Tahltan First Nation orders mine workers off site

One day after Mines Minister Bill Bennett held a weekend visit at a First Nations protest site in northwestern B.C., 40 Tahltan membersordered workers at a nearby Fortune Minerals exploration camp toleave the area, considered sacred by aboriginals.

Tahltan Central Council president Annita McPhee says elders have been at the remote camp on Mount Klappan for six weeks, asking themining company to respect Tahltan land and rights and reconsider plans for a 40-square kilometre open pit coal mine.

She says protesters stepped up pressure against the proposedArctos Anthracite project on Sunday after Bennett met with themSaturday night and said he would urge the company not to seek aninjunction to remove and possible arrestthem.

The province recently appointed a mediator to try to resolve theimpasse, angering First Nations who said the appointment was wordedto sound as if the mediator must ensure the mine goes ahead, butMcPhee says Bennett apologized for that wording.