Last Weeks

September 11, 2014 2:38 pm Published by Leave your thoughts

In the last weeks of this internship, the herbicide program is ongoing, with long days spent in the field at the mercy of the weather. Luckily, however, one more amazing experience was scheduled into my summer: a day spent with the Director of Environmental and First Nations Relations, Chris McDonell. On this day, we travelled into the heart of the Chapleau Game Preserve to attend a gathering of the Missanabie Cree. It is going to be difficult to get all of the things I experienced, felt and learned into one, flowing idea of a blog, but here goes!

In 1905/6, Treaty 9 was created in response to impending development of this area of Northern Ontario (which covers 2/3rds of the province) to protect the Cree and Ojibway First Nations. At the time of its development, communication was difficult and certain bands, such as the Missanabie, were overlooked. This was amended, allowing them to have greater say in the management of their traditional lands. As every area and band has its own priorities, Chris’s job to find bridges of communication and understanding between Tembec as a company and the varying interests is always exciting! One of the major points of concerns for the Missanabie Cree at this time is the use of herbicidal spray used in silvicultural planning to eliminate competing species from over-taking the planted conifers. This activity puts traditional medicines and food sources (which are generally of a pioneering nature) of the First Nations at risk for many seasons in the areas that were sprayed. In the eyes of the province and industry, it is an effective, low-cost, low-risk way to help guarantee natural resources for future generations.  What could be created is a potential conflict between industry, science, and traditional beliefs. What was instead created is a working group between the Missanabie Cree and Tembec with a stewardship vision to reduce and/or eliminate herbicide usage.

Under this working group, 1,000 hectares have beeb set aside as a test site that will look at the alternatives to using herbicidal spray in the silvicultural plan. Alternatives include:
• Planting larger seedlings (which works very well with spruce species!)
• Alternative mechanical site preparation methods
• Manual tending (i.e., brush saws)

This assessment of alternatives will be ongoing, but results are expected within the next 5 years. Already within the last 2 years, there has been a decrease in herbicidal usage of 5%. Though only a small amount of the forest is actually treated with herbicide, the concerns of the First Nations need to be addressed for a sustainable relationship and industry to continue.

The Chapleau Crown Game Preserve, on which the traditional lands of the MIssanabie Cree reside, is also a complicated issue in itself. Established in 1927, it was land set aside between crossing rail lines as a habitat for game such as bear, moose, and fox free of hunting, excluding First Nations. Although the animals themselves are protected, the land itself is managed by 5 different forest management plans. Due to the inclusion of the Missanabie Cree into Treaty 9, as well as the land’s increasing significance to the band as a home, a different kind of management will be looked at in the future for this landbase. The Cree hope to create a more holistic approach to the management of the land including the identification and protection of traditional medicines, culturally modified trees, as well as more selective logging. There is a hope among leaders to bring the people of their community back to the area and take a more active role in the management and protection of the land.

However, the forestry industry is not the only natural resource industry looking to use the lands. While attending the gathering with Chris, I found it to be quite an onslaught of presentations given by companies for use of the lands for a pipeline, mining and prospecting, all of which need further support from the community. It is quite a conflict, I would imagine, with First Nations, Metis and Inuit across the country – how to bridge the gap between tradition and economy. Many First Nations find work in forestry, mining, and the oil & gas industries, trying to create a living for the families and themselves in a changing financial landscape.

From my brief talks with many people in attendance, I got a sense of a need for a more holistic approach to everything – industry, relations between all peoples, and life in general – and less of a corporate presence. These issues seem to stem from a place that much of the country is feeling right now, requiring a general shift in our society. In talking not only with the First Nations, but also Jeff Leach and Chris, I have a lot of hope for the future of the forestry industry, led by innovative minds, open to change and ready to listen. There are so many amazing people working in our forests who understand this connection we have with our ecosystems, a respect for the life of the forest and all who inhabit it.

At the heart of First Nations culture is an idea of finding our place on the earth, a balance in all things. This also needs to be at the heart of our industry – the union of economic goals to what the land is actually able to provide us with, the marriage of a company to a healthy landscape. Without this, the industry cannot consider itself sustainable. I am so pleased that this summer I was able to be a part of a progressive company who values all the life within the forest, going forward with a vision of stewardship and understanding.

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