Aseniwuche Winewak Nation of Canada Traditional Land Use Study

By Marc Levasseur, Traditional Land Use Coordinator

The Critical Link Between Traditional Land Use Study and Consultation.

As the Government of Alberta opens the door to unsustainable amounts of industrial activity and tries to legislate ist own wrong doing by delegating consultation with Aboriginal groups to industry, an urgency for TLU study has been put on certain groups to do what takes years in an inconceivably-short period of time. As industry buys mineral rights or has a plan to develop a section of their FMA, they now have the duty to consult.

Also, since the pace and volume of disposition that has been given out by government has been frantic in the past few years, a proper system can limit back logs and frustration. Since a branch of the government can authorize the development without any proper consultation (if a group does not respond within a specific time limit). a timely response can save sites. This process can be greatly enhanced if the "complete" searchable database is in place in the form of a GIS system or hard copies that are user- friendly to retrieve information from.

In an effort to cooperate with industry, having a good TLU Study and a great relationship with Elders has some major advantages. As companies approach the group with project and maps, having the knowledge of possible impacts in the early stage of a development has great value for both parties. If no sites or areas are recorded in the proposed project area, an Elder's review can serve as a safety net to ensure that no cultural or historical sites are destroyed. If there are any doubts or, if the project appears to be close to a significant site or area, a site visit can be conducted to alleviate doubts or to start up on the accommodation side of things.

Not only site-specific interests need to be considered but also a landscape management plan needs to be applied to ensure that a group will be able to practice its ways for generations to come. This is a key for the survival of the group, animal and plant species and Mother Earth itself. As such, the plan should have some part of the territory set aside and have no more industrial activities taking place there. Some areas can have limited industrial development but this requires a greater level of scrutiny over the project proposal and increased monitoring (by the Aboriginal group) over the life of the project. Finally, some areas can be assigned for development but with an agreed threshold to ensure that the cumulative impact of industrial projects will not adversely impact future generations.