First Nations at odds over boreal forest protection

There's a split among Canada's First Nation groups over how Canada's boreal forest must be protected. 

First Nation leadership in central and eastern Canada have collectively dismissed a Oct. 19-21 meeting in Prince George, British Columbia, which was hailed as a national meeting to discuss the management and protection of the boreal forest in Canada.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Stan Beardy was among a group of chiefs who stated Oct. 20 that the meeting being hosted by the First Nations Energy and Mining Council and the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council (CSTC) is not reflective of a national meeting nor its outcome will reflect a national First Nations position regarding the Canadian Boreal Forest Agreement (CBFA) recently signed between environmental groups and forest companies.

“Any agreement that directly affects NAN homelands should only be between those First Nations and the Crown,” said Beardy. “The CBFA disrespects our rights and was developed without our consent,” added Beardy, who called the meeting “a backdoor approach” to come up with a national First Nations strategy.

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty 9 and Ontario portions of Treaty 5 – an area covering two thirds of the province of Ontario.

Beardy said there wasn't any consensus that the meeting was even a good idea. “If we are going to be discussing our role in the management and protection of the Boreal region, it will be outside any agreements such as the CBFA.”