The balancing of natural resource development projects with responsible environmental protection is a challenge that project proponents and regulating authorities do not openly admit to each other or to the general public. Coming from a First Nation perspective which includes constitutionally protected rights and title, resource development has not only failed to meet these challenges but also faces an increasingly uncertain future. A thorough understanding of potential project impacts is required by the project proponent, the indigenous community (ies), and the regulating authorities to secure an informed balance. The methods to provide a thorough understanding of impacts is where our work is focussed and more specifically on a hydro electric dam redevelopment project in Northern Ontario Canada. Our community, Moose Cree First Nation, negotiated a comprehensive agreement to address our past grievance from historical impacts which informed and financed the redevelopment of the hydroelectric complex.
Results/Conclusions
Moose Cree First Nation and Ontario Power Generation (OPG) entered into a partnership agreement in 2009, the partnership recognized the need and goal to work together but required new ideas on how to achieve meaningful collaboration. We created an indigenous and non-indigenous team to collaborate on environmental assessments, permits, audits and long-term monitoring programs for the project. In addition to the partnership agreement, an environmental assessment term and condition of approval identified the need to accord equal status to Indigenous Knowledge in all of the projects’ studies and monitoring. The process of collaboration was developed over 5 years and revealed how to share different ways of understanding project impacts. A joint long-term environmental effects monitoring plan (Looking after the Land that has Always Looked after Us) was developed and included both knowledge systems with special attention to river health, sedimentation and erosion, and accountability. The collaboration between our First Nation, our OPG partner and regulating authorities highlight fundamental requirements for implementing new ways to access knowledge and ultimately innovation.