Lawyers for the Innu Nation say their efforts to delay the formal signing of the rate mitigation deal are not just about money.

The Supreme Court has been hearing the Innu’s application for an injunction that could scuttle efforts to stop electricity rates from doubling before Christmas.

The formal signing of the rate mitigation deal is set for September 30th, enough time for federal funds to start flowing before first power from Muskrat Falls, which would stop rates from doubling and keep them around 14.5 cents a kilowatt-hour.

Lawyers for the Innu say they aren’t against rate mitigation. They just want to ensure there’s little or no impact on the benefits promised in exchange for building the dam on their Labrador land.

But to date, they say they have no assurances of that since they say they were never consulted on the deal — something they argue the province had a constitutional obligation to do.

They also argue the whole process flies in the face of public pronouncements of government’s commitments to reconciliation, as well as the relationship and trust with Indigenous groups into the future.

Justice Sandy MacDonald has said it’s important to give a ruling before the September 30th deadline, otherwise, the Innu’s entire application would be moot.

Ironically, September 30th also happens to be the national Day for Truth and Reconciliation, which was recently endorsed by the provincial government.