefits for Waswanipi through employment, training, and contracting opportunities for the community, while ensuring development respects the land, values, and Cree way of life. Patrick Tobin, Senior Vice President of Gold Fields Canada, stated that the agreement represents a shared commitment to responsibly and sustainably developing the Windfall Project.

At its core, the agreement reflects a shared responsibility to work together in a manner that respects Cree values, knowledge, and connection to the land. It supports the Cree First Nation of Waswanipi in determining its own priorities and ensures meaningful community participation in decisions affecting its territory. The Uukiimau Agreement establishes a framework for ongoing collaboration, integrating Cree perspectives into environmental management, employment, training, and business opportunities. It embodies Gold Fields' 2035 Aspirations, placing people, partnerships, and long-term value at the heart of the project while generating positive impacts for communities and the environment. Through this agreement, the Windfall Mining Project will deliver tangible benefits for Cree members, including employment, support for local businesses, and investment in community initiatives through a fund, while strengthening relationships built on dialogue, respect, and shared outcomes.

About the parties to the agreement: The Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) is the political body representing approximately 20,000 Cree people, or "Eeyouch" (or "Eenouch"), with a board of directors comprising twenty members, including the Grand Chief, Deputy Grand Chief, and the elected chiefs and one representative from each of the nine (9) Cree communities, with its headquarters located in the Cree community of Nemaska. The Cree Nation Government is responsible for municipal powers on Category II lands, as well as land use and development planning, environmental protection, hunting, fishing, and trapping regimes, economic and community development, Cree governance, and other matters determined by the Board of Directors of the Grand Council of the Crees. The Cree First Nation of Waswanipi, ᐙᔅᐙᓂᐲ, meaning "Light on the Water," is the southernmost inland Cree community of Eeyou Istchee, with a population of approximately 2,150 people, whose main economic activities include forestry, mining services, and public administration. Gold Fields is a globally diversified gold producer with eight operating mines in Australia, South Africa, Ghana, Chile, and Peru, and one project in Canada, with attributable annual gold-equivalent production of 2.44 million ounces, proven and probable gold mineral reserves of 48.3 million ounces, measured and indicated gold mineral resources of 31.6 million ounces (excluding mineral reserves), and inferred gold mineral resources of 12.2 million ounces (excluding mineral reserves). Its shares are listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), and its American depositary shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).

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