“Unless you get to know us, you’re not going to know our passion”: From consultation to co-management on Nadleh Whut’en First Nation Territory

• Main Authors: DeLorey, Rebecca, Groulx, Mark, Nooski, Larry, Ketlo, Beverly, Ransom, Angel
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) - l’Institut canadien des urbanistes (ICU); Association of Canadian Urban Planning Programs (ACUPP) -L’Association des Programmes Universitaires Canadiens en Urbanisme (APUCU) 2022
• Subjects: Aboriginal consultation; forestry; Indigenous co-management; Indigenous knowledge; social learning; consultation des Autochtones; foresterie; cogestion autochtone; savoir autochtone; apprentissage social; First Nations; Premières Nations
• Online Access: https://ojs.library.queensu.ca/index.php/cpp/article/view/14727

In British Columbia, First Nation consultation is formally operationalized through land referrals, a system by which governments and industry proponents share information with First Nations about specific developments on their territories. Using the lenses of equal capacity, social learning, and Indigenous knowledge, this research examines land referrals processes on Nadleh Whut’en First Nation Territory to explore experiences with current consultation practices. Despite efforts to move towards equal decision-making authority over First Nation Territories, consultation remains a key aspect of Indigenous-Crown relations and it is critical that planners enhance their understanding of the duty to consult. Interviews with Nadleh Whut’en knowledge holders and land users and forestry key informants highlight deficiencies in the referrals process as a vehicle for engaging communities in decision making. Challenges include short timelines that manufacture false consent and a lack of cross-cultural dialogue centered on community values and needs. This research fills a gap by advancing understandings of the technical and procedural details of current consultation practice, including where it falls short in protecting Aboriginal rights and how such shortcomings impact people’s lives. En Colombie-Britannique, la consultation des Premières Nations est rendue opérationnelle par le biais des propositions foncières, un système par lequel les gouvernements et les promoteurs industriels partagent des informations avec les Premières Nations concernant les projets de développement spécifiques sur leurs territoires. En tenant compte des concepts de l’égalité de capacité, l’apprentissage social et le savoir autochtone, cette recherche examine les processus des propositions foncières sur le territoire de la Première Nation Nadleh Whut’en afin de comprendre les pratiques actuelles en matière de consultation. Malgré les efforts déployés vers un pouvoir décisionnel égal sur les territoires des Premières Nations, la consultation demeure ...