The Supreme Court found in June this year that the First Nations people had title to 1,750 square kilometers of land in western British Columbia. This is a significant turning point in the long struggle between the First Nations and the government. On the other hand, despite the advancements in recognizing the territorial rights of the First Nations, the grim dispute with businesses that seek to capitalize on the rich resources of the territory continues.
Companies who wish to expand in to the rich territories should recognize the First Nations in British Columbia as one of its stakeholders. Just as investors and government are stakeholders of a company, so are First Nations in the sense that they can be classified as part of the local community. In our class preparation for Business Ethics, Freeman stated that, for any company to be successful, managers must pursue the interests of all the stakeholders involved. Companies that neglect the community and does not consider corporate responsibility are “soon regulated in to decline”.
Arguably, the issue so far had been that First Nations had a relatively limited voice as a community stakeholder and companies did not have significant consequences in ignoring their voices and interests. However, now that the Supreme Court has acknowledged their right to a large area of land in BC, the First Nations will have a stronger voice than before.
First Nations people regard themselves as protectors of the land they live in. Their interests are less driven by economic factors and more by environment protection. This is exemplified by the fact that most First Nations willingly accept small scale energy projects like solar, wind, and geothermal power. However, they are concerned when it comes down to projects with environmentally significant effects, such as a dam on the Peace River for hydroelectricity.
Given the current trend of the rising interest in cooperating with the First Nations, I suggest that the First Nations should factor in to management decision making as stakeholders voicing concerns for environment protection. This is not contradictory with the world trend, either. Companies around the globe are increasingly interested in adding value to their company name by being “eco-friendly”. Pursuing the interests of the First Nations should not be viewed as a detrimental factor to business.