The First Nations have significant land claims in British Columbia. “Premier Christy Clark declared: “B.C. is Indian land.”” (Vancouver Sun) As British Columbia becomes more populated, First Nations land is becoming more valuable and companies such as Enbridge and BC Hydro require the First Nations people’s permission to access their land.
Enbridge wants to run a pipeline through First Nations land, which will be “25 per cent of the proposed 1,177-kilometre route” (Vancouver Sun). BC Hydro wants to build a dam, which will flood “83 kilometres of the Peace River Valley” (Vancouver Sun). The First Nations have strongly disagreed with the companies’ proposals, and they claim that the possible destruction of their land affects them greatly.
Enbridge and BC Hydro’s business plans are affected by many external factors such as Key Trends; they are especially affected by societal and cultural trends of the First Nations. The First Nations have a culture based strongly around connection to the land. Any disturbance to the land-these companies’ proposals do have degrees of risk-affects their culture as they live off the land (salmon, trout, etc.) and have “elders’ gatherings [on the land] annually” (Vancouver Sun). I believe these companies are affected by these social trends as many First Nations people all over British Columbia have similar belief systems of land being sacred, and all the First Nations in British Columbia have huge amounts of power on these issues as they were the first settlers, and they can join together to become a powerful force. Enbidge and BC Hydro’s business plans are affected by these key trends because the long lasting Aborginal tendencies are not likely to break their trend of being protective of their land. Similar issues have occurred before over land disputes, and if the First Nations put up a good fight before, they are likely to do it again. The current trend is resistance. If, for example, Enbridge wanted to compromise on which blocks of land ran through First Nations land, I believe that the trend will continue: overall resistance.
Sources: Prep 10 readings connected to News Article
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/There+will+pipeline/10122968/story.html
http://www.vancouversun.com/news/First+Nation+chiefs+stage+Site+showdown/10215965/story.html
Photo: In Text and Feature Photo