Appendix 1: Interview Documents

Winds and Voices Environmental Services Inc.

Determining Significance: Aboriginal Interests, Rights and Values

Questionnaire

The intent of the interviews are for key individuals, organizations, and/or Aboriginal leadership to identify issues on the current methods of determining significance and how to improve the practice in order to involve Aboriginal peoples.

Objective: To identify Aboriginal interests, rights and values to determine significance.

• What criteria would you recommend be applied to determine significant impacts to ensure that Aboriginal interests, values and concerns are properly addressed?
• What are the indicators of significant impact to the interests, rights and values listed above?

Objective: To identify methods of improving the practice of determining significanceand involving Aboriginal peoples in the process.

• What advice, comment and/or recommendation would you give in order to achieve better involvement by Aboriginal peoples in the EA process which can lead to meaningful involvement in determining significance?

Winds and Voices Environmental Services Inc.

Determining Significance: Aboriginal Interests, Rights and Values

GUIDE FOR QUESTION #1

What interests, values and concerns would you recommend be applied to determine significant impacts to ensure that Aboriginal interests are properly addressed?

In some EAs, the things Aboriginal people value (e.g. medicinal plants) may not be considered when determining significance.

Based on our research, a preliminary list of values identified by Aboriginal people include such interests as cultural sites, Treaty and Aboriginal rights, wildlife habitat, migration routes, traditional andhistorical sites (e.g. trading routes), archaeological sites, etc.

What interests and/or values of your community do you feel should be included for consideration when determining significance?

GUIDE FOR QUESTION #2

How would you determine if an impact on the interests, rights and values listed above is significant or not?

Based on our research, a preliminary list of possible impacts identified by Aboriginal peoples as being significant includes:

• infringement of Treaty and Aboriginal Rights (e.g. decrease in land base, inability to exercise the right, adverse effects on land claims negotiations by development;
• deterioration of the environment (e.g. overall negative impact on air, water, land); increasing hardship among people who rely on resources as a primary or secondary source of diet and income); and
• health and safety (e.g. contamination of foodstuffs and natural environment, decrease in quality and quantity of herbs and medicines, increased stress on individuals and families).

GUIDE FOR QUESTION #3

What advice, comment and/or recommendation would you make to provide better opportunities for Aboriginal people to be involved in the EA process which can then lead to a more meaningful involvement in determining significance?

Our initial research indicates that Aboriginal people want to be more involved in the general processes of EA, and more specifically by the following:

• earliest access (e.g. The Agency must undertake consultations with Aboriginal peoples before any EA ever starts in order to build understanding and capacity within the Aboriginal communities on EA legislation and processes.);
• scoping( e.g. The RA must notify Aboriginal group of proposed projectand provide project description to Aboriginal group to identify interests and potential impacts.);
• consultation (e.g. The RA, not the proponent must consult Aboriginal peoples to ensure their full understanding of the process and proposed project, and to include their interests and values in the scoping exercise; the proponent must consult Aboriginal peoples when gathering baseline information; and the RA and the proponent must consult Aboriginal peoples when determining significance.);
• evaluation of Impacts (e.g. Aboriginal peoples must be included in identifying potential impacts and possible mitigation measures.);
• decision making (e.g. Aboriginal peoples must be included in making decisions on what constitutes a significant impact.);
• monitoring (e.g. Aboriginal peoples must be party to the development, design and implementation of monitoring programs.); and
• time and resources (e.g. The RA must provide sufficient time to Aboriginal peoples to respond to the project proposal; and the RA and the proponent must provide sufficient financial resources to Aboriginal peoples to respond to the EIS.).

| Previous | Contents | Print Version | Next |