Applying First Nations Traditional Knowledge to Reclamation in the Oil and Gas Industry

1
Applying First Nations Traditional Knowledge to
Reclamation in the Oil and Gas Industry

• West Moberly First Nations
• Traditional Knowledge Project
• Oil and Gas Commission
• Science and Community Environmental Knowledge
  Fund Conference
• Fort St. John, BC
• June 10, 2004

2
What is First Nations Traditional Knowledge?

• The unique experiences, skills and understanding
  of the environment, accumulated by First Nations
  over generations, including
• Wildlife and plant habitat and uses
• Culturally important sites and areas
• Change indicators (species, climate, water, land)
• Inter-relationships and dependencies

3
Applying Traditional Knowledge to Reclamation

• Pre site assessment
• Reclamation planning and best practices
• Reclamation

4
Traditional Knowledge Project Objectives

• Deliverables
• Traditional Knowledge Reclamation Agreement
  template (First Nations Industry Regulator)
• Traditional Knowledge Database / Compendium
• Special Areas GIS mapping
• First Nations Industry Community Engagement
  template
• Identification of economic opportunities
• Proposal development

5
Traditional Knowledge Reclamation Agreement

• Processes for First Nations participation in
  reclamation planning and implementation
• TK based economic opportunities
• Protections for intellectual property
• Sharing of TK reclamation best practices

6
Traditional Knowledge Database / Compendium

• Cycles
• Changes and Indicators
• Inter-relationships and dependencies
• Wildlife and First Nations land uses

7
Special Areas Mapping

• Sacred and burial sites
• Settlements and cabins
• Trails

8
First Nations Industry Community Engagement
9
Identifying Economic Opportunities

• First Nations economic and employment
  opportunities
• Traditional Knowledge based
• Reflecting First Nations adaptive land use
  priorities
• Value - added

10
The benefits of applying Traditional Knowledge to
reclamation

• As a best practice applying Traditional
  Knowledge can
• Increase understanding and build stronger
  relationships, addressing core concerns and
  priorities of First Nations, as participants in
  resource development
• Improve development and reclamation planning by
  companies and First Nations, expanding available
  information
• Reduce conflict and potential environmental
  impacts
• Support the regulatory approval process
• Create economic and employment opportunities