| Abstract/Description or Keywords |
The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC), in cooperationwith its member First Nations, has drafted The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council Aboriginal Interests & Use Study on the Enbridge Gateway Pipeline (AIUS). This document is intended to: _ Provide a preliminary assessment of the potential environmental and socio-economic impacts of the Gateway pipeline; _ Provide an overview of the Aboriginal title and rights of the Carrier Sekani that would be impacted or infringed by the Gateway pipeline; _ Give voice to the concerns of the Carrier Sekani community members; _ Place the proposed Gateway pipeline in the context of cumulative impacts within the Carrier Sekani territory and the broader experience of First Nations affected by pipeline and oil and gas development. The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council Aboriginal Interests & Use Study on the Enbridge Gateway Pipeline was undertaken with full support of the member First Nations in late 2005. The CSTC proposed to carry out independent studies on the proposed project and the proponent company agreed to fund these studies. The CSTC utilized the expertise of several independent consultants, academic scholars, tribal council staff, and community members to carry out the required research. While external experts have contributed significantly to this study and provided valuable data for community members to review and consider in their decision making process, it is the community members who have guided the research process and whose voices are the defining element in this document. Throughout the development of this process the CSTC has engaged member First Nations through the following: _ Community Coordinators appointed in each community to liaise with CSTC and researchers, distribute information to community members, provide direction to CSTC staff and researchers; _ Ethnographic interviews with Elders and trapline holders; _ Community meetings on the AIUS process requesting community input on areas of research focus; _ Community meetings to present an overview of environmental impacts and to gain input on specific Aboriginal interests; _ Final community review of the draft AIUS, with opportunity for modification and additions where necessary. The Carrier Sekani Tribal Council has advocated for meaningful involvement of the member First Nations in any decision making process on lands and resources within their territories, including the regulatory process for Gateway Pipeline. This document is meant to establish the context for any decision making process on the Gateway Pipeline, but it is preliminary in nature. As more information becomes available, and the company releases its baseline studies, more work will be required to assess in further detail the impacts of the proposed pipeline. |
