Should Alberta Incorporate the Meadow Lake Model of Forest Sector Development into Its Aboriginal Economic Partnerships Program?

Date
2017-09-07
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
This research is an analysis of a case study involving nine First Nations of the Meadow Lake Tribal Council's (MLTC) in northwestern Saskatchewan. It explores how these First Nations have managed to exercise self‐determination over resource development operations in their traditional territories. Through commercial means, they have created jobs, developed businesses, and thereby improved the well‐being of their communities. The Meadow lake case study is relevant to Alberta because, the Province has been providing annual grants to its First Nations with a goal to improve living conditions in these communities. However, the poor living conditions of these people demonstrates otherwise. In the absence of proper evaluation, government‐funded programs run the risk of being viewed as entitlements. Therefore, this paper suggests that Alberta could adopt the MLTC model of resource development as an alternative to promote economic development in First Nation communities. The timing is crucial because Alberta is in the process of renewing its consultation process with First Nation people regarding resource development. For this model to be successful, the paper recommends two actions: one to be taken by the Government of Alberta, and the other by First Nation leaderships in Alberta. These actions will put pressure on First Nations to approach resource development as a wealth‐creating effort as opposed to merely receiving payouts for environmental and cultural impacts. 1. Encourage bilateral negotiations between resource companies and the First Nations without the interference of government agencies. 2. Exploit business opportunities through local resource development and build around these as anchors to spin off other businesses at the levels of the Tribal Council and individual First Nations.
Description
Keywords
Citation
Dumoe, Jonah. (2017). Should Alberta Incorporate the Meadow Lake Model of Forest Sector Development into Its Aboriginal Economic Partnerships Program? (Master's thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.