Establishing a Framework for the Peaceful Enjoyment of the Traditional Territories of First Nations in Northeast British Columbia

With the 1899 signing of Treaty 8, the Dene-zaa of northeast British Columbia were assured that their usual vocations of hunting, trapping and fishing would not be affected by European settlement, and they would be as free after signing the treaty as they were prior to it. Yet, after a century of failed promises, the Dene-zaa have been forced to watch much of their traditional territories transformed to meet the economic interests of industry and government. Today, the Dene-zaa are once again trying to protect their lands, and their relationships with them. Their efforts involve participating in the Regional Strategic Environmental Assessment (RSEA) for northeast British Columbia. Through the RSEA process they have introduced the concept of Peaceful Enjoyment as a guiding principle for evaluating and mitigating potential impacts stemming from energy development. For the Dene-zaa, Peaceful Enjoyment encapsulates a preferred way of life and may represent their last remaining opportunity to protect their physical and spiritual connection to the land. In collaboration with the West Moberly First Nations, Saulteau First Nations, and the RSEA Management Committee, my research set out to document the extent to which First Nation livelihoods are derived from environmental resources and the conditions required for the attainment of Peaceful Enjoyment of traditional lands. More specifically, the objectives of my research were to: 1) Quantify the total edible food weight and number of wildlife species harvested by First Nation members over a 12-month period (2016-2017); 2) Quantify the extent to which traditional foods are shared between First Nation households; 3) Map harvest areas by food weight, species, and community use; 4) Identify areas within the West Moberly and Saulteau First Nations traditional territories where land use has been constrained, whether due to industrial development, competing land uses, or other social or ecological constraints; and 5) Explore changes in the landscape that First Nations members have experienced throughout their lifetime. My research utilized a mix-methodology involving archival research, participant observation, key informant interviews, household surveys, land use mapping, social network analysis, and spatial modeling. The results demonstrate that the harvest and subsequent sharing of traditional foods make an important contribution to the cultural, economic, and nutritional well-being of First Nations members. During the survey period, SFN households alone harvested an estimated 56,027 kg of traditional foods. This includes 31,176 kg of moose, 22,194 kg of other large mammals, 1,307 kg of small mammals, 1,164 kg of fish and 186 kg of birds. 79.3% of this harvest occurred within a 100 km radius of the SFN community, but also extended as far as 100 km to the northwest. These foods were then shared through 244 individual exchanges involving 160 households, 74 of which were located in 13 other communities. However, my results also show that the opportunities for First Nation members to experience the Peaceful Enjoyment of their traditional lands is constrained by physical disturbances associated with resource development, competition with non-First Nation hunters and recreationalists, and a range of social and economic barriers. These results, if accounted for in the planning and assessment process, can assist the RSEA Management Committee in making informed decisions regarding the cultural impacts stemming from future energy development in northeast British Columbia