The Aboriginal Role in the Development of Albertan Oil and Gas Reserves By

• Main Authors: Sherry Norton, Shelley Zwicker
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Canada; Indian; First Nations
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.150.9273; http://www.beg.utexas.edu/energyecon/thinkcorner/Aboriginal%20Role%20in%20the%20Development%20of%20Albertan%20Oil%20and%20Gas%20Reserves.pdf

Canada is currently the third-largest producer of natural gas and the ninth-largest producer of crude oil in the world and has 15 % of oil reserves and 1 % of natural gas reserves globally 1. Successful development of Canadian petroleum reserves largely depends on reasonable and timely access to resources and perceived investment security. Understanding aboriginal issues, such as land claim issues and requirements for consultation, represent a key aspect of achieving timely access to oil and gas resources. This paper examines Aboriginal issues pertinent to the development of oil and gas reserves within Alberta, which holds 80 % and 75% of estimated Canadian oil and gas reserves, respectively 2. After the confederation of Canada in 1867, the Government of Canada sought to develop the new country and thus entered into a series of treaties with various First Nations to enable the active pursuit of settlement, agriculture and resource development in Western and Northern provinces. Under these treaties, the Indian Bands ceded, surrendered and yielded all their rights, titles and privileges to the designated lands to the Crown in exchange for such things as reserve lands and other benefits. 3 The Canadian legal system is based on common or judge-made law. Consequently, Aboriginal