Presentation for the Annual Meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association

Abstract: In many discussions about natural resource and environmental policy, there is an assumption that transferring regulatory responsibilities to aboriginal groups will enhance current environmental protection goals. It is argued that aboriginal peoples have their own forms of self-regulation that will help to bring about environmental sustainability. However, the primary sources of evidence used to substantiate these claims – native testimonials and the fact that aboriginal peoples did not have a significant impact on the environment before contact – are insufficient for establishing the reality of an aboriginal conservation ethic; more systematic evidence must be acquired before such an presumption can be acceptable. Through a historical and materialist analysis, this paper will evaluate the arguments put forward in support of the claim that aboriginal peoples exhibit an inherent ecological consciousness. It will then explore the policy implications of expanding aboriginal jurisdiction over environmental protection if no such environmental ethic exists, including the possibility that such a course of action will actually result in deregulation. As well, the potential political reasons for pursuing this policy direction on the basis of such anecdotal evidence and spurious reasoning will be considered. It is commonly argued that aboriginal peoples have a conservation ethic- philosophies and practices that help them manage the environment sustainably (Callicott and Nelson