Kwakiutl Band Council (Fort Rupert) January 1999

First Nations Forestry Program Building Strength Kwakiutl Band Council (Fort Rupert) January 1999

Kwakiutl Enter Forestry Industry their reliance on non-band operated companies. The Chief and council were interested in developing a Through Silviculture Venture band-driven forestry initiative, which would eventually operate as a privately owned venture and Forests and oceans have played a significant role in employ band members. Aboriginal communities on Vancouver Island for thousands of years. During the past century, most of Discussions were initiated in 1997 between the band the people in the First Nations village of Fort Rupert and MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. and Western Forest have made their living in the fishing industry. Products Ltd., the two major forest tenure holders in Although a few band members have worked as the area. Both companies expressed an interest in seasonal loggers, the forestry sector has never been using the services of a First Nations silviculture crew as significant as fishing in this northern Vancouver in their operations. Island village. This all began to change when fishing By the end of the year, eight band members had closures made the industry a less dependable source been selected to undergo 43 days of intensive of employment for First Nations residents of Fort Rupert.

The Kwakiutl First Nation saw the devastating impact the closures were having on the entire community. There are only a few families among the 350 Kwakwaka’wakw living in Fort Rupert that are not involved in fishing or on-shore support operations. With the support of the Kwakiutl District Council, Chief Larry Hunt and his council decided the time had come to look to the forest industry to contribute employment and financial stability to their community.

Though the band has been involved in some forestry related projects in the Band members undertook 43 days of intensive classroom training past, they had limited success due to followed by 12 days of on-the-job field training

Natural Resources Ressources naturelles Indian and Northern Affaires indiennes Canada Canada Affairs Canada et du Nord Canada Canadian Forest Service canadien Service des forêts In Partnership with First Nations Building Partnerships

community employment over the next five years,” he says. “If all goes as planned, by the year 2001 at least one of the band members who goes through the training program will launch a viable company that will employ up to 18 band members.”

Once the training was completed, counselors Tom Nelson and Mildred Varga began working with Western Forest Products (WFP) to establish a Memorandum of Understanding for the purpose of developing a solid working relationship. With the assistance of resource planners like Harris and Shawn Morford from the Musgamagw Tsawataineuk Tribal Council, the KDC Crew person during chainsaw training, March 1998 secured direct contracts from WFP and MacMillan Bloedel for the silviculture crew. classroom training, followed by 12 days of field training. A number of organizations and companies The 1998 season got off to a strong start, and the came together to provide the resources for the crew completed a number of contracts for WFP and training program, including the First Nations MacMillan Bloedel over an eight-month period. As Forestry Program (FNFP), the North Vancouver work increased, more people were hired, including Island Aboriginal Management Society, the two band members with a strong interest in Musgamagw Tsawataineuk Tribal Council, and starting up their own silviculture company. These Western Forest Products. Training was delivered by two individuals formed J & T Silviculture Ltd. and the Westcoast Forestry Training Centre and North took additional training in first aid and business Island College. development.

Scott Harris, a Forest Planner with the Kwakuitl By the end of the summer of 1998, the province- District Council (KDC) says the training program wide downturn in forestry and changes to provincial was designed to go beyond silviculture training regulations had started to effect the operations of right from the start. “The program the crew. Negotiations between the First Nation, covered mapping, safety, brushing, the companies and the union resulted in new spacing, planting, and pruning but it contracts reflecting the changes being signed and also included sections on life skills and the silviculture crew continuing to work. small business management. The “The First Nations Forestry Program played an goal is to develop privately important role in helping the band reach its goal of owned silviculture training band members and securing silviculture companies that will opportunities,” says Harris. “It’s a first step in increase entering the forestry sector and securing a bigger share of resource.” Building Business

The experience of establishing a silviculture In order to work towards that goal, the company will eventually lead to timber harvesting, Kwakwaka’wakw of northern Vancouver Island need and possibly a wood lot license in the future. access to more information on this natural resource. In 1998, a member of the Comox band who is “We are very careful about working in other First enrolled in the Natural Resource Conservation Nations territories,” says Harris. “It’s important to program in the Faculty of Forestry at UBC began acknowledge the traditional territory of others. We working on a database of all known information are discussing the possibility of working about forest lands of the 14 Kwakwaka’wakw bands. cooperatively with other communities, including This information will assist individual bands to Quatsino First Nation.” establish their own long-term forestry plans.

Harris pointed out that employment is not the only As First Nations increasingly look to the forests in desired outcome of Kwakiutl First Nation’s their traditional territory to help build a silviculture initiative. “Another goal is to see more sustainable economy for their communities, formalized recognition of the role of devolving the relationships with the province and corporations responsibility of forestry economic development to will need to be examined and adapted to serve all First Nations,” he says. the stakeholders in this important industry.

Spacing trainee at work during project Building Capacity

First Nations Forestry Program The high number of applications against limited program funding has prevented the need for additional call letters during the fiscal year. The BC In April 1996 the First Nations Forestry Program was First Nations Forestry Program Management Board announced by the Department of Indian Affairs and meets in early March to review and approve project Northern Development (DIAND) and Natural proposals. Each proposal is individually reviewed Resources Canada-Canadian Forest Service (CFS) to and evaluated against the program guidelines and improve economic conditions in status First Nations criteria and are approved on the basis of project communities. The program is jointly funded by the merit. two Departments for the purpose of assisting First Nations in building capacity in forestry. In guiding The First Nations Forestry Program encourages the this, the program has the following four objectives: participation of First Nations and other partners in sharing the costs of implementing projects. The • To enhance the capacity of First Nations to program emphasizes self-sufficiency by providing operate and participate in forest based “seed” funding or start-up assistance to First businesses. Nations for projects that will enhance the capacity • To increase First Nations partnerships and joint and capability of bands to generate longer term ventures. revenues, jobs and economic opportunities in • To investigate other funding mechanisms that forestry. may be created to finance First Nations forestry development. Examples of the types of projects that have been • To enhance the capacity of First Nations to funded focussed on training in enhancing capacity sustainably manage forest resources. to develop and operate small forestry businesses, develop community level forestry strategies, establish joint ventures, manage small wood licenses The First Nations Forestry Program is a five year and participate in forest management activities. program expiring on March 31, 2001. The budget over the term of the program is on a declining scale totaling $24.9 million nationally, of which approximately 19% is allocated to British Columbia. Contact Information The program in BC was developed and is managed by a BC First Nations Forestry Program Management Articles from this issue may be reprinted without permission. Contact the Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Board, comprising of 9 First Nations representatives Forestry Centre, at (250) 363-0600 for further information. (community and business) and 3 government representatives (DIAND, Canadian Forest Service, Building Strength is published by the Canadian Forest Ministry of Forests). Service, 506 W. Burnside Rd. Victoria B.C. V8Z 1M5, through the First Nations Forestry Program.

Applications to the First Nations Forestry Program Program Manager: Nello Cataldo are solicited through an annual call letter for project Editor: Rod Maides proposals through a wide distribution to all First Layout: Jennifer Adsett Nations in BC. The letter is issued in early Contributors: Randy Butcher, Art Shortreid November and expires in early February of each year.