Gender and Resource Co-Management in Northern Canada

An inventory of the nominal representation of men and women on northern co-management boards in the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut identified a total of 34 co-management boards. Of their total of 210 members, 176 (84%) were males and 34 (16%) were females. Nine boards were composed exclusively of men, and 18 boards had only a single female representative. The land and resource management regimes created through the settlement of comprehensive land claims have afforded Aboriginal governments equitable representation in co-management but have not promoted gender equity in board membership.L’inventaire de la représentation nominale d’hommes et de femmes faisant partie de conseils de cogestion dans le Nord, plus précisément au Yukon, dans les Territoires du Nord-Ouest et au Nunavut, a permis de répertorier 34 conseils de cogestion au total. En tout, ces conseils comprenaient 210 membres, dont 176 (84 %) étaient des hommes et 34 (16 %) étaient des femmes. Neuf conseils étaient exclusivement composés d’hommes et 18 conseils ne comptaient qu’une seule femme. Les régimes de gestion des ressources et des terres découlant du règlement d’importantes revendications territoriales ont permis une représentation équitable sur le plan de la cogestion des gouvernements autochtones, mais n’ont pas fait valoir l’équité entre les sexes au sein des conseils de cogestion

Rethinking Devolution: Challenges for Aboriginal Resource Management in the Yukon Territory

After decades of state administration, indigenous peoples throughout the world are now succeeding, to varying degrees, in the reimplementation of self-governing institutions and administrative processes. This reorientation has been most observable in the context of natural resource management, where a major policy trend has been to devolve state authority and administrative responsibility directly to local levels. While the language of devolution and local control now permeates local–state interaction, in many cases the new institutions that have been created following devolution have little resemblance to indigenous forms of management. In this article, we present some of the institutional and ideological factors that continue to influence the way in which lands and resources are managed by First Nations in the Yukon Territory of Canada. In doing so, we identify the difficulties of applying indigenous cultural ideals into a management process that continues to be derived from non- indigenous values and principles

Gender, Decision Making, and Natural Resource Co-management in Yukon

Across the Canadian North, resource co-management has become a central institution for the management of natural resources. Although many multidisciplinary studies have examined the various social and political dimensions that influence the effectiveness of resource co-management, little has been done to understand how gender might affect collaboration and decision making. This gap is particularly evident in the northern Canadian context, where women make up 16% of all current co-management board members. This study examines the relationship between gender and decision making, drawing on the experiences of those involved in co-management boards in Yukon. Our findings indicate that the representation of women within these institutions is important for establishing a holistic decision-making process and a positive institutional culture that facilitates effective decision making. While there were many different experiences with gender, co-management, and decision making, it was generally agreed that male and female board members had equal opportunities to participate in board decision making. Nonetheless, barriers remain that prevent board members from feeling comfortable acting upon these opportunities. These barriers to participation were experienced by men and women in distinct ways. Institutional level barriers—cases where women’s skills and knowledge were considered irrelevant to co-management, where their opinions lacked standing within decision making—will be the most challenging for co-management boards to address in regard to effective decision making. À l’échelle du Nord canadien, la cogestion des ressources est dorénavant une institution centrale pour assurer la gestion des ressources naturelles. De nombreuses études disciplinaires se sont penchées sur les dimensions sociopolitiques qui influent sur la cogestion des ressources. Cependant, peu d’études ont été réalisées pour comprendre en quoi le sexe de la personne exerce une influence sur la collaboration et la prise de décisions. Cet écart est particulièrement évident dans le contexte du Nord canadien, où les femmes représentent 16 % de tous les membres de conseils d’administration actuels en cogestion. Cette étude examine le lien qui existe entre le sexe de la personne et la prise de décisions. Elle s’appuie sur l’expérience de personnes qui font partie de conseils de cogestion au Yukon. Nos constatations laissent croire que la représentation des femmes au sein de ces institutions revêt de l’importance dans la création d’un processus de prise de décisions holistiques et d’une culture institutionnelle positive favorisant la prise de décisions efficaces. Bien que l’expérience différait selon le sexe des personnes, la cogestion et la prise de décisions, on a généralement constaté que les membres de conseils de sexe masculin ou de sexe féminin avaient la possibilité de participer de manière égale à la prise de décisions des conseils. Néanmoins, il reste des obstacles qui empêchent les membres de conseils de se sentir à l’aise lorsque vient le temps de saisir ces possibilités. Ces obstacles à la participation étaient vus de manières distinctes par les hommes et par les femmes. Les obstacles de niveau institutionnel — lorsque les compétences et les connaissances des femmes étaient considérées comme non pertinentes en matière de cogestion et lorsque leurs opinions manquaient de poids dans le cadre de la prise de décisions — seront les obstacles les plus difficiles à surmonter pour les conseils de cogestion en vue de la prise de décisions efficaces

The Power and Peril of “Vulnerability”: Approaching Community Labels with Caution in Climate Change Research

Indigenous communities in the Arctic have become increasingly characterized as “vulnerable” in the context of climate change research. We question the use and application of this term in light of the potential consequences it may bring for indigenous peoples. First, the label “vulnerable” is often generated by those who are more or less unfamiliar with the complexities of local culture, economies, and capabilities. Second, we are concerned that such labels can generate misguided actions and policy responses built on how peoples and places come to be seen and understood by others. Third, the label “vulnerable” has the potential to shape how northern indigenous peoples come to see themselves as they construct their own identities—and identifying themselves as vulnerable may ultimately hinder their efforts to gain greater autonomy over their own affairs. As researchers become more engaged in the social dimensions of climate-change research, we encourage more careful and critical attention to the power and potential peril of community labels.Les communautés indigènes de l’Arctique sont de plus en plus souvent caractérisées de « vulnérables » dans le contexte de la recherche sur le changement climatique. Nous mettons en doute l’utilisation et l’application de ce terme à la lumière des conséquences éventuelles qu’il risque d’apporter aux peuples indigènes. Premièrement, l’étiquette « vulnérable » est souvent apposée par des personnes qui sont plus ou moins au courant des complexités de la culture, des économies et des capacités locales. Deuxièmement, nous nous inquiétons du fait que ces étiquettes peuvent se traduire par des mesures malavisées de même que par des politiques qui tiennent compte de la manière dont les peuples et les lieux sont perçus et compris par les autres. Troisièmement, l’étiquette « vulnérable » a la possibilité de déterminer la façon dont les peuples indigènes du Nord se voient quand vient le temps de définir leur propre identité, sans compter que le fait de s’identifier comme vulnérables pourrait finir par nuire à leurs efforts d’obtention d’une plus grande autonomie à l’égard de leurs propres affaires. Au fur et à mesure que les chercheurs se penchent davantage sur les dimensions sociales de la recherche sur le changement climatique, nous incitons les gens à faire sérieusement plus attention au pouvoir et aux dangers susceptibles de découler de l’apposition d’étiquettes sur les communautés

Arriving at Appropriate Criteria and Indicators for Sustainable Forest Management: A First Nation’s Perspective

Forest management in the Little Red River/Tall Cree traditionally used territory has long been dictated by ‘professionally’ trained foresters whose interests often run counter to those of aboriginal community residents. Because of this, band members have largely been excluded from the decision making process while their concerns, values, and knowledge have failed to be recognized, let alone applied, to the planning process. However, through the development of criteria and performance indicators, derived from a community perspective, an ongoing system of feedbacks is being used in the development of a self-improving management system which is facilitating an assessment of forest management as it relates directly to Little Red River/Tall Cree culture and their continued land use needs

Beyond the Berger Inquiry: Can extractive resource development help the sustainability of Canada’s arctic communities?

The four decades since the Berger Inquiry have produced a large body of research demonstrating the positive and negative impacts of resource development on northern communities. However, little independent research has aimed to yield an understanding of how best to manage the impacts of resource development and to harness its benefits in ways that can promote long-term sustainable development. This question was the impetus for the Resources and Sustainable Development in the Arctic (ReSDA) research project funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada in 2011. Representing a network of researchers, community members and organizations, ReSDA researchers conducted a series of analyses that focused on what was needed to ensure that northern communities received more benefits from resource development and potential negative impacts were mitigated. Overall, the analyses highlight the serious gaps that remain in our ability to ensure that resource development projects improve the sustainability of Arctic communities. These gaps include a proper understanding of cumulative impacts, the ability of communities to adequately participate in new regulatory processes, the non-economic aspects of well-being, the effects of impact and benefit agreements and new financial benefits, and new mitigation activities

Monitoring the Domestic Harvest of Migratory Birds in Nunatsiavut, Labrador

The 2007 Nunatsiavut Inuit Migratory Bird Harvest Study found that the harvest of migratory birds by Nunatsiavut (Labrador) communities represents an important component of their overall subsistence harvest. During the 2006 – 07 year, the Nunatsiavut migratory bird harvest was a reported 5468 birds. Annual harvest estimates at the household, community, and regional levels are summarized. Although these data represent only a single harvesting year, the baseline information that has now been identified will contribute to the establishment of Inuit domestic harvest levels, thereby recognizing the legitimate harvesting needs of Inuit households, while helping to ensure the conservation of migratory bird populations into the future