Get off the Big Grid, focus on the Big Picture, say AFN chiefs

Canada’s Indigenous peoples are poised to take a lead role in developing a national strategy to deal with climate change, according to chiefs of the Assembly of First Nations.

But Canada must first address the quality-of-life gap between Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal Canadians before they can become full partners in this massive enterprise, according to the AFN’s National Chief Perry Bellegarde and the organization’s regional chiefs.
On March 3, Canada’s First Ministers issued the Vancouver Declaration on Clean Growth and Climate Change, which sets out a plan to “create jobs, diversify the economy and improve the quality of life” by shifting away from fossil fuels and towards a low-carbon economy.

The declaration also promises representation of Indigenous people on working groups in each of the four priorities identified: clean technology, innovation and jobs; carbon pricing mechanisms, specific mitigation opportunities and adaptation/climate resilience.

Bellegarde said full participation by Indigenous peoples is intrinsic to the declaration, and not just window dressing.

“We demanded full inclusion in the design and delivery of any strategy going forward. We’ve had staff in the room writing the outcome document, and you can see the wording, ‘Each of the groups will include Indigenous peoples.’”

For his part, Alberta Regional Chief Craig Makinaw said he hopes the promise of consultation and cooperation is a credible one.

Makinaw noted that Alberta Nations hosted the Indigenous Peoples Meeting on Climate Change on Jan. 24 to Jan. 26 in Edmonton. Hailed as a groundbreaking event, the workshop brought together technicians, scientists and activists from across Canada, putting Alberta in the forefront of the climate change conversation.

“We have technicians in Alberta who are dealing with climate change,” Makinaw said. “It would be good to have all the information freely available, and I feel it would be beneficial to have Alberta at all four tables.”

On that note, Bellegarde said the level of participation, and the AFN presence at each table, would be a matter for discussion, but he supports the idea of full representation at each table.

Saskatchewan Regional Chief Bobby Campbell said once all the parties are engaged, however, the discussion must go beyond climate change.

“We have consistently stated and reiterated the need for full consultation with Indigenous peoples across all sectors. It’s not just climate change: it’s education; it’s housing; it’s infrastructure; it’s our environment and our lands,” he said. “Let’s not forget the Big Picture: it’s about quality of life for all our Indigenous people across this land.”

Campbell believes – especially in the face of the energy industry downturn – that closer consultation between industry and First Nations would result in innovations and cost-savings on both sides as the country transitions to a lower-carbon economy.

But First Nations will require those promised improvements in housing, education and infrastructure to be able to contribute as full partners.
Makinaw suggested that the First Ministers’ promises would be put to the test shortly.

“We will have to see after the March 22 federal budget announcement. From there, we will have a better idea of how this federal government works. That will be a big indicator.”

Bellegarde agrees that in order to be full participants, Canada’s Indigenous people will need major improvements in housing, infrastructure and education, just for starters.

“In ‘Quality of Life,’ Canada ranks sixth on the UN [Quality of Life] Index. Apply those indices to Canada’s Indigenous Peoples, and we are 63rd. It will take billions of dollars in investment. And that is the operating word: ‘investment.’ This is in the best interests of all Canada,” he said.

Over the decades, the oil and gas industry has used divide-and-conquer tactics to blunt opposition to development. Makinaw conceded that Alberta Nations are split on the oil and gas industry.
“Through the last five to 10 years of consultations, everybody is in different stages of negotiations.”

As a result, Makinaw said there is, as yet, no group consensus among his member Nations on how to deal with the oil and gas industry or with climate change. But Alberta is not unique in that regard, he added.

“Across the province and across the country, bands are for it [industry] and bands are against it. We have to respect that,” he said.

Makinaw was asked whether setting emission caps and carbon pricing was really meaningful when the oil and gas industry has fallen into deep recession regardless. He believes the downturn presents a major opportunity.

“I know from experience that things will slowly get better. So when things are down, it’s a good time to sit down and begin reviewing things in light of climate change,” he said.

Bellegarde noted that for most Indigenous Canadians, especially those outside the oil patch, economic reality has been mostly “bust” and very little “boom”. While the national unemployment rate is about six per cent, in many Indigenous communities it reaches 70 to 80 per cent.

“None of this is new to us as Indians when it comes to economic downturn. We still feel poverty and lack of jobs. So we have to find that balance, and to transition out of that dependence on fossil fuels – as a society and as a world.”

Bellegarde said his organization has not specifically discussed whether carbon pricing or cap-and-trade (et cetera) is the best approach.
“We have always worked towards creating sustainable economic strategies, balancing the environment and the economy. We have always stated [that] as Indigenous peoples, we have rights, but we also have responsibilities to protect the land and our water. But we also want to create wealth for our people, so it’s always about finding the right balance.”

The declaration points to hydroelectric development as part of the strategy to reduce dependency on fossil fuel. Bellegarde said that while there is plenty of room for innovative and non-invasive hydro projects, the AFN opposes the contentious Site C project on the Peace River in Northeast B.C.

“We’re supporting the Treaty 8 chiefs who oppose Site C because it affects their inherent rights and treaty rights,” he explained.

Site C would flood tens of thousands of hectares of Treaty 8 hunting and fishing territory, as well as enough Class 1 agricultural land to feed up to one million people, according to opponents.

“Even though it’s Clean Energy – it’s hydro – it still has negative effects on rights.

“The message to industry and government is, ‘Before you try to build anything, go back to the drawing board and build a cooperative and respectful relationship with Indigenous people.’ That hasn’t been done in a lot of places where there are these conflicts.”

B.C. Regional Chief Shane Gottfriedson said Site C is an example of a growing trend where non-Aboriginal people have come to rely on their Indigenous neighbors, who have constitutionally-
enshrined rights and protections in their traditional territories.
“I went up to the Peace to support the community. It was not just First Nations, it was all the people of the Peace River,” he said.

Gottfriedson said in community discussions, the Treaty 8 chiefs emphasize the need to create a strategy to protect the land for seven full generations.

“When you look at the UN Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples that was endorsed by Canada, Article 25 talks about our relationship with and the use of our lands and territories, waters, coastal seas and other resources, and our responsibility to protect them for future generations,” he said. “But when you look at how we look after our planet, it’s not just a First Nations problem. It’s everybody’s problem.”

Gottfriedson said Canada’s Indigenous people must bring to bear the full weight of their traditional knowledge base in order to survive. While all Canadians will benefit, it is most critical for their own well-being.

“Canada has to move quickly because climate change is impacting all of our territories,” he said. “As Indian people, we still live off the land; we still hunt; we still fish; we still gather medicines; we still hold our ceremonies on the land.”

Gottfriedson said that emphasizes the need to pull together as a country.

“The world is changing all around us. We need to look for a better way,” he said. “And we are an indispensable part of developing a Global Climate Action Strategy.”

Bellegarde said in general, Canada’s Indigenous people need to “get off the Big Grid” and start looking at own-controlled Green Energy. Many remote communities aren’t even on the grid, and still rely on diesel generators for electricity.

Those communities could develop wind, solar or small hydro projects, in partnership with industry (that is, pre-supposing equity ownership on the part of the individual Nation, he noted).

“We especially need more strategic partnerships in the North, because we have to get our people off diesel.”

Crawford said Northern Saskatchewan is already feeling life-altering effects of climate change.

“The ice roads we use in the winter are no longer safe due to rising temperatures. These are fly-in communities in the summer, with some ferry service. But now, in summer, lower water levels are making ferry navigation increasingly difficult.”

Crawford said First Nations must be both part of the discussion and part of the solution when decisions are being made.

“How can officials from different parts of the country make decisions for First Nations communities when they have never been to that community?

“What we are saying is, it’s our own experts, our own Elders and knowledge-keepers – our grassroots people and leaders – who know what is best suited and what is the best solution when it comes to a specific item or issue.”

Gottfriedson said openness and a spirit of cooperation across all communities will bring about solutions.

“We need to look at Clean Energy technology. We are living in a world of innovation,” he said. “Where are we going? First Nations are not going anywhere. Our ties to the land are intrinsic to who we are, and it is our responsibility to create a healthier and safer environment for our children. That includes environmental sustainability and it also addresses climate change.”