Tsilhqot’in’s New Tribal Park
by jtugman
Tsillhqot’in Land in British Columbia
Source: http://goo.gl/XCSTn0
This blog post will discuss the social and economic changes in regards to the Tsillhqot’in tribe’s new park construction
The largest effects of this newly granted Tribal park are economic. The New Prosperity copper- gold mine project’s productivity is effected by the new Tribal park as there is effectively less land to cultivate. From an economic standpoint, the price of certain minerals might rise because of the reduced supply. Unemployment may rise in turn, causing a decrease in aggregate supply, inflationary pressure and a recessionary gap. This is all very improbable though because a $1.1 billion mining project doesn’t have nearly enough economic force to shift a country’s economy into market disequilibrium. That being said, it is still within the realm of possibility for the Canadian government to reevaluate their policies on first nations people having priority access to lots of land. In this instance they explicitly do, but in future instances, giving up a billion dollar mining project to salvage “migratory routes for mule deer” might not always be the best decision.
Another economic aspect to take into account when viewing this article is the land’s opportunity cost. If the land isn’t being used for first nations or mining purposes, the natural capital found in the 10,000 hectares certainly has some valuable intrinsic value. This can be monetarily exploited for years to come if used in a renewable way and environmentally conscious way.
Ultimately it is difficult to evaluate this decision at a micro or macroeconomic scale. On one hand, the reduced supply of copper, gold and other minerals certainty will lower the Canadian economy’s exports and gross domestic product. On the other hand, the First Nations people can rest a little easier tonight knowing “the last viable refuge for the dryland grizzly bear” is safe once again.