Redfern Resources Ltd. has had an active interest in the project and its development since 1981 and presently owns 100% of the project The project encompasses the proposed re-activation of the former Tulsequah Chief Mine, based on extensions of the original deposits of zinc, copper and lead sulphide ores which also contain significant amounts of gold and silver.

Redfern completed a positive Feasibility Study in 1995 and updated it in 1997. A Project Approval Certificate was granted by the government of BC in 1998 to allow development of the mine and the Special Use Permit governing the construction and management of the mine access road was obtained in 1999.

A legal challenge to the project approval, launched by the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, resulted in a decision by the Supreme Court in June 2000 to quash the Project Approval Certificate. In its decision, the Court found no fault with the company's actions and the judges stated, "…Redfern has made genuine and full efforts to comply with the EAA (Environmental Assessment Act) and has made a genuine effort to satisfy the concerns of the Tlingits."

The Court ordered the final stage of the environmental assessment process to be re-done to address deemed deficiencies in the process. This re-consideration assessment process commenced in September 2001 for a nominal period of two months, “unless further time is considered necessary by the Project Committee.” Redfern was forced to suspend development progress on the project pending a new project approval decision. The re-consideration assessment process continued through all of 2001 and into 2002.

In September 2001 the BC Court of Appeal heard the appeal of the earlier decision. In January 2002 the Court of Appeal found that the earlier decision was in error and ordered the re-consideration process to be set aside. The Court ordered instead that the responsible Ministers consider the project anew, with the additional consideration of the asserted interests of the Tlingits. The project, in the form of all of the information available as of March 1998, was referred to the Ministers in June of 2002 for their decision on project approval. This decision was made in December of 2002 when a new Project Approval Certificate was awarded to Redfern for Tulsequah Chief.

While Redfern commenced renewed activity on the Project, the province of BC appealed to the Supreme Court of Canada to contest the provincial Court of Appeal's determination that the prior consultation record had not dealt adequately with asserted aboriginal rights. This case was heard in March of 2004 and a decision released on November 19, 2004. In this decision the Supreme Court of Canada unanimously and conclusively determined that the province of BC had the obligation to consult and, if necessary, accommodate the interests of the First Nation and moreover that the province had indeed met this obligation in the case of the environmental assessment review and certification of the Tulsequah Chief Project.