 Environment - January 30, 2008 |
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Treaty Six nations, province ready to tackle environment
First agreement ever between First Nation and province |
By Kevin Ma
Staff Writer
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Treaty Six and the provincial government have inked a new deal to co-operate in their management of the environment.
The chiefs of the Treaty Six First Nations, represented by the Yellowhead Tribal Council and Tribal Chief Ventures, signed a memorandum of understanding with Alberta Environment to work together on environmental issues. The deal covers 11 of the 12 nations in the treaty area, including Alexander First Nation, located northwest of Morinville.
The agreement, when complete, will let First Nations take their environmental concerns straight to the minister of the environment instead of going through the premier or federal government, said government spokesperson Erin Carrier.
"This is more of a partnership approach."
It is also the first agreement the province has ever made between a First Nation and a government ministry.
The deal recognizes that both the First Nations and the province hold a shared responsibility for the environment and that aboriginal elders have historical information that can help in its management.
The province is negotiating similar deals with Treaty 7 and 8 nations, Carrier said.
The deal comes into effect against a backdrop of growing conflict between the province and aboriginals over the effects of oilsands development on traditional lands and culture. Residents of Ft. Chipewyan, downstream from most of the oilsands fields, have said that the oilsands have made local fish and game unfit for consumption, threatening their health and traditional way of life. Community leaders have held several protest rallies and called for a halt to oilsands development.
Locally, about 50 Alexander residents picketed an EUB hearing on the North West Upgrading upgrader last May, led by band environmental monitor Allan Paul. The upgrader, he said, will be built on the band members’ traditional hunting grounds and could threaten their health through its pollution.
"We did a lot of our gathering, berry picking and ceremonies in close proximity to that area," he said.
The band was denied intervener status at the hearing because the EUB ruled that it did not have the authority to rule on treaty issues.
The province has a legal obligation to consult with First Nations where their lands are involved, Paul said, and this agreement is a start.
"We have to know about the cumulative effects," he said, and clarify the impact local upgraders could have on the air and water. The band is working on a separate agreement with the province dealing with the North West upgrader, he added.
The province will work out the details of the agreement over the next few months, Carrier said. The deal is expected to last for five years. |
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