Fireweed Metals Corp. (TSX-V: FWZ) (OTCQX: FWEDF) and the Ross River Dena Council (RRDC) are pleased to announce the signing of a comprehensive Exploration and Collaboration Agreement relating to Fireweed’s Mactung and Macpass critical mineral projects, located within the Ross River Area of the Kaska Nation Traditional Territory in the Yukon.

RRDC Chief Dylan Loblaw and Fireweed CEO Ian Gibbs signing the Exploration and Collaboration Agreement in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory

This comprehensive Agreement demonstrates the strength of the relationship between RRDC and Fireweed, reflecting a shared commitment to respectful engagement and sustainable development. The Agreement:

• Formalizes a range of collaboration mechanisms and communication protocols that ensure timely and transparent information exchange;
• Includes robust measures to protect lands, waters, and culturally significant sites that are of great importance to RRDC;
• Provides for direct capacity funding enabling RRDC’s meaningful participation in Fireweed’s ongoing mineral exploration and studies required to support permit applications;
• Includes opportunities for employment, contracting and training of RRDC Members and businesses, reflecting Fireweed’s commitment to economic reconciliation with RRDC and ensuring economic benefits flowing directly to the community.

The Agreement confirms Fireweed’s commitment to develop the Projects into producing mines only with RRDC’s free, prior and informed consent. This consent will be sought via a RRDC’s structured consent pathway: the Tū Łídlīni Assessment Process (TAP).  TAP ensures early and ongoing collaboration between Fireweed and RRDC to identify and address potential Project impacts on RRDC’s rights, interests, and cultural values. By formalizing this pathway now, Fireweed achieves a critical de-risking milestone that significantly reduces uncertainty around future regulatory approvals, strengthens social license for the Projects in Ross River, and ultimately respects RRDC’s governance role over its traditional territory.

RRDC Chief Dylan Loblaw has stressed the importance of this agreement and relationship, as follows:

“RRDC is very pleased with this new agreement with Fireweed, whereby Fireweed has agreed to several important measures to protect our Title and Rights, and also committed to only proceed with its projects with our free, prior and informed consent. Consistent with the principles of UNDRIP, RRDC’s prior and informed consent is required before activities that may impact our Title and Rights are pursued in our Ross River Area. Our consent decision is made through the application of our Tū Łídlīni Assessment, which is a community-based Indigenous-led assessment process to address our unique situation as a Yukon First Nation without treaty, based in our law and custom, and driven by our deep Indigenous knowledge of our Ross River Area. This process of Indigenous-led assessment and consent is crucial for responsible mining in the Ross River Area, and we are very pleased that Fireweed has committed to that process through this new agreement.”

Ian Gibbs, Fireweed President and Chief Executive Officer, has expressed his excitement about this critical milestone, as follows:

“Fireweed is very pleased to have reached this foundational agreement with the Ross River Dena Council. The Fireweed team has been working closely with the community of Ross River for several years. We are extremely grateful for the relationship we’ve built together and the many contributions RRDC’s Members and businesses have made to Fireweed’s exploration programs. I’d like to thank Chief Loblaw, RRDC Councilors and RRDC’s administration team for their efforts to finalize this Agreement.  We believe strongly the ECA is a major step forward for both parties as we sustainably advance our critical metals projects in ways that respect people and the land.”

About Ross River Dena Council. 

The Ross River Dena Council is part of the Kaska Nation whose traditional territory spans southeast Yukon, southwest Northwest Territories and northern British Columbia. Its main community is in Ross River, Yukon, located near the confluence of the Pelly and Ross Rivers, close to the junction of the Robert Campbell Highway and the Canol Road (Yukon Highway #6).

About Fireweed Metals Corp. 

Fireweed is an exploration company focused on unlocking value in a new critical metals district located in Northern Canada. Fireweed is 100% owner of the Macpass District, a large and highly prospective 985 km² land package. The Macpass District includes the Macpass zinc-lead-silver project and the Mactung tungsten project. A Lundin Group company, Fireweed is strongly positioned to create meaningful value.