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Abstract
Members of the Fort Albany First Nation, an Indigenous community in the far north of Ontario, Canada, recently started work on a community-based land use plan for their traditional territories. Through community partnership research with Fort Albany, we explored substantive and procedural values in support of community-based planning. Results indicate that the community desires a plan that works toward cultural preservation and empowerment through conservation of resources that support subsistence activities, and provides community benefits from future development. Implications are discussed in the context of the currently evolving Province of Ontario's far north land use planning process.
Résumé
Les membres de la Première Nation de Fort Albany, une communauté autochtone du nord de l'Ontario, ont récemment entrepris des travaux collectifs sur la gestion de leurs terres ancestrales.Au moyen de recherches auprès de la communauté de Fort Albany nous avons examiné des valeurs de substance et de procédure favorisant la planification communautaire. Les résultats indiquent que la communauté désire un plan ayant pour but la conservation de la culture locale et la mise en valeur des ressources servant de bases aux activités individuelles, et où la communauté profitera de travaux ultérieurs. On discute de ce que cela implique dans le contexte de la politique (fluctuante) ontarienne actuelle de processus de planification de mise en valeur des terres du nord
Introduction
The western James Bay region of northern Ontario, part of the Mushkegowuk Territory, is experiencing significant development pressure in the resource sector. Ontario Power Generation is considering further hydro-electric development on the Moose and Albany Rivers (Forum on Rights to Water, 2008), and mine development and exploration is increasing (Whitelaw et al., 2008; Koven, 2007; Larmour, 2007). At issue is the ability of First Nations (FNs) of the Mushkegowuk Territory to participate in and benefit from the resource development decisions that affect their traditional homeland territories.
First Nation land use planning is emerging as a potential approach to inform resource development across Canada's north. A number of plans exist and many are under development (Schuk, 2010). The First Nations of the western James Bay (Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Kashechewan and Attawapiskat) are represented politically at the regional level by Mushkegowuk Council and at the supra-regional level (northern Ontario) by Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN). Both political...