I remember that on Imagine Day at the pep rally, all of us freshmen and faculty took a moment to acknowledge that we are on traditional and unceded Musqueam and Coast Salish territory. I believe that many of us did not understand what that meant, and at the beginning of The Spark, Victor Guerin explained to us more about the First Nations and what trade meant to his people.

Image taken from www.thetyee.ca

In this Vancouver Sun article, this passage caught my eye:

Both chiefs said their communities are interested in supporting smaller projects in areas such as wind, solar and geothermal power. But they say the valley flooding would impair their rights to fish, hunt and use the area for ceremonial purposes.

I often hear people say that the First Nations are against any development or that they are ‘backwards.’ I think the huge misunderstanding stems from much of what we hear the First Nations are against, but not what they are for. It is time that we take on a more positive perspective on the First Nations as important stakeholders in developmental and infrastructural projects. We cannot simply try to appease or win over groups in projects that did not seriously consider their interests. In the above passage, the chiefs have clearly stated that they support energy projects that are not as intrusive and risky as Site-C. I think the key to sustainable development is to build projects that deliver value to not only the predominantly urban population, but also to the people whose lands and culture will be most directly impacted.