TORONTO, Dec. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ - Denison Mines
Corp. ("Denison" or the "Company") (TSX: DML) (NYSE
American: DNN) is pleased to announce that its Board of
Directors has approved the adoption of an Indigenous Peoples Policy
(the "IPP"). The IPP reflects Denison's recognition of the
important role of Canadian business in the process of
reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in Canada and outlines the Company's commitment
to take action towards advancing reconciliation. View PDF
version.
Denison operates in various locations across Canada, on lands that are in the traditional
territory of Indigenous peoples, including its exploration and
evaluation operations in Saskatchewan, which are in regions covered by
Treaty 6, Treaty 8 and Treaty 10 encompassing the traditional lands
of the Cree, Dakota, Déne, Lakota, Nakota, Saulteaux, and within
the homeland of the Métis. As such, Denison's relations with
Indigenous People are unique and varied. Denison's flagship Wheeler
River Uranium Project is located within the boundaries of Treaty
10, in the traditional territory of English River First Nation, and
in the homeland of the Métis.
David Cates, President & CEO
of Denison, commented: "I believe Industry has an important
role to play in acknowledging, and building awareness of, the
history of Indigenous people in Canada and the critical importance of pursuing
the objectives of reconciliation. As such, the adoption of an
Indigenous Peoples Policy is a notable step in our Company's
journey to bring reconciliation to the forefront of what we do and
how we do it. This policy is supported by our Board of Directors,
on behalf of Denison shareholders, and is welcome amongst all
levels of staff within the organization – from the executive team
to operational personnel. We are pleased to formalize our Company's
approach to Indigenous relations and commit to the development of a
continuously evolving Reconciliation Action Plan."
The IPP was developed based on Denison's experiences with, as
well as feedback and guidance received from, Indigenous communities
with whom the Company is actively engaged. This approach was
designed to ensure the IPP appropriately captures a mutual vision
for reconciliation. A copy of the IPP (available in English,
French, Cree and Déne languages), and other core corporate
policies, are available on the Corporate Governance page of
Denison's website (www.denisonmines.com).
Overview of Denison's IPP
Denison's IPP reflects the Company's belief that reconciliation
is advanced through collaboration with Indigenous peoples and
communities to build long-lasting, respectful, trusting and
mutually beneficial relationships while aspiring to avoid adverse
impacts of Denison's activities and operations.
The IPP identifies 5 key areas of action that will support the
ongoing development of a continuously evolving Reconciliation
Action Plan ("RAP"): Engagement; Empowerment; Environment;
Employment; and Education. Through the RAP, Denison is striving to
interweave the principles of reconciliation throughout all areas of
the company's operations.
In expressing the Company's intentions in the IPP, Denison
carefully considered the standards and principles articulated by
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
and Call to Action 92 (Business and Reconciliation) from
Canada's Truth and Reconciliation
Commission (the "TRC").
About Reconciliation in Canada
The TRC was established in 2008 and was mandated to reveal to
Canadians the complex truth about the history and the ongoing
legacy of residential schools in a manner that fully documents the
individual and collective harms against Indigenous peoples, and to
guide and inspire a process of truth and healing, leading toward
reconciliation within Indigenous families, and between
Indigenous peoples and non-Indigenous communities, churches,
governments, and Canadians generally.
As the TRC summarizes in its reports from 2015, the residential
school system was "part of a coherent policy to eliminate
Aboriginal people as distinct peoples and to assimilate them into
the Canadian mainstream against their will." Operating over a
period of almost 130 years, from 1870 to 1997, the Government of
Canada estimates that over 150,000
First Nation, Métis, and Inuit students passed through the
system.
Reconciliation is described by the TRC as "an ongoing individual
and collective process of establishing and maintaining respectful
relationships… amongst First Nations, Inuit and Métis former Indian
Residential School students, their families, communities, religious
entities, former school employees, government and the people of
Canada." Amongst many other
things, the TRC notes that "a critical part of this process
involves repairing damaged trust by making apologies, providing
individual and collective reparations, and following through with
concrete actions that demonstrate real societal change".
In support of the reconciliation process, the TRC issued 94
Calls to Action – including, but not limited to, those related to
child welfare, education, language and culture, health, justice,
the rights of Indigenous peoples, missing children and burial
information, commemoration, media, sport, and business.
More information about Canada's
Truth and Reconciliation Commission can be obtained from the
Government of Canada's website
(https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1450124405592/1529106060525)
and the website for the National Centre for Truth and
Reconciliation (https://nctr.ca/).
About Denison
Denison is a uranium exploration and development company with
interests focused in the Athabasca
Basin region of northern Saskatchewan,
Canada. The Company has an effective 95% interest in its
flagship Wheeler River Uranium Project, which is the largest
undeveloped uranium project in the infrastructure rich eastern
portion of the Athabasca Basin
region of northern Saskatchewan.
Denison's interests in Saskatchewan also include a 22.5% ownership
interest in the McClean Lake joint venture, which includes several
uranium deposits and the McClean Lake uranium mill that is
contracted to process the ore from the Cigar Lake mine under a toll
milling agreement, plus a 25.17% interest in the Midwest Main and
Midwest A deposits, and a 66.90% interest in the Tthe Heldeth Túé
("THT," formerly J Zone) and Huskie deposits on the Waterbury Lake
property. Each of Midwest Main, Midwest A, THT and Huskie are
located within 20 kilometres of the McClean Lake
mill.
Through its 50% ownership of JCU, Denison holds additional
interests in various uranium project joint ventures in Canada, including the Millennium project (JCU
30.099%), the Kiggavik project (JCU 33.8123%) and Christie Lake (JCU 34.4508%).
Denison is also engaged in mine decommissioning and
environmental services through its Closed Mines group, which
manages Denison's Elliot Lake
reclamation projects and provides post-closure mine care and
maintenance services to a variety of industry and government
clients.
Follow Denison on Twitter @DenisonMinesCo
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking
Statements
Certain information contained in this news release
constitutes 'forward-looking information', within the meaning of
the applicable United States and
Canadian legislation concerning the business, operations and
financial performance and condition of Denison.
Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified
by the use of forward-looking terminology such as 'plans',
'expects', 'budget', 'scheduled', 'estimates', 'forecasts',
'intends', 'anticipates', or 'believes', or the negatives and/or
variations of such words and phrases, or state that certain
actions, events or results 'may', 'could', 'would', 'might' or
'will be taken', 'occur', 'be achieved' or 'has the potential
to'. In particular, this news release contains
forward-looking information pertaining to the IPP and Denison's
intentions and expectations with respect thereto; and expectations
regarding its joint venture ownership interests and the continuity
of its agreements with its partners.
Forward looking statements are based on the opinions and
estimates of management as of the date such statements are made,
and they are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and
other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity,
performance or achievements of Denison to be materially different
from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.
Denison believes that the expectations reflected in this
forward-looking information are reasonable but no assurance can be
given that these expectations will prove to be accurate and results
may differ materially from those anticipated in this
forward-looking information. For a discussion in respect of risks
and other factors that could influence forward-looking events,
please refer to the factors discussed in Denison's Annual
Information Form dated March 26, 2021
under the heading 'Risk Factors'. These factors are not, and should
not be construed as being exhaustive.
Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information
contained in this news release is expressly qualified by this
cautionary statement. Any forward-looking information and the
assumptions made with respect thereto speaks only as of the date of
this news release. Denison does not undertake any obligation to
publicly update or revise any forward-looking information after the
date of this news release to conform such information to actual
results or to changes in Denison's expectations except as otherwise
required by applicable legislation.
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SOURCE Denison Mines Corp.