Upholding Aboriginal Rights and Values in BC’s Forestry Sector
Northern Gateway protest in Vancouver, BC (National Post, 2014)
While the implementation of the interventions described in my previous post would likely take years to integrate into BC’s forestry system, today’s foresters still have a significant responsibility to identify and uphold Indigenous values in their forestry practice. At the heart of this responsibility lies the duty to engage with Aboriginal communities in ways that demonstrate trust, goodwill, respect, commitment, and transparency, as doing so contributes to the establishment of positive relationships between foresters and Indigenous peoples (Province of BC, n.d.). In order to build beneficial, long-term relationships, foresters must understand First Nations’ deep connection to the land, and honor this connection by addressing its manifestation in Aboriginal claims, proven rights, and treaty rights, as well as in Indigenous traditional, cultural, and spiritual practices (Province of BC, n.d.). Foresters must also recognize the obstacles that Indigenous communities may face in fully engaging in the consultation process: limited financial resources, lack of technical or business-related knowledge, time constraints, and geographic barriers, among other factors, may hinder First Nations ability to participate and make their voices heard (Province of BC, n.d.). To mitigate these potential challenges, foresters should maintain open communication with the Indigenous communities they engage with, strive to accommodate their needs and limitations in the consultation process, and, whenever possible, provide communities with the support and resources they need to achieve desired levels of participation (Province of BC, n.d.). In addition, foresters should build capacity within their organizations to recognize First Nations histories, cultures, governance, values, and interests (Province of BC, n.d.). Such capacity building must incorporate the promotion of progressive practices and values, and may include:
- placing emphasis on personal, social, and moral responsibility
- increasing awareness of cross-cultural differences and promoting their acceptance
- developing nuanced communication and collaboration skills
- acting with honor, openness, transparency and respect
- developing policies for engagement, employment, environment, and social responsibility with respect to First Nations groups
(adapted from Province of BC, n.d.)
Adoption of these practices will pave the way for more positive forester-Indigenous relationships in the future, in which Indigenous rights, values, and visions for the future are respected and upheld. While identifying and upholding Indigenous rights is a legal obligation of the forestry sector, it also “makes good business sense,” as it allows for increased certainty in strategic planning and financial investment, fosters increased Indigenous support for forestry operations, and leads to positive synergies through enhanced collaboration between foresters and Indigenous communities (Province of BC, n.d.). Thus, it can be see that the integration of Indigenous values and notions of sustainability into land and resource management is integral to the continued growth and vitality of BC’s forestry sector, and can be achieved through targeted changes in institutional models of forestry education, cross-cultural communication, and organizational ethics.
References for this series of posts:
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