From exclusion to co-existence, aboriginal participation in Ontario forest management planning

grantor: University of TorontoAboriginal participation in environmental decision making is increasingly recognized as vital to the move towards greater sustainability, both globally and locally. This is true in many areas of resource management, including Canada's forest industry. Taking the lead in improving Aboriginal involvement in forest management is Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources, along with various industry and First Nations representatives from around the province. The new Aboriginal consultation process is long overdue, given the province's history of excluding Native people from forestry, and represents a significant component of Ontario's forest management planning system. This research provides initial feedback on this process and one of its most controversial components, "Native Values Mapping". The potential benefits of the new system are great, and include increased cooperation among government, industry and First Nations in moving towards the common goal of sustainable forest management. The research highlights ways in which gains are being achieved, as well as how barriers to such gains persist. The Aboriginal consultation and Native Values Mapping processes are affected by Ontario's complex history of Native/non-Native relations. The thesis describes this historical context, based on available literature, in order that the research outcomes can be better understood. Over the summer of 1999, 52 recent participants in the new forest management planning process were interviewed. Using the Grounded Theory method of social research, interview responses were analyzed to identify core variables which explain the variety of responses obtained. These core variables also serve to identify key issues which underlie the challenges faced by all forest planning participants in the research. Two core variables were identified in this study, the first being "World View, Spirituality and Native Values," while the second was "Relationships and Power". These variables explain how lack of understanding of different world views and unequal distribution of power between Native and non-Native peoples are hurdles to be overcome if sustainable forest management is be achieved in Ontario. Finally, the ancient "Co-Existence Model" is suggested as a way of achieving cooperation between Native and non-Native peoples in working toward this goal, while allowing cultural identities to remain intact.Ph.D