Improving Indigenous Engagement and Consultation for Oil Sands Development in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada

This dissertation investigates and makes recommendations to improve Indigenous engagement and consultation (participation) undertaken in conjunction with environmental assessment for nine Steam Assisted Gravity Drainage (SAGD) oil sands developments in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo, Alberta, Canada. It presents and applies a new framework designed to help identify opportunities to improve Indigenous participation in environmental assessment. This study is informed by a review of regulatory filings, interviews with 11 key informants, and more than 20 years of professional experience. It examines the participation goals, activities, and outcomes of SAGD developers, Indigenous communities, the Government of Alberta, and the Alberta Energy Regulator. Findings indicate that their goals include sharing knowledge about projects and potential impacts, ensuring decision-makers are informed about Indigenous communities’ knowledge and perspectives, addressing community concerns, protecting and satisfying Indigenous rights, facilitating direct Crown consultation, empowering Indigenous communities, ensuring project benefits to Indigenous communities, and maintaining positive relationships. Their key activities include notification, informal consultation, development of consultation plans, meetings, site visits, Traditional Knowledge and Traditional Land Use studies, technical reviews, negotiated agreements, and the use of Statements of Concern. Most of the participants’ goals are satisfied by existing processes except those related to direct Crown consultation and positive Crown-Indigenous community relationships. Recommendations resulting from this research suggest that direct Crown consultation, improved scoping, improved Traditional Knowledge collection, and increased trust-building may help the Major Participants to achieve their goals more efficiently and meaningfully. Key findings and recommendations may inform researchers and practitioners about how to improve Indigenous participation for many types of natural resource development.

Author dc:creator

• O'Neil, Christopher

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• King, Leslie

• College of interdisciplinary studies

Language dc:language.iso

en_US

Identifier URI

https://doi.org/10.25316/ir-19808

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:null:10613/28199