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Cumulative Effects Assessment

Beyond Place-Based Thought: Kluane First Nations’ Cumulative Effects Assessment and Management Framework

Canada continues to remain a natural resource driven economy relying upon resource management processes that are falling behind in relation to the complexity, scale and nature of the environmental pressures and changes (CCA 2019).  As Canada looks to the future, the reconciliation of relationships with Indigenous peoples needs to be at the top of the agenda in how to strategically re-structure governance relationships and forecast a more sustainable trajectory. Indigenous knowledge systems are a key component of re-positioning management systems and sharing knowledge with Indigenous peoples. The challenges often reside with lack of sharing of decision-making power, shifting knowledge outside of dominant practices and documented ways of how to bridge different ways of knowing. (Nadasay 2009; Halpren et al. 2008 and Wilcox et al. 2023). 

There will be three elements to this proposed research the first will be the re-grounding the work with Kluane First Nation – Reconceptualizing Cumulative Effects Assessment and Management Through Indigenous Knowledge Systems. It will comprise interviewing 5 to 7 key members of the community and holding two community workshops. We are working toward hosting a gathering with Yukon government, Regional Renewable Resource Council and Parks Canada to share the results of the work and seek opportunities for collaboration. This work builds upon the 16 interviews already completed, along with an interview workbook and community workshops. The third element will be holding an elicitation process with Indigenous representatives from across Canada to fill in data and knowledge gaps towards charting a transformative agenda path. Additional partnerships will be sought with Impact Assessment Agency of Canada, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Natural Resources Canada towards collaboration and establishing a future community of practice.

Project Lead
Lawrence Ignace
PhD Candidate, School of Environmental Studies
University of Victoria

Summary of Overall Project Objectives

  • Recentering Indigenous knowledge systems and science within cumulative effects assessment and management based upon Kluane First Nation’s knowledge system;
  • Providing a transferable framework or an approach for how cumulative effects assessment and management considers Indigenous existence and knowledge;
  • Demonstrating the layers of colonial traps/barriers that are in place and inhibit Indigenous peoples from participating fully within natural resource management;
  • Ensure the project supports and holds Kluane First Nation self-determination, cultural resurgence and desire for transformation of management systems;
  • Investigate and develop impact connector tools and approaches for sharing and communicating the results of this work across a range of audiences (film, videos, presentations, outreach events and community of practice).

Summary of Overall Project Outcomes

Immediate

  • Meeting of the community research committee to develop a detailed work plan for 2025. 
  • Set up a community workshop to share results from Phase 1 and seek initial input for the development of a cumulative effects decision making framework.
  • Build upon successes to date with Kluane First Nation to engage with Samson Cree, Alberta in their interests to develop a cumulative effects decision making framework.
  • Start to investigate potential opportunities and collaborations with the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada. 

Intermediate 

  • Plan and hold a workshop with Parks Canada, Yukon government and Renewable Resource Council to share results and seek collaborations.
  • Plan and hold a gathering and expert elicitation process for 10-15 Indigenous academics and natural resource managers to address gaps and transformative measures. 
  • Engage with Kluane, a youth film maker, in developing a series of short films that would cover the methods, approach and potential outcomes of the project. 
  • Publish an article on the Indigenous methods and approached used to develop Kluane First Nations cumulative effects assessment and management decision making. In addition, publish a research piece in relation to the findings and outcomes of the cumulative effects work with Kluane First Nation. 

Ultimate 

  • To bridge the work the Kluane First Nation has achieved through policy and decision-making reform at the territorial and national levels. 
  • To provide Kluane First Nation with a co-developed cumulative effects assessment and management decision-making framework that they can use how they choose. 
  • There is the potential for the development of a community of practice based upon the lessons learned and the methods used. These methods and lessons are potentially transferable to other communities, regulatory and decision-making processes.

Project Timeline

Year 1 - Scope & Activities
  • Continue to co-develop a cumulative effects decision making framework for Kluane First Nation.
  • Presentation at the Indigenous Center for Cumulative Effects conference in Vancouver May 26 to 28th, 2025. 
  • Hold a workshop with Parks Canada, Yukon government, and Renewable Resource council share results and seek collaboration. 
  • Develop a relationship with Samson Cree First Nation towards their interests in developing a cumulative effects decision making framework. 
  • Begin to leverage relationships with Impact Assessment Agency, Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada and Natural Resources Canada to seek areas of collaboration on cumulative effects. 
  • Begin to investigate what a potential partnership between Indigenous Center for Cumulative Effects and Braiding Knowledges Canada could look like in terms of a community of practice. The partnership is not necessarily required to establish a community of practice. 
  • Initiate the process of bringing Indigenous environmental and natural resource practitioners and academics from across Canada to engage in a process for shifting Canada’s understanding of how Indigenous knowledge systems are conceived within cumulative effects assessment and management. Determine if this will be something Federal partners would be interested in supporting. 
  • Hire a graduate student to assist with the organization and facilitation of the engagement process.
  • Engage with Jared Dulac, a KFN youth on the potential for developing a retrospective series of short films that document the methods and approaches used within this research. 
  • Round out the cumulative effects decision making framework by working with Kluane First Nation government to discuss how it could potentially be implemented or used within their ongoing work. 
  • Based upon the continued request, support KFN in their cumulative effects initiatives in the areas of regional land-use planning, baseline studies and Yukon Environmental and Socio-economic assessment Act. There are links with CIRNAC and Yukon government in relation to these activities. 
  • Build upon the workshop with Parks Canada, Regional Renewable Resources Council and Yukon government in determining if there are specific initiatives that could be furthered that support KFN decision-making framework. 
  • There will be a few rounds to the elicitation process and work will continue until it is completed. 
  • Engage a graphic designer in the final products for publications. 
  • In terms of knowledge translation – there will be at least two publications co-authored with KFN citizens, short films, another co-developed workbook or guidance tool, the decision-making framework will be developed into a guidance piece as well. Collaborations with federal, territorial and FN partners could also add to the translation tools to be developed.