SAMSON CREE NATION TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT
Jordan Tam PhD and Firelight Research Inc. with the Samson Cree Nation June 18, 2020 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT
Samson Cree Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project
DRAFT REPORT / June 18, 2020
Prepared and authored by:
Jordan Tam PhD and Firelight Research Inc. with the Samson Cree Nation
Submitted to:
Kyra Northwest, Traditional Land Use Lead, Samson Cree Nation
Thanks and acknowledgements go to Samson Cree Nation members, elders, knowledge holders, land users, staff, and leadership who contributed. This report could not have been completed without their support and expert knowledge.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this report is based on research conducted by Firelight Research Inc., as well as published works and archival research. It reflects the understandings of the lead authors and is not intended to be a complete depiction of the dynamic and living system of use and knowledge maintained by Samson Cree Nation members. Note that Section 2.1.3 of this report is authored exclusively by SCN and reflects the community’s understanding of Treaty rights and Crown obligations. The report may be updated, refined, or changed as new information becomes available. All mapped information is based on interviews with Samson Cree Nation knowledge holders conducted within constraints of time, budget, and scope. Base map data originate from Canvec and Geobase. The information contained herein should not be construed as to define, limit, or otherwise constrain the Treaty or Aboriginal rights of the Samson Cree Nation, or any other First Nations or Aboriginal peoples.
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Samson Cree Nation (SCN) retained Firelight Research Inc. to conduct a traditional knowledge and use study (the Study) in relation to the NGTL Edson Mainline Expansion Project (the Project) proposed by NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL; the Proponent).
The NGTL Edson Mainline Expansion Project proposes to expand the existing NGTL system and will support increased pipeline capacity. The proposed ~85 km of new pipeline will connect with and be closely linked to the 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project. The pipeline system will move sweet natural gas from the Peace River area to (and within) Alberta and to export markets. The anticipated timeline for construction is between November 2021 to April 2022, with an in-service date of April 2022.
Primary components of the proposed Project would include: 85 km of 1,219 mm (outside diameter) pipeline loops in two pipeline sections – the Alford Creek Section (45 km) and Elk River Section (40 km); associated control valves, mainline valves, pipeline tie-ins, and a receiver facility; temporary infrastructure including stockpile sites, borrow pits/dugouts, laydown yards, and contractor yards; and temporary access roads and travel lanes.
This Report provides non-confidential baseline information and anticipated Project interactions based on current and available SCN knowledge and use data collected in SCN traditional lands, with a specific focus on the vicinity of the Study Area. Primary data for this Study were collected from 25 mapping interviews completed with 29 SCN community members from February 10 to 28, 2020.
Analyses of site-specific (i.e., mapped) values are based on the Project Footprint (within 250 m of Project physical works), Local Study Area (LSA; within 5 km of physical works) and Regional Study Area (RSA, within 25 km of physical works). Collectively, these are referred to as the Study Area. SCN members recorded a total of 14 site-specific use values within the Project Footprint, 17 site-specific use values within the LSA, and 148 site-specific use values within the RSA.
Through discussion and interviews with SCN members, four valued components (VCs) were identified that may be impacted by the Project. These are:
• Hunting;
• Food Plants and Medicines;
• Water and Fishing; and
• Cultural Continuity.
The site-specific data show that the Project is located in an area of importance for the exercise of SCN Treaty rights, culture, and way of life, including associated knowledge, use, and occupancy. The data also describes the current condition of VCs in the Study Area in the context of existing developments and other pressures. SCN members
3 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT identified a number of Project interactions that would further impact the identified VCs. A selection of important findings for each VC are summarised below.
Hunting
The presence of abundant and healthy populations of wildlife species is important for SCN hunting practices, subsistence needs, and cultural uses. SCN members hunt for a variety of species – particularly ungulates – in the Study Area, and they identified many specific hunting areas, hunting access routes, and kill sites, within or in the vicinity of the Project RSAs (Alford Creek and Elk River sections). The Study Area is particularly important to SCN Hunting, in part because of the quality of animal habitat, presence of substantial Crown land, and accessibility of hunting areas compared to many other parts of SCN territory where hunting is constrained by land privatisation.
Several SCN members reported that the quantity of animals and quality of habitat and hunting areas has declined in the Study Area over the last few decades. Noted causes include industrial expansion (e.g., oil and gas, forestry), and increasing amounts of industrial traffic and non-Indigenous hunters. According to SCN hunters, these factors are decreasing the availability of game as animals avoid areas of increased traffic, and as habitats are opened up by development.
It is in this context that SCN members anticipate Project impacts further impairing SCN Hunting values and practices, including increased industrial and non-Indigenous hunting traffic, and safety risks.
In addition, SCN members identified several other potential Project interactions with Hunting values, including:
• Reductions in and displacement of animal populations valued for hunting within the Study Area due to habitat loss and fragmentation, increases in local predator populations and predation success, and human activity;
• Negative impacts to animal health resulting from Project activities, including the introduction and dispersion of contaminants; and
• Diminished ability of SCN members to harvest desirable quantities of quality animals in the Study Area, and increased distances that community members must travel to hunt culturally preferred animals.
Samson Cree Nation members expressed that these Project effects and reductions in access to game would have long-term impacts on their ability to pursue traditional hunting activities, affecting current and future generations.
Food Plants and Medicines
The collection and use of a wide variety of plants for food, medicines, and ceremonial and spiritual purposes are important components of SCN members’ health and culture. The Study Area is considered by many SCN members to be less disturbed and more accessible than other parts of the traditional territory due in part to the presence of substantial Crown land. By extension, the quality of plants and their healing efficacy is
4 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT higher in the Study Area compared to elsewhere in the territory where agriculture, industrial developments, and land privatisation limit the ability of SCN members to access important plant collection sites.
Samson Cree Nation members are concerned that the proposed Project will negatively impact food plants and medicines in a sensitive region of their territory known for having unique plant species. SCN members are concerned that the Project would result in physical and chemical damage to plants, contamination, limitations to access, and other Project-related changes to important collection sites would impact their ability to obtain the plants they require.
SCN members identified several potential Project interactions with Food Plants and Medicines values, including:
• Destruction of valued habitat for berry picking and medicine collection due to land clearing;
• Reduced health and power of plant and medicine resources due to the dispersion of industrial contaminants; and
• Diminished ability of SCN members to harvest food plants and medicines as a result of both the loss of habitat and the loss of confidence in the quality of resources.
Water and Fishing
Water is and continues to be a fundamental resource that underpins nearly all other SCN cultural values, and as such is a primary concern for the community. SCN members continue to use the waters of their traditional territory for fishing, travel, drinking, and ceremonial purposes. Fish in lakes and rivers are a traditional source of sustenance for SCN members and several SCN Water and Fishing values were recorded in the Study Area. SCN members also emphasised the importance of water in supporting healthy animals and therefore SCN hunting activities in the Study Area.
Samson Cree Nation Water and Fishing values are already impacted across SCN territory by the combined effects of settlement and development. SCN use of several important water bodies have been curtailed by water contamination and reductions in the quality of fishing. Existing cumulative impacts to water and fish underscore the importance of remaining healthy fish and water resources in SCN traditional territory, including in the Study Area where water quality is considered to be decent, but declining.
Many SCN members are concerned that the Project will impact water, fish, and fish habitat through both the physical alteration of rivers and streams and the introduction of contamination. The Project interactions summarised below would impact tangible cultural values, such as the collection of drinking water and fishing from creeks and streams, as well as intangible aspects of SCN culture including stewardship responsibilities, ceremonial practices, and knowledge transmission.
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Samson Cree Nation members identified several potential Project interactions with Water and Fishing values, including:
• Negative impacts to water and fish health resulting from Project activities, including the introduction and dispersion of contaminants through the landscape and into rivers, creeks, and wetlands;
• Reduced potability of water resulting from Project activities, including the introduction and dispersion of contaminants through the landscape and into rivers, creeks, and wetlands; and
• Destruction or degradation of waterways from stream bed and bank alteration from trenching and land clearing.
Cultural Continuity
Samson Cree Nation Cultural Continuity comprises a suite of highly complex tangible and intangible values including (but not limited to) sense of place and identity, knowledge transmission, ceremonies, and habitation sites and travel routes. These values are interconnected with and rely on abundant and healthy lands and resources in the traditional territory. Project effects on one VC are likely to have consequences for other VCs, including the ability and opportunity for SCN members to transmit traditional knowledge, experience the land in preferred ways, practise ceremonies and maintain spiritual relationships, and uphold core principles of SCN life.
For many SCN members, the Rocky Mountains and foothills area is central to their identity and includes areas of unique spiritual and cultural importance. SCN Cultural Continuity is already impacted by existing changes to SCN traditional territory and the Study Area. These changes include reduced accessibility due to privatisation, landscape changes and pollution from industrial development, and increased urbanisation and settlement. Any additional Project-related disruptions to these conditions would further negatively impact SCN Cultural Continuity in the Study Area.
Samson Cree Nation members anticipate that the Project will result in further degradation of lands, waters, and resources in a critical area where members are actively practicing their rights and culture. Based on the collected evidence, the Project will impact SCN members’ sense of place and continued use of the Study Area, and by extension SCN knowledge transmission, ceremonial practices, and the use of habitation sites and travel routes.
Samson Cree Nation members identified several potential Project interactions with Cultural Continuity values, including:
• Changes in the landscape and valued place characteristics negatively impacting SCN members’ sense of place and peaceful enjoyment of lands and resources within the Study Area;
• Reductions in opportunities and the ability of SCN members to transmit knowledge and skills to younger generations;
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• Reductions in opportunities and the ability of SCN members to engage in and conduct ceremonies due to Project impacts on natural resources and sacred and spiritual spaces; and
• Reduced ability of SCN members to access the territory due to Project interactions with travel routes and habitation sites.
As noted in relation to the VCs above, it is important to emphasise that SCN members’ use of lands and resources in the Study Area is already constrained by existing developments, including from agriculture, forestry, oil and gas developments, and recreational land users. Impacts from these sources have already rendered many SCN cultural values vulnerable to further change in their territory; it is in this context that potential Project interactions must be considered.
In light of the above, this Report recommends that Project mitigations and management plans be developed in close consultation with SCN, particularly with regard to values and sites of cultural and environmental importance. It is recommended that SCN traditional knowledge be incorporated and that knowledge holders be engaged in all phases of the Project should it proceed, including planning, installation, operation, reclamation, and monitoring.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary ...... 3
Table of Contents ...... 8
List of Figures ...... 11
List of Tables ...... 12
Acronyms and Abbreviations ...... 13
1. Introduction ...... 14
1.1 Overview ...... 14
1.2 Scope of Work ...... 14
1.3 Limitations ...... 15
2. Background ...... 17
2.1 Samson Cree Nation Profile ...... 17
2.1.1 Samson Cree Nation Community Background ...... 17
2.1.2 Plains Cree Nation History and Traditional Land Use ...... 17
2.1.3 The Signing of Treaty No. 6 ...... 18
2.1.4 Samson Cree Nation Post-Treaty Land Use ...... 20
2.2 The Project ...... 22
3. Methods ...... 27
3.1 Valued Components ...... 27
3.2 Mapping Interviews ...... 27
3.2.1 Site-Specific Data Collection and Analysis ...... 28
3.2.2 Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis ...... 29
4. Results ...... 31
4.1 Site-Specific Data ...... 31
4.1.1 Overview ...... 31
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4.1.2 Total Reported Site-Specific Values ...... 32
4.1.3 Site-Specific Values Reported in the Project Footprint ...... 32
4.1.4 Site-Specific Values Reported in the LSA ...... 32
4.1.5 Site-Specific Values Reported in the Project RSA ...... 32
4.2 Hunting ...... 35
4.2.1 Importance ...... 35
4.2.2 Impacted Baseline ...... 42
4.2.3 Project Interactions ...... 47
4.3 Food Plants and Medicines ...... 52
4.3.1 Importance ...... 52
4.3.2 Impacted Baseline ...... 59
4.3.3 Project Interactions ...... 63
4.4 Water and Fishing ...... 67
4.4.1 Importance ...... 67
4.4.2 Impacted Baseline ...... 68
4.4.3 Project Interactions ...... 71
4.5 Cultural Continuity ...... 76
4.5.1 Importance ...... 76
Sense of Place and Identity ...... 76
Knowledge Transmission ...... 77
Ceremonies ...... 80
Habitation Sites and Travel Routes ...... 82
4.5.2 Impacted Baseline ...... 83
4.5.3 Project Interactions ...... 86
4.6 Preliminary Characterisation of Cumulative Effects ...... 89
5. Conclusion ...... 93
5.1 Summary ...... 93
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5.2 Recommendations ...... 95
5.3 Closure ...... 97
Citations ...... 98
Participant Citations ...... 100
Appendix 1: SCN Consent Form ...... 103
Appendix 2: Interview Guide ...... 104
Appendix 3: Jordan Tam CV ...... 130
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LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE 1: NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LIMITED’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT WITH THE PROJECT FOOTPRINT, LSA, AND RSA...... 24
FIGURE 2: PERMANENTLY CONVERTED LANDS IN RELATION TO SCN TRADITIONAL TERRITORY, THE PROJECT, AND ALBERTA’S GREEN AREA AND WHITE AREA...... 25
FIGURE 3: PERMANENTLY CONVERTED LANDS IN RELATION TO THE PROJECT AND STUDY AREA...... 26
FIGURE 4: SCN REPORTED SITE-SPECIFIC VALUES IN RELATION TO THE STUDY AREA FOR NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT...... 30
FIGURE 5: SCN REPORTED SITE-SPECIFIC HUNTING VALUES IN THE STUDY AREA...... 34
FIGURE 6: SCN REPORTED SITE-SPECIFIC FOOD PLANTS AND MEDICINES VALUES IN THE STUDY AREA...... 51
FIGURE 7: SCN REPORTED SITE-SPECIFIC WATER AND FISHING VALUES IN THE STUDY AREA. . 66
FIGURE 8: SCN REPORTED SITE-SPECIFIC CULTURAL CONTINUITY VALUES IN THE STUDY AREA...... 75
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LIST OF TABLES
TABLE 1: SCN SITE-SPECIFIC VALUES REPORTED WITHIN THE PROJECT FOOTPRINT, LSA, AND RSA OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT. NUMBERS ARE CUMULATIVE WITH INCREASING SPATIAL SCALES (I.E., RSA INCLUDES THE LSA AND FOOTPRINT)...... 31
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ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
AB Alberta
Firelight Firelight Research Inc.
IR Indian Reserve
LSA Local Study Area
NGTL NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.
Project NGTL’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project
Proponent NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd., NGTL
ROW Right-of-Way
RSA Regional Study Area
SCN Samson Cree Nation
Study Samson Cree Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project
TUS Traditional Use Study
VC Valued Component
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 OVERVIEW
Firelight Research Inc. (Firelight) is pleased to provide this report (the Report) to the Samson Cree Nation (SCN). This Report documents the background, methods, and findings of a traditional knowledge and use study (the Study) specific to the proposed NGTL Edson Mainline Expansion Project (the Project) proposed by NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (the Proponent).
This Report provides baseline information and consideration of anticipated Project interactions with SCN Indigenous knowledge and use values based on current and available information. This Report provides qualitative information related to the Study Area (the Project Footprint, Local Study Area, and Regional Study Area combined; see Section 3 for detailed definitions), along with non-confidential site-specific information. For the purpose of this Report, site-specific data are knowledge and use values reported by SCN members that are specific, spatially distinct, and that may be mapped (however, exact locations may be treated as confidential).
This Report is organised into five sections:
• Section 1 provides a brief overview of the Study and the Report, including an outline of the limitations of the Study;
• Section 2 provides background information on SCN and the Project;
• Section 3 details the Study methods used for data collection and analysis;
• Section 4 provides the results of the Study; and
• Section 5 summarises the findings and conclusions of the Study.
1.2 SCOPE OF WORK
Samson Cree Nation retained Firelight to support a traditional knowledge and use study specific to the Project, and agreement on a workplan was reached December 20, 2019. The following tasks were completed from January to March, 2020:
• Data and document review of existing information relating to the Project area, and review of the Proponent’s related Project documents;
• Research methods development;
• Facilitation of a one-day community scoping meeting with SCN and Firelight staff to discuss the purpose of the Study, and identification of key values, issues, and areas of interest based on community feedback;
• Completion of up to 30 individual mapping interviews with SCN members at a scale of 1:50,000 or better;
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• Analyses of interview data, which includes transcription, GIS data post- processing, and map creation; and
• Preparation of one (1) non-confidential draft report for SCN and legal review.
The current draft report (this Report) will remain in draft form pending completion of the workplan, which includes SCN community review and verification of Report findings and subsequent revisions. A final report will then be prepared and provided to SCN.
These crucial steps are currently delayed by COVID-19 precautions and restrictions on travel and community gatherings. While SCN is making this draft Report available for filing in the regulatory process for the Project, it must not be considered a completed final report at this time as it is subject to change.
1.3 LIMITATIONS
Limitations of this Study and Report include the following:
• Not all knowledge holders were able to participate in this Study. Efforts were made to include key knowledge holders active within the Study Area (see Section 3 for Study Area definition), but many SCN members with important knowledge of the Study Area were unable to participate due to time and budget restrictions.
• Data collected for each knowledge holder is limited by what the participant is able and willing to report.
• The area demarcated by mapped site-specific values should be understood to be a small portion of the actual area required for the meaningful practice of an SCN way of life, as well as for the meaningful exercise of SCN Aboriginal and Treaty rights. Site-specific mapped values (e.g., cabins and kill-sites) reflect particular instances of use that anchor wider practices of culture, livelihood, and other Aboriginal and Treaty rights within a particular landscape. For example, a single moose kill-site may be mapped with a precise point, but that point does not capture the entire spectrum of related practices and values.
• This Report does not include extensive recommendations on mitigation and monitoring measures. The process for collaboration between SCN, the Proponent, and the Crown regarding monitoring and mitigation should be decided upon in dialogue with SCN, and for that reason, specific recommendations are not presented or proposed in this Report.
• The Report is not comprehensive of SCN values and rights-based practices. The omission of some SCN values (e.g., due to the above limitations) does not mean they are less important; they remain entwined with other SCN values and rights- based practices.
Given the above limitations, this Report can be used as a representational spatial account of only some SCN use and interest in the Study Area. It is important to stress,
15 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT however, that the Study does not reflect all SCN values in the Study Area, and an absence of data does not signify an absence of use or value.
This Report should not be taken as a replacement for other studies that may be required, such as studies or assessments based on socio-economics, heritage resources, or cumulative effects. SCN has identified a need for a regional health study, as well as a series of field visits to the Project Footprint with SCN members.
Nothing in this Report should be construed as to waive, reduce, or otherwise constrain SCN rights within – or outside of – regulatory processes. Nor should this Report be construed as to define, limit, or otherwise constrain the Aboriginal or Treaty rights of SCN or other First Nations or Aboriginal peoples. This Report, and any of the data presented within it, should not be relied upon to inform other projects or initiatives without the written consent of SCN.
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2. BACKGROUND
2.1 SAMSON CREE NATION PROFILE
2.1.1 Samson Cree Nation Community Background
The Samson Cree Nation is located in Treaty No. 6 territory, central Alberta, with its offices located at Maskwacîs, Alberta. Maskwacîs is located approximately 90 kilometres southeast of Edmonton, Alberta, near Wetaskiwin, and close to the Queen Elizabeth Highway. The community of Maskwacîs is comprised of the Samson Cree Nation, Louis Bull Tribe, Ermineskin Cree Nation, and Montana First Nation.
Samson Cree has three reserves, including Samson IR 137, Samson IR 137A, and Pigeon Lake 138A. Pigeon Lake is located approximately 36 kms northwest of Maskwacîs (Samson Cree IR 137). Samson Cree currently has 8,975 registered members, with approximately 6,244 members living on-reserve (INAC 2020).
The Project, located within Samson Cree traditional territory, is approximately 152 kms from Maskwacîs and approximately 123 kms from Pigeon Lake.
The Samson Cree Nation, also known as Nipisihkopahk (willow meadows), is one of four community governments that belong to the Crees of Maskwacîs (“Bear Hills” in Cree).The other three Maskwacîs communities are Ermineskin Cree Nation, Louis Bull Tribe, and Montana First Nation. These Nations share the administration of IR 138A at Pigeon Lake and members are often related and also share use of a variety of areas in the region. The Maskwacîs Cree are a distinct part of the Plains Cree Nation.
Maskwacîs Cree is part of the Plains Cree dialect, and language is a critical aspect to maintaining the Plains Cree cultural identity (Darnell 2001). The Cree language is a Central Algonquian language that is closely tied to Ojibwa, Fox, and Menominee.
2.1.2 Plains Cree Nation History and Traditional Land Use
As a result of dramatic declines in game populations in areas east of Lake Winnipeg due to the fur trade, Cree speakers began to move west towards the prairies during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, and in some cases north towards the boreal forest (Darnell 2001). Linguistic evidence of regional dialects confirms ancestral ties between the Plains Cree dialect of Alberta and the Woodland Cree who had moved into the North Saskatchewan River region centuries before the fur trade (VanStone 1991). In the late 1700s, a significant portion of the Plains Cree population was decimated due to smallpox and influenza epidemics, which caused them to abandon the northern limits of their territory (Darnell 2001). By 1821, the Cree occupied lands from east-central Alberta through to southern and central Saskatchewan and southwestern Manitoba (VanStone 1991).
Trade initially drove the movement and expansion of the Plains Cree. They later formed alliances with different Indigenous groups. Some of the Cree engaged in the fur trade, which in turn provided them with money for European goods. Other Cree in east-central
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Alberta spent part of their year in the woodlands north of the North Saskatchewan River, having a mixed Woodland-Plains culture (Darnell 2001).
The Plains Cree economy largely depended on buffalo, utilising many innovative hunting techniques (Mandelbaum 1978). The buffalo meat would be dried and mixed with berries and fat to make pemmican. Fish (including species such as whitefish, trout, and suckers) were also caught as a dietary supplement and became a more central food source after the decline of buffalo.
By 1870, the buffalo were becoming harder to find and the Plains Cree expanded farther west in an attempt to reach the herds. The Cree attempted to achieve peace with their Blackfoot neighbours. The fallout of this war, combined with the loss of the buffalo, made living conditions extremely difficult and forced several Plains Cree leaders to ask the Hudson’s Bay factor in Edmonton for a treaty with the government (Darnell 2001). Treaty No. 6 was signed within this context.
2.1.3 The Signing of Treaty No. 6
Numbered treaties were integral in the historical and constitutional development of Canada (as well as the provinces and territories). These treaties continue to form the basis of, and support for, the constitutional framework of Canada.
As European settlement moved westward, it was imperative for the Crown to enter into treaties with Indigenous Nations controlling and occupying those lands. Treaties 1 through 11 were signed between 1871 and 1921. These agreements are sui generis in nature. In describing the sui generis nature of the historic numbered treaties, Chief Justice Dickson of the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Sioui (1990 CarswellQue 103 at 76) commented that:
The sui generis situation in which the Indians were placed had forced the European mother countries to acknowledge that they had sufficient autonomy for the valid creation of solemn agreements which were called "treaties", regardless of the strict meaning given to that word then and now by international law. The question of the competence of the Hurons and of the French or the Canadians is essential to the question of whether a treaty exists. The question of capacity has to be examined from a fundamentally different viewpoint and in accordance with different principles for each of these groups. Thus, I reject the argument that the legal nature of the document at issue must necessarily be interpreted in the same way as the capitulations of the French and the Canadians. The historical context which I have briefly reviewed even supports the proposition that both the British and the Hurons could have intended to enter into a treaty on September 5, 1760. I rely, in particular, on Great Britain's stated wish to form alliances with as many Indians as possible and on the demoralizing effect for the French, the Canadians and their allies which would result from the loss of this long-standing Indian ally whose allegiance to the French cause had until then been very seldom shaken.
The numbered treaties formed the basis of a Nation-to-Nation relationship, and the parties exchanged a guarantee of partnership, peaceful cohabitation, and reduced
18 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT hostilities for the recognition of supreme rights held only by Indigenous signatories in perpetuity.
Samson Cree Nation is a signatory to Treaty No. 6. Treaty 6 was signed in 1876 between the Plains and Woodland Cree and the Crown, on a Nation-to-Nation basis, at Fort Carlton, Fort Pitt, and Battle River in central Alberta and central Saskatchewan. Maskwacîs Chief Bobtail adhered to Treaty No. 6 in 1877 at Blackfoot Crossing.
Treaty No. 6, among other things, guaranteed the preservation of Samson Cree’s way of life, in perpetuity. Hunting, fishing, and harvesting plants and medicines were, and continue to be, an essential element of that way of life. The relevant part of Treaty No. 6 provides:
Her Majesty further agrees with Her said Indians that they, the said Indians, shall have right to pursue their avocations of hunting and fishing throughout the tract surrendered as hereinbefore described, subject to such regulations as may from time to time be made by Her Government of Her Dominion of Canada, and saving and excepting such tracts as may from time to time be required or taken up for settlement, mining, lumbering or other purposes by Her said Government of the Dominion of Canada, or by any of the subjects thereof duly authorized therefor by the said Government.
These Treaty No. 6 rights provide food security, livelihoods, socio-economic and health benefits, and support the development of cultural heritage, traditional knowledge, and traditional cultural expressions, as well as the manifestations of Indigenous sciences, technologies, and cultures. In negotiating Treaty No. 6, Lieutenant Governor Alexander Morris stated to the Indigenous signatories, “[y]ou want to be at liberty to hunt as before. I told you we did not want to take that means of living from you, you have it the same as before, on this, if a man, whether Indian or Half-breed, has a good field of grain, you would not destroy it with your hunt.”
Unfortunately, after the numbered treaties were concluded, authorized agents of the Crown and Canada failed to uphold the honour of the Crown and implement treaties. Instead, Canada legislated discriminatory policies to support colonization, and attempted a genocide against Indigenous peoples. One objective was described by John A. Macdonald, the first Prime Minister of Canada, as “take the Indian out of the child” in order to solve the “Indian problem”.
It wasn’t until the 1951 amendments to the Indian Act that Indigenous groups could hire legal counsel to advocate for their inherent, Aboriginal and established Treaty rights. Since then, Indigenous Groups have had to advocate for reconciliation of Indigenous and Crown rights, title, and interests.
Section 35 of the Constitution Act, 1982, provides constitutional protection to Treaty No. 6 rights, as well as inherent (Aboriginal) rights, held by Samson Cree. As noted in Peter Hogg’s Constitutional Law of Canada, 5th Edition, “Section 35 operates as a limitation on the powers of federal Parliament, as well as the provincial Legislatures.” As part of Canada’s supreme law, federal and provincial laws, regulations and policies must be consistent with Aboriginal and Treaty rights.
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Section 35 of Canada’s Constitution reads, in part, as follows:
The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed.
The Supreme Court of Canada in its decision of R. v. Sparrow (1990 CarswellBC 105) found that the word “existing” had the meaning of “unextinguished”, and that “treaties and statutes relating to Indians should be liberally construed and doubtful expressions resolved in favour of the Indians”. As noted by Peter Hogg, this phrase “should also be read as incorporating the fiduciary obligation that government owes to the aboriginal peoples.”
In addition to operating as a limitation on the powers of government, Section 35 encourages reconciliation through the recognition of rights. The Supreme Court of Canada in Taku River Tlingit First Nation v. British Columbia (Project Assessment Director), 2004 SCC 74 stated “the purpose of s. 35(1) of the Constitution Act, 1982 is to facilitate the ultimate reconciliation of prior Aboriginal occupation with de facto Crown sovereignty.” Section 35 mandates government to advance and promote the process of reconciliation.
As stated by the Alberta Court of Appeal in its recent 2020 decision of Fort McKay First Nation v. Prosper Petroleum Ltd, 2020 ABCA 163, “the duty to treat Aboriginal peoples honourably is also enshrined in s 35 of Constitution Act, 1982, of which “[t]he reconciliation of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians in a mutually respectful long- term relationship is the grand purpose”: Beckman v Little Salmon/Carmacks First Nation, 2010 SCC53 at para 10, [2010] 3 SCR 103.” The Court of Appeal went on to say that the honour of the Crown “is engaged prior to treaty infringement (Mikisew 2018 at para 67) and seeks to protect Aboriginal [and Treaty] rights from being turned into an empty shell”.
2.1.4 Samson Cree Nation Post-Treaty Land Use
Today, Samson Cree members continue to practice their way of life, including by hunting, fishing, and harvesting plants and medicines within their traditional territory. Moose and other game, such as elk, deer, grouse, and rabbits were, and continue to be important components of the SCN diet, and their importance has increased in the context of a post-buffalo plains environment. Fish (e.g., whitefish and suckers) are also an important component of SCN subsistence and are caught year-round. In addition, hunting, trapping, camping, and the gathering of plants and fungi for subsistence, medicine, and spiritual purposes remain integral to SCN culture.
The landscape of SCN’s traditional territory across Treaty 6, particularly in the area of Maskwacîs, has undergone a steady transformation during the post-Treaty period with increasing agricultural activity, land privatisation, and oil and gas activity. Settlement and development is especially dense in the central and eastern Alberta plains and less intense but steadily increasing in the eastern slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountains (SCN et al. 2019; SCN et al. 2020). SCN members’ post-Treaty land use has been and continues to be conditioned by this transformation. On-reserve members
20 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT living at Maskwacîs and Pigeon Lake are having to travel farther from home to harvest resources and meet their subsistence and cultural needs.
As discussed throughout Section 4, many SCN members rely heavily on the eastern slopes and foothills to the west where Crown land persists, albeit with accumulating disturbance and privatisation. Ongoing SCN use of the area is challenged by the cumulative effects of development on the lands and resources that underpin SCN values including declines in the quantity and quality of habitats for culturally important animals, food and medicinal plants, fish, and sense of place, cultural continuity, and heritage resources (SCN et al. 2019; SCN et al. 2020).
In this context of increasing change throughout the post-Treaty landscape of SCN traditional territory, all remaining accessible and viable lands and waters in the eastern slopes and elsewhere are increasingly important to SCN members’ Treaty rights and culture.
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2.2 THE PROJECT
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd., a subsidiary of TransCanada Pipelines Ltd., is proposing to construct and operate new pipeline facilities in Clearwater County and Yellowhead County near Rocky Mountain House, Alberta. The Project and Study Area occur in the eastern slopes and foothills region of the Rocky Mountains, in the western portion of SCN traditional territory. This Project will be an expansion of the existing NGTL system and will support increased pipeline capacity. The pipeline system will move sweet natural gas from the Peace River area to (and within) Alberta and to export markets.
In summary, Project components include (but are not limited to) the following (NGTL 2019):
• Approximately 85 km of 1,219 mm (outside diameter) pipeline loops in two pipeline sections: Alford Creek Section (45 km) and Elk River Section (40 km);
• Associated control valves, mainline valves, pipeline tie-ins, and a receiver facility;
• Temporary infrastructure including stockpile sites, borrow pits/dugouts, laydown yards, and contractor yards; and
• Temporary access roads and travel lanes.
The Project is comprised of two relatively distinct sections, the Alford Creek Section and the Elk River Section (see Figure 1).
The proposed ~85 km of new pipeline will connect with and be closely linked to NGTL’s System Expansion Project. Eighty-five percent of the Elk River Section and 86% of the Alford Creek Section will run parallel to the existing NGTL Edson Mainline right-of-way (ROW) or parallel to existing linear disturbances such as roads or powerlines (Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2019). The new permanent ROW for the pipeline sections is anticipated to be between 15 m and 32 m, with an additional 43 m of ROW used as temporary workspace (for a total of 75 m). Samson Cree has not been accommodated for any of these existing ROWs.
The anticipated timeline for construction is between November 2021 to April 2022, with an in-service date of April 2022.
It is important to note that the potential for additional disturbance and impacts on SCN rights and access to lands and resources in the Study Area and eastern slopes are especially concerning to SCN members in the context of existing effects and land uses in the Study Area and SCN traditional territory, which are highlighted in recent
22 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT cumulative effects assessments (CEA; SCN et al. 2019; 2020), and described in Sections 4.2.2, 4.3.2, 4.4.2, 4.5.2, and 4.6 of this Report.1
Figures 2 and 3 show the distribution of permanently held lands in SCN traditional territory with respect to “Green Area” and “White Area” land designations.2 The Study Area and eastern slopes and foothills fall mostly within the Green Area and still have relatively large tracts of intact and accessible Crown land despite increasing development. This is consistent with Green Area lands generally, which are managed for Crown land retention. It also makes the area unique relative to the majority of SCN traditional territory which occurs within the White Area that is largely comprised of high proportions of private and permanently held lands.
Given the proportion of SCN territory already taken up by private lands and development, the Study Area and all remaining intact Crown lands in SCN territory are critical to SCN members’ practice of Treaty rights and culture. The Study Area is actively used by SCN members including those living at Maskwacîs and Pigeon Lake reserves, which are surrounded by private lands (see Section 4.1 for description of site- specific values in Study Area).
Industrial development, however, is increasing in the Study Area and has been for decades. Figures 2 and 3 show that there is substantial occurrence of lands already taken up by oil and gas and other industrial facilities in the Study Area. It is important to note that linear (e.g., roads, seismic, pipelines) and polygonal disturbances (e.g., forest harvest areas) are not shown in Figure 3, but are prominent in the Study Area.3 There are currently 242,506 km of linear disturbance in the Green Area in SCN traditional territory, which equates to a linear disturbance density of 3.88 km/km2 (SCN et al. 2020). Project effects would occur in addition to existing impacts within an eastern slopes area where SCN members’ Treaty rights and access to lands and resources is already and increasingly constrained by development, including other NGTL 2021 System components.
The practice of SCN Treaty rights depends on available Crown lands with healthy ecosystems and an abundance of culturally important plant and animal species, thus protecting remaining representative areas is an SCN priority. SCN have already been alienated from large portions of the traditional territory, including within the eastern slopes, due to Crown decisions to approve industrial development and land privatisation, among other factors related to past, current, and reasonably foreseeable future projects and activities (SCN et al. 2019; SCN et al. 2020).
1 The CEAs were carried out by SCN. One is specific to the Project (SCN et al. 2020), and the other focused on other components of the larger NGTL 2021 System expansion (SCN et al. 2019). 2 In 1948, lands in Alberta were designated into two zones for land use decisions, the White Area and the Green Area. In the Green Area, agricultural use is limited to grazing and public lands are managed for a range of uses including of uses including forestry, fish and wildlife, recreation, and energy development. Remaining public lands in the white area are managed for agriculture, recreation, soil and water conservation, fish and wildlife, and forestry (Government of Alberta 2017). Today, the White Area primarily consists of private land holdings (~75%), and the Green Zone is predominantly provincial Crown lands. 3 See Figures 4, 5, and 6 in SCN et al. (2020) showing the extent of linear and polygonal disturbance in the eastern slopes and area of the Project.
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Figure 1: NOVA Gas Transmission Limited’s proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project with the Project Footprint, LSA, and RSA.
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Figure 2: Permanently Converted Lands in relation to SCN Traditional Territory, the Project, and Alberta’s Green Area and White Area.
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Figure 3: Permanently Converted Lands in relation to the Project and Study Area.
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3. METHODS
Primary data for this Study were collected through mapping interviews specific to the Project with 29 SCN members from February 10 to 14 and 24 to 28, 2020. This section further details the method of data collection and analysis.
3.1 VALUED COMPONENTS
Data collection and analyses for this Study are organised around three Valued Components (VCs) that are related to SCN traditional use practices. A VC is defined as an important aspect of the environment that a project has the potential to affect (Hegmann et al. 1999). VCs may include tangible or biophysical resources (e.g., particular places or species), and may also encompass less tangible social, economic, cultural, health, and knowledge-based values (e.g., social cohesion, place names, Indigenous language, or traditional knowledge regarding a particular area). As such, VCs can range from the direct presence of traditionally hunted animals and gathered plants, to continued habitation, travel, and cultural activities on the land. VCs may also include intangible cultural values, such as the transmission of knowledge across generations and sense of place.
For the purposes of this Study, the chosen VCs represent some of the critical conditions or elements that must be present for the persistence of SCN culture that may be impacted by the Project. Although VCs are discussed separately in this Report, they are strongly linked. VCs for this Study are:
• Hunting;
• Food Plants and Medicines;
• Water and Fishing; and
• Cultural Continuity.
3.2 MAPPING INTERVIEWS
A total of 29 SCN members were interviewed during 25 separate mapping interviews from February 10 to 14 and 24 to 28, 2020. Interviews with SCN members took place at the SCN Band Administration Office in Maskwacîs, AB, and at the Best Western Hotel in Wetaskiwin, AB. The interview teams consisted of two Firelight researchers, an interview lead and a mapper respectively. Each interview prioritised the documentation of SCN knowledge and use values within the Study Area.
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The Project Study Area is defined as: (i) the Project Footprint (within 250 m of the Project and, where available, related physical works, access routes, and activities);4 (ii) the Local Study Area (LSA; within 5 km of the Project);5 and (iii) the Regional Study Area (RSA; within 25 km of the Project).6 See Figure 1 for a map of the Project and the Study Area.
Interview participants were identified and contacted by SCN staff. Participants were chronologically assigned identifier codes in the form of S##. Participants who had already been interviewed for previous Firelight studies retained their original identifier codes. Informed consent was obtained for all interviews (see Consent Form in Appendix 1).
Interviews followed a semi-structured format, including open-ended and closed questions (see Interview Guide in Appendix 2). Interview and mapping protocols used were based on standard techniques (Tobias 2009; DeRoy 2012). All interviews were conducted in English; all audio was recorded digitally.
3.2.1 Site-Specific Data Collection and Analysis
Site-specific data were mapped and managed using a ‘direct-to-digital’ process, in which Google Earth imagery was projected onto a wall or screen. Points, lines, or polygons, geo-referenced at a scale of 1:50,000 or finer (except where noted otherwise), were used to mark areas of reported use and value.
Maps of site-specific values presented in this Report are generated from data mapped during the interviews. Points are randomised within a 250 m radius and then buffered by one kilometre. A one-kilometre buffer is also generated around each line and polygon. Buffering is done to account for a margin of error and to protect confidentiality of SCN values.
Site-specific data were mapped according to five categories called ‘Activity Classes’, that were designed to capture multiple aspects of SCN’s VCs:
4 To designate the Project Footprint, a 250 m zone of influence (ZOI) around the Project’s physical footprint is used to document its potential impacts, based on evidence that this distance is a reasonable approximation of a zone within which the abundance of wildlife and land use by humans may be altered (MSES 2010). The Project footprint for this Study was determined based on spatial data provided to Samson Cree Nation by the Proponent, NGTL, and shared with Firelight. Firelight selected the shapefile showing the pipeline route, which included both crossing options at the Brazeau and Clearwater Rivers and, consistent with the Proponent’s Project Application (NGTL 2019), buffered the route to account for a permanent RoW width of up to 32m. Spatial data showing temporary workspaces, access roads, and other components were not provided and therefore were not included in the Project Footprint.
5 Five kilometres is an approximation of the distance easily travelled in a day from a point of origin (e.g., a cabin, camp, or other location) by foot, through bush, and back again, as when hunting (Candler et al. 2010). It is used as a reasonable spatial approximation of use surrounding a given transportation or habitation value. Direct and indirect Project effects may interact with SCN values in this area.
6 The RSA is a broad area within which direct and indirect effects of the Project, such as noise, dust, odours, access management activities, traffic, effects on water, and other forms of disturbance may be anticipated to interact with cumulative effects, causing additive or synergistic effect with impacts to community values.
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• Habitation values (including temporary, occasional, seasonal, and permanent camps and cabins);
• Cultural values (including burial sites, spiritual areas, and birth places);
• Subsistence values (including harvest and kill sites, plant collection areas, and fishing catch sites);
• Environmental feature values (including mineral licks, game trails, and specific, highly valued habitat for ungulates and other species); and
• Transportation values (including historic and contemporary trails).
The temporal boundaries set for baseline data collection include past, current, and planned future knowledge and use. For the purpose of this Study:
• A past value refers to an account of knowledge and use prior to living memory, passed down through history;
• A current value refers to an account of knowledge and use within living memory; and
• A planned future value refers to anticipated or intended knowledge or use.
3.2.2 Qualitative Data Collection and Analysis
Qualitative data were also collected during mapping interviews, which were digitally recorded and then were transcribed. Transcripts were then reviewed, thematically coded, and reviewed again for issues and concerns raised by SCN members during the interviews.
The qualitative findings for this Study are centred on key SCN values (i.e., VCs) that were identified from a review of coded transcripts. The results of the qualitative analysis are reported in Sections 4.2, 4.3, 4.4, and 4.5, including the importance of each VC, existing impacts to VCs (i.e., their current condition or impacted baseline), and potential interactions with the Project.
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Figure 4: SCN reported site-specific values in relation to the Study Area for NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.’s proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project.
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4. RESULTS
4.1 SITE-SPECIFIC DATA
4.1.1 Overview
The site-specific data show that the Study Area, including the Project Footprint, LSA, and RSA, supports SCN values related to Hunting, Food Plants and Medicines, Water and Fishing, and Cultural Continuity. In total, 25 of 29 SCN members who were interviewed reported site-specific values within the Project Study Area. Site-specific use values reported within the Study Area are presented in Table 1 and are organised by VC. The sum of site-specific use values collected in this Study Area are also shown in Figure 4.
As noted in Section 1.3, this Study does not represent all SCN values in the Study Area, and an absence of data does not signify an absence of use or value.
Table 1: SCN site-specific values reported within the Project Footprint, LSA, and RSA of the proposed Project. Numbers are cumulative with increasing spatial scales (i.e., RSA includes the LSA and Footprint).
Within 250 m of Within 5 km of the Within 25 km of the the Project Project (LSA) Project (RSA) (Project Footprint) Valued Components % of % of % of # of # of # of reporte reported reported reported reported reported d values values values values values values
Cultural 4 29% 5 29% 31 21% Continuity
Food Plants and 3 21% 3 18% 19 13% Medicines
Hunting 7 50% 9 53% 83 56%
Water and - - - - 15 10% Fishing
TOTAL 14 100% 17 100% 148 100%
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4.1.2 Total Reported Site-Specific Values
A total of 148 site-specific values are reported in the Study Area,7 with a total of 14 values in the Project Footprint. While not every recorded site-specific value includes information about the specific date of use, SCN use is reported from the 1940s to 2019. In total, 25 SCN members reported site-specific values within the Study Area.
4.1.3 Site-Specific Values Reported in the Project Footprint
Within the Project Footprint, SCN members report 14 site-specific values. While not every site-specific value recorded includes information about the specific date of use, SCN use is reported from 1955 to 2019. Site-specific values in the Project Footprint include:
• Cultural Continuity values including: trails used to travel to hunting and cultural camps, and an area used for teaching hunting and medicinal plant-related skills.
• Food Plants and Medicines values including: medicinal plant-gathering sites; moss-gathering sites; berry-picking sites; and bark-gathering sites.
• Hunting values including: sites of known high-quality habitat for moose, elk, and geese; sites used for hunting elk and moose; and reported areas of abundant game.
4.1.4 Site-Specific Values Reported in the LSA
Within the LSA, SCN members reported 17 site-specific values. While not every site- specific value recorded includes information about the specific date of use, SCN use is reported from the 1955 to 2019. In addition to the site-specific values recorded in the Project Footprint, SCN participants also report the following site-specific values within the LSA:
• Cultural Continuity values including: a place name.
• Hunting values including: hunting sites for geese, and known nesting locations for geese.
4.1.5 Site-Specific Values Reported in the Project RSA
Within the RSA, SCN members reported 148 site-specific values. While not every site- specific value recorded includes information about the specific date of use, SCN use is reported from the 1940s to the 2019. In addition to the site-specific values described for the Project Footprint and LSA, SCN participants also report the following site- specific values within the RSA:
7 Six data site-specific values were mapped at a scale coarser than 1:50,000. Of these, three were intentionally mapped at a coarser scale due to their size (one environmental feature, one place name, and one trail). Thirty-two site-specific values were mapped as approximate within the RSA, of these, two are located within the Project Footprint.
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• Cultural Continuity values including: wild horse ranges; trails used to access harvesting locations, visit family and friends, and reach ceremonial sites; teaching areas related to plant collection and hunting; collection sites for ceremonial objects; ceremonial sites; gathering places; and place names.
• Food Plants and Medicines values including: collection sites for a variety of medicinal plants; collection sites for food plants including chokecherries, blueberries, saskatoon berries, and cranberries; sites noted as high-quality plant habitats; and camps used while berry picking.
• Hunting values including: trapping locations, including for marten, weasel, and coyote; kill-sites for elk, deer, and moose; sites where harvested game were processed; valued habitat features including salt licks; visual sightings of wildlife including bears, cougars, coyotes, moose, and mountain goats; camps used while hunting; marine and terrestrial trails used to access hunting and trapping locations.
• Water and Fishing values including: fishing sites for rainbow trout, bull trout, jackfish, mountain whitefish, walleye, and brown trout, and water collection sites.
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Figure 5: SCN reported site-specific Hunting values in the Study Area.
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4.2 HUNTING
This section discusses the importance of SCN hunting in the Study Area, as well as the impacted baseline (which includes existing impacts to Hunting), and potential Project interactions with Hunting values in the Study Area.
4.2.1 Importance
Hunting and trapping have been and continue to be important activities for SCN members. SCN members continue to hunt a range of animals and birds across their traditional territory. What species are sought and where they are obtained depend on location, season, availability, and personal taste, as the quotes below describe.
Like say for instance, a moose, in springtime when they have ticks, like how skinny they get. As soon as the water’s open and not even a month, month and a half, month at most, they have their weight back on. It’s because they eat certain plants, in the water and out of the water. And the Natives know which plants those are. It’s just like that natural law that some elders will talk about. Natural law is like, they studied the animals all these years so they knew what to take in the spring time and in the summer. (S24, 27 February 2020)
In the springtime after the leaves come out, then we go hunting again. ... Have to know when to go hunting. Like in the springtime, in the springtime the animals have bugs. ... Yeah ticks, they have ticks in the springtime. ... But after the leaves come out all the ticks disappear. So you have to know when the animals have ticks and when they don’t … (S65, 28 February 2020)
The presence of abundant and healthy populations of several wildlife species is important for SCN subsistence needs and cultural uses. Bird species targeted include waterfowl such as mallards, geese, coots, and mud hens, and terrestrial birds such as pheasant and grouse. While birds are themselves consumed, the eggs of waterfowl are also collected.
A range of small game are snared and hunted including rabbits, gophers, porcupine, weasels, muskrat, and beaver. Large game include elk, moose, and both white-tail and mule deer. Some SCN members also travel long distances to harvest bison, an important traditional food species that is no longer available locally.
As several of the quotes below show, SCN members hunt a variety of species – particularly ungulates – in the Study Area, and in the foothills and mountainous region of SCN territory more broadly.
Preferably, I hunt moose. Taste wise it just tastes better to me, but whatever, whatever becomes available I usually take them. Usually elk too because there’s a lot of elk in those areas [in the Study Area]. (S49, 27 February 2020)
People – our people here. And the people in Sunchild, O'Chiese … They all hunt [in the Study Area]. Even Elk River. My husband, you know what, that was his favourite place, Elk River ... Yeah. He used to come down and they used to know
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where to kill these moose. And mule deer are next to elk. Mule deer. (S08, 14 February 2020)
The area around Ram Falls was always good for elk, sheep, moose, but more than always when we did go hunting it was moose. Deer were very, very, plentiful and easy to get, but we always went after moose. (S59, 13 February 2020)
We go hunting up there [around Edson], and also to Assumption for buffalo. ... I go hunting from Elk Island park too for buffalo. (S65, 28 February 2020)
Personal experience and multigenerational knowledge of hunting has produced a complex understanding of the types of habitat and forage used by species, particularly larger ungulates such as moose, elk, and deer. Knowledge of animal behaviour held by SCN members is place-specific and specialised. As the quotes below demonstrate, the Study Area is particularly important to SCN members, in part because of the quality of animal habitat. During interviews for this Study, SCN land users described places in the Study Area with important vegetation and forage such as willow and saskatoon berry bushes. The quotes below also show that the range of habitat types in the area— including upland, wetland, and riparian habitats—support the distinct habitat needs of several ungulate species.
[Moose are] usually [found] where there’s lots of willow. Where there’s willow and saskatoon. Anything with berries. The plants must be sweet. Saskatoon bush. There is low-bush cranberry in spots and huckleberries. But I haven’t seen huckleberries for a few years now. … [Moose] are always not far from water. Elk the same. (S01, 27 February 2020)
Yep [I hunt in the Clearwater River area]... Yeah, like I said when I came in here that’s my whole hunting ground, that whole area there. [It’s good for moose because it has] the foods that they forage, and all the water nearby, and the lakes and streams and you name it, it’s all there, the, y’know you have the, the coniferous trees, and all the, all the types of vegetation that they need to survive. (S59, 13 February 2020)
Elk like higher ground. And they’re not far from water, too. ‘Cause you’ll find elk a lot of times up on a high spot where they can look. They’ll find you. (S01, 27 February 2020)
While SCN members consider much of the Study Area as hunting territory, they also identified many specific hunting areas, hunting access routes, and kill sites, within or in the vicinity of the RSAs of both the Alford Creek and Elk River sections. In the Alford Creek section RSA, key areas include southwest of Rocky Mountain House, Caroline, Cow Lake, Clearwater River, Swan Lake, North Fork Road, 752 Road, Cowboy Trail, Forestry Trunk Road, and Seven Mile Flats. In the Elk River section RSA, key areas include Brazeau Reservoir, Blackstone and Elk River, Wolf Lake, Nordegg, Elk River Road, north of David Thompson Highway 11, and along Sunchild Road. As the second quote below acknowledges, the Study Area is especially valuable for hunting because it is mostly comprised of relatively accessible Crown land.
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…all this area right up to High Prairie. ... All the way in that area is where we hunt. ... From Caroline, straight up, Edson, all the way up too ... You know, this is all our, our territory – that’s where we live … (S47, 25 February 2020)
Well, [the Project is in the] Elk River area. … Brazeau. [That’s the] best spot where people can go hunt in that area, compared to this area, because it's mostly Crown land. (S04, February 2020)
Depending on what area we went into, mode of transportation was always a pickup truck of some type. Hunted on foot, along the area around Ram River Falls, so that’d be south of Nordegg a little bit? Cow Lake, which is south of, sort of southwest of Rocky Mountain House, that whole road, Corkscrew Mountain, Seven Mile Flats, that whole area in there, right up to the trunk road that goes north of Nordegg, to Robb, Smallboy Camp, and from there we used to hunt across into Lodgepole. (S59, 13 February 2020)
[Interviewee’s father] went hunting there [Elk River]. And that’s where he’d hunt big game. And they’d bring three, four elk in the truck… they’d spend a whole – maybe a whole day of skinning all the animals. And then when they brought the – the meat home, then the ladies get together and they start cutting up the meat and they have our smokehouses… and then my mother would – with the help of the ladies around – they would make hides and they’d make buckskin jackets… Some [still do this today]. (S46, 10 February 2020)
He used to hunt. … And I used to pick… medicines. … Everywhere. All those things there. Along even that Nordegg Road. And even that one. Rocky Mountain House, I'm very familiar [with that area]. So, I know a lot of people in Sunchild and Sunchild O'Chiese. So, I know a lot of people there. (S08, 14 February 2020)
As the quotes below demonstrate, hunting is a lifelong and multigenerational activity that, in addition to providing sustenance, facilitates teaching between generations and connection to Samson Cree culture and history (also see Section 4.5). Many SCN members described hunting with parents, siblings, and friends from the community, and how being on the land in the area gave them connection to ancestors and family members who used the same hunting grounds in the past.
Oh, yes. I did a lot [of hunting in Study Area]. We always take our oldest son. Because he was very interested in wild game, wildlife. And the camp that we – if we were going to spend the night in the camp. And do to us, oh, it’s uncomfortable position that we all – the driver, myself, and our son used to sleep in the back. And, you know, the guns were – at the time, you can carry a gun and knives. And we had to have tobacco in order to do our protocol. (S08, 14 February 2020)
…But here [in the Study Area], all this area are my ancestral hunting areas. These are my grounds, my uncles, my grandpa and all them, they all hunted in this area. This is where you lived. This is where you went to go get your food and then get their supply of herbs all in these areas. Mostly in these areas here. And
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then, and if that’s happened that means all the necessary things that we needed to heal ourselves in traditional times a long time ago, you know, it worked. (S47, 25 February 2020)
…we’ve done a lot of hunting in there [Study Area]. I grew up hunting with my parents but they’re gone now. So I go hunting now and I go take my young people out there. Take them hunting. But I also go out there looking for medicines. Traditional medicines, that’s a two-fold type of thing. (S65, February 28 2020)
But back in the day we would traditionally do most of our hunting, fishing [here in the areas west of Rocky Mountain House]. (S36, 25 February 2020)
So right here is a corridor that three or four wagons, sometimes my dad would say five wagons, would leave form Maskwacîs to go straight here… You know, and at the same time when they were in the vicinity they would be hunting over closer to Rocky [Mountain House], right in this area here for moose, you know like the bigger game, right in this area here ... So they would go back, they would go back home, and they would go along Sylvan Lake, Sylvan Lake and…Pigeon Lake yeah right along there, they would pick up you know whitefish, and exchange some of the… exchange gifts that they got from some of the bands along the way, like Sunchild and O’Chiese, and sometimes via Buck Lake. (S36, 25 February 2020)
There is also a long history of trapping in the SCN community. While impacted by declining fur markets, SCN members continue to trap in their traditional territory. SCN trapping values described within or in the vicinity of the RSA include areas near Brazeau Reservoir and O’Chiese reserve.
It’s like a road that that runs by Sunchild and O'Chiese. It goes off the Rocky Mountain House Highway and it goes to those reserves and then it bypasses it. And then goes to Drayton. That road ... Just west of that road [near O’Chiese reserve] is where they used to have them traplines… They had cabins there. We used to go spend time there. (S61, 14 February 2020)
From here, Maskwacîs to Hinton, no telephones. My grandfather, my grandmother, they used to go there without a telephone. There was also a messenger. And people there picked medicine for them. Remember, they also carried snare wire and guns. They always carried those – and an axe. That was their survival. (S08, 14 February 2020)
SCN children would often learn trapping skills, such as setting snares for rabbits, from a young age. Often overseen by grandparents or parents, it was an activity that could be performed close to home at Maskwacîs and was a reliable source of wild game for the family.
[Her grandmother] used to take us [around Maskwacîs] and show us how to go rabbit hunting ... [her grandmother] used to save them [rabbits she'd trapped] for us to eat so we won't - because they’re full of - they’re natural ... rabbits are
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different. So their meat was so nice. … My grandma was really good doing it, setting and everything. Didn't have to take a man to show us. (S63, 24 February 2020)
Harvested wild meats are an important part of the diets of many SCN members. Interview participants discussed the importance of country foods and expressed a strong preference for wild meats, which were described as nutritious and healthier than store bought foods, in part because of the native medicinal plants they consume.
And the reason why like a lot of guys say, when we hunt for big game like moose, deer, elk, the reason why the Natives feel good when they eat the game, [it’s because] all these animals eat certain plants. Every one of them have different plants to eat and those are the ones, that’s the reason why when we eat that meat a lot of them [people] don’t get sick on it. It’s just because of the plants they eat. (S24, 27 February 2020)
And then all these years, when I was growing up, we always had wild meat on the table. We had deer, elk, we had beavers, we had gophers, ducks. And somehow our parents used to make a meal. Maybe a make… a duck soup, a duck soup. And it’s the same they made the rabbit soup. It's a very filling - it does not make you worried that the kid is going to be big or slim, or you know?... Yeah, it's a natural nutrition. (S63, 24 February 2020)
[I hunt from Maskwacîs] All the way to Nordegg… Because me, I don’t eat beef. I don’t eat beef. I don’t eat pork. I eat fish. I eat wild meat. So, this is the way I live. ... Anything that I live on comes from over there. You know, over here in this mountain area. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Harvesting and sharing wild foods are important expressions of culture, and are also important for the food security of the SCN community. SCN hunters frequently provide meat to others who need it, and the Nation’s Community Freezer Program ensures moose and other game is shared with elders and low-income families while at the same time teaching youth how to process harvested animals. As the quotes below describe, this sharing is an important pathway for the distribution of food within the community and between communities.
[Interviewee and their friend] used to go to that area in and around west of Rimbey and all over there and Alder Flats. ... We got 19 moose that winter. And we used to cut it [the meat] up and just pass it around to the old people every time we – it was a lot of work but we enjoyed what we were doing. … We never used to leave anything. We used to give all that meat out to different people. (S64, 26 February 2020)
Of course my brothers were gathering up [the moose meat], and it wasn’t just the family, you know, it was the surrounding community that you know, that we shared, everybody shared you know back then, so we shared our meat. (S36, 25 February 2020)
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What we do is we go, we go hunting from September to February, usually twice a month and we harvest, we try to get maybe two moose if we’re lucky, deer if we are lucky, elk if we are lucky. Try and get as many as we can, bring ‘em back, cut them up. But this is where we involve our youth. So when we get back we invite our youth to be able to come and watch to be able to come and learn how to cut animals up. They’re not hands on yet, but they’re there taking part, they’re there watching the project and we get them to help us cut it up so they can learn. The traditions and the values of giving back to people and the project itself it’s specifically for low-income families and our elders. (S49, 27 February 2020)
... So like the one year I killed [a moose] along Battle River, and one morning I took it home, I dropped it off for my wife to, to process and I went to work. I was at work eight o’clock in the morning, I got there on time ... And by noon she’s already got a lot of that meat cut and spread out. So I loaded some of it and distributed it. My sister lived in Ermineskin and I took some there, one of my sisters in Montana [reserve]. So moose, of course, they do the same, sometimes they give us some of what they caught, you know, and we share. (S09, 12 February 2020)
In addition to ensuring more SCN members have access to nutritious traditional foods, sharing supports the continuation of community cultural events like feasts and ceremonies (see Section 4.5.1), and maintains social networks of support both within the community and between SCN and nearby Treaty 6 communities.
Yeah, like, [at ceremonial feasts] we have moose meat, deer meat, elk meat, whatever, you know. You cook it on an open fire. We don’t have no potatoes, no nothing, just the meat, bannock and tea ... [the food is] all from the land… [This is important] Because you feel closer to whatever you're doing there. Like, you know, you're making a feast for these people that have passed on.. what they ate when they were here. Like, our ancestors, you know… And that’s the way we’re trying to follow the tradition, with the way they did it. So you know, we follow in their footsteps and say, hey, we’ve got elk meat here, you know, well, let’s bring it along, let’s cook it over there for them, you know. (S20, 10 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation members use a range of preparation and preservation techniques for the variety of wild meats they harvest and consume. These techniques include smoking, drying, stewing, and other fresh preparations. Aside from consuming wild meats, Study participants described other ways animals are used for ceremonial regalia, crafts, and textiles. Many of these materials and objects play an important role in the ceremonies and cultural practices discussed within the Cultural Continuity section (4.5) of this Report.
I gave them [moose skins] to my sister; she was good at making tan hides. And in fact, she made some chief’s outfits because her husband was a chief and her daughters were dancers, some of them had full dress buckskin. And I had – and my kids were dancers and my son, so we used some of the hide for some of the regalia, yeah. And the people of north, they like to, when they take the hooves, they make bells out of it, you know, instead of buying the silver bells what they use. And then they used them in different things too, like the moose it’s not only
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for our own use but it’s sometimes – we have a lot of ceremonies, so there’s a lot of that meat is used there too, traditional feasts, you know, the dry meat mixed with berries and… it’s either a giveaway dance, a tea dance or just a traditional feast when some loved ones that have gone beyond and then so on. So there’s a number of ways that they cook the meat; not only soup, you know, and rice, but some of it is baked, some of it they make jerky, beef jerky. So that takes a lot of moose when you take one to a feast and we have a lot of feasts, hey. (S09, 12 February 2020)
So it’s something that we were taught before we go hunting, you’re not just going there just for sport or just to prove that you’re a good hunter or anything. First of all, you need it for food supplies and quite often we use a lot of those parts, like the hide mainly for moccasins, you know, and gloves and what some of the elders take from the animal like the old traditional thread, like sewing thread. Yeah, they take that out of the muscle and ligaments ... and the horns definitely. (S09, 12 February 2020)
Hunting, processing and sharing harvested wild food is deeply embedded in the lives of SCN members and governed by Cree protocols or laws. Participant hunters discussed their responsibility to ensure the act of hunting is respected, that animals do not suffer or suffer as little as possible, the role of prayer within the hunting practice, and the spiritual experience of hunting.
And I think it’s important that we do that every time we go hunting, we do our prayers first and we like to see our future generations carry that tradition. It’s something of value that they will learn to respect and cherish so they don’t just go and hurt an animal because it’s just standing there to be – it’s not just standing there to be shot for, for fun. (S09, 12 February 2020)
Before I go kill a moose or anything, I just don’t grab a gun and go start shooting and firing shots, no. You know, we do it diligently, we pray and we pray that our bullet will not harm or suffer the animal. That we pray to, you know, our grandfathers to guide us through our hunting, that we’re not damaging anything out there while we’re there or to lame an animal and let it go like that. That’s one thing we don’t want to do, you know, leave a lame animal out there to suffer. (S09, 12 February 2020)
I talk a lot about hunting being a spiritual aspect for me. It’s different, I don’t see it as a physical [experience], and it’s really hard for non-Indigenous people to comprehend that because for me when I go out I don’t, I don’t see animals as being just physical right. I figure, you know what if an animal presents itself, you’re supposed to take them and for me, because of the project that we do with our community freezer, we are very fortunate to be blessed with animals you know, all the time. (S49, 27 February 2020)
The collected evidence shows that hunting is an important part of SCN culture. This is underscored by SCN members’ extensive knowledge of hunting locations, wildlife habitats, and ongoing travel to and use of areas in the RSA. Wild meat and hunting are also important in providing sustenance to SCN members, and are used to maintain
41 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT health and cultural practices, ceremonies, and sharing networks within the community and between SCN and other Treaty 6 communities.
4.2.2 Impacted Baseline
The landscape of SCN traditional territory has changed extensively due to settlement, urbanization, and development. Hunting activities across the territory are being constrained by increased traffic in key hunting areas, industrial activity (oil and gas, forestry, agriculture), changes to access through land privatisation, and declines in the animal populations.
Samson Cree Nation hunters described how land use changes have resulted in fewer animals and a loss of access to hunting areas in parts of the territory, including closer to the SCN reserves at Maskwacîs and Pigeon Lake. SCN hunters have had to adapt their hunting patterns as eastern areas of the territory that were once productive hunting grounds are no longer as reliable or accessible. As a result, SCN hunters have come to hunt more in the eastern slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountains in western SCN territory, such as the Study Area, and have done for decades. Even in this region, however, hunters have lost access to certain locations as land use designations changed and enclosures have been erected.
Yeah, west of Rimbey by the Buck Lake Road and that goes from Buck Lake to Rocky [Mountain House], and we travelled back and forth there and just west from that Buck Lake is where we’d done a lot of hunting… that was our favourite spot, it was close to our home… that’s where they fenced that now and I don’t think anybody does any more hunting in that… area, not in that vicinity. (S09, 12 February 2020)
A long time ago back in the road coming from Rocky to Seven Mile Flat. ... That other Trunk Road coming ... from Prairie Creek to, what was the, Ram Falls? ... There’s a lot of farmers going up in there, not farmers, ranchers. ... Where they fence off a lot of property. ... So we can’t hunt there. (S65, 28 February 2020)
… going on Highway 12 towards Bentley that way towards the Rocky Mountains, this was always our hunting area because there is no more [game] to hunt [closer to Maskwacîs]. There’s no more deer and elk and moose and all that stuff around here... (S47, 25 February 2020)
Very little [areas in SCN territory where medicines and hunting are still accessible, other than the northern portion of the Study Area]. Very little, slim to none. (S65, 28 February 2020)
But today, we find that the places where we used to go hunting, there’s no more wildlife hardly. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Several SCN members noted that the quality of hunting areas has also declined over the last few decades. Noted causes include increasing amounts of industrial traffic and non-Indigenous hunters. Traffic has increased in step with industrial development, which has resulted in an increasing density of forest service roads and oil and gas access roads in the Study Area. According to SCN hunters, these factors are
42 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT decreasing the availability of game who avoid areas as traffic increases, and habitats are opened up by development.
It used to be good moose hunting up in this area here [around Ram Falls] but now not anymore. … Because there’s lots of oil, oil roads there. Oil trucks. … I couldn’t really put it by year but more oil companies [started] moving in. Oil roads, oil vehicles, those sorta vehicles. The traffic was higher. (S65, 28 February 2020)
As far as game is concerned, wild game, like I said the animals are not there anymore because of the traffic and forestry. Their livelihood has been disrupted, immensely… Well my concern would, again, the disruption of the livelihood of the animals out there. That would be the main concern but also the disruption of the plants and medicines and that… (S65, 28 February 2020)
I’ve noticed in the last 10 years [while hunting for moose, deer and elk in the Study Area] that the wildlife is pretty well extinct in that area, few and far between. ... Just looking at this map now I understand why that would happen, because there’s more traffic out there and the animals are getting displaced. (S65, 28 February 2020)
That’s why I said, if you go search the prairies you’re going to see moose more in the open than you will in the bush now a days. ... I don’t know, maybe it’s because of the oil rig trucks, whatever. Like there’s more big trucks out west now, almost a lot of these trunk roads. (S24, 27 February 2020)
Hunters also described having to alter their hunting patterns in order to avoid the disturbance of other hunters.
[I hunt] In the fall or late spring. ... Well, fall – before hunting seasons open for non-Native people, we go hunting then, because once the hunting seasons open every Tom, Dick, and Harry is behind a tree out there. ... And they scare the animals away. So we go hunting before hunting season opens and then sometimes we go hunting in the winter but it’s no fun packing meat in deep snow. (S65, 28 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation hunters also reported that roads introduce contaminants, as well as instances where roads were expanded through valuable wildlife habitat features, such as mineral licks and migration corridors.
Vehicles, you know, and all those things and carbon monoxide and the salts and the chemicals they’re introducing into the ground in all these major highways. You look at them. You look at all these major highways, these major highways have killed a lot of plants just for the benefit of that, of the person that’s driving on the road, you know? And at the same time, at the same time the wildlife is being pushed away because the wildlife had their own route. You know, they came through. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Samson Cree hunters have noticed declines in both small and large game populations over the last several decades. These were commonly described as decreases in wildlife
43 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT sightings within key hunting areas, often in contrast to past periods when game was more plentiful and hunters enjoyed higher rates of success.
Back then too [in the 1970s and 1980s], there used to be a lot of like big game, moose, elk. Nowadays you rarely ever see them animals. Especially like going out west that way or even going to BC you rarely ever see big game anymore. Rarely ever. (S61, 14 February 2020)
I'm concerned about grouse also, you know. They're depleting. Look at the – you look around. How many nests do you see in the bush? (S08, 14 February 2020)
My mother-in-law told me a story while my father-in-law was, he used to go hunting himself and my husband was a boy then, and they were travelling at night and they were going to go camping and he must have had sharp eyesight and he said, “Look there’s so many cows out there”… And here they were moose [laughs]. That’s what he was seeing, so there were lots of lots of wild game but brother said he still goes out there and they’re getting harder to find. (S54, 11 February 2020)
Consistent with past studies, including a recent SCN traditional use study for the NGTL 2021 Expansion Project (Tam et al. 2019), Samson Cree Nation members frequently cited industrial activity and cumulative effects as a reason for declines in game abundance in the eastern slopes portion of the territory and the Study Area. Specifically, landscape and habitat changes associated with clearcutting, expansion of oil and gas infrastructure, and the flooding of the Brazeau Reservoir were identified as key events or factors affecting hunting by driving animals away from hunting areas.
There’s Clearwater River that comes through from Caroline. ... That connects to the North Saskatchewan River. See all these, all these clear cutting they’ve all been done by, what do you call them, forestry and lumber. ... That displaces animals too. ... Because they don’t go feeding in there anymore … (S65, 28 February 2020)
Yeah, north of [highway] 11 [in Nordegg, Elk River] it [moose hunting] really hasn’t been too great. I know there’s a lot of clearings in there, clear cutting. So obviously taking away the vegetation and the, you know the homes of animals, they’re not going to be around. (S49, 27 February 2020)
Like the clear-cutting they’re doing now, all that clear-cutting. The game used to be abundant, like before. I think they’re just getting scattered to different areas [now]. ... Every now and then [I see moose], not too many. (S24, 27 February 2020)
It has a lot to do with, with the oil and gas activity that’s going on out in that area. I have friends and family that live out in O'Chiese, and, and we talk about it all the time about these big companies that are there, and the game’s not as plentiful as it used to be… we get a little bit of information as well from the people at Smallboy Camp, but even them, they’re saying y’know that the things that they’ve seen, the changes that they’ve seen with respect to animals being
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plentiful and the berries and stuff aren’t as easy to find as they used to be, so it, it’s had an effect on it. It’s bound to, ‘cause it’s, it’s not natural, y’know? (S59, 13 February 2020)
Like even the Elk River area, there used to be a lot of bush and not that many roads. Now there are so many roads that I would probably get lost. For oil wells. That’s all there is. Oil wells, oil wells… I think it – the wildlife, it affects them a lot because that was their habitat area. And it was good. It was like there’s no people out in that area where I'm talking about. No cabins. No nothing… [Today] All that area has oil wells and things like that. Too many roads just destroying the – like moving – probably pushing the game further west or wherever they go just to be safe. (S61, 14 February 2020)
They [numbers of moose] used to be a lot better them years [in the 70s] ‘cause there was hardly any oil wells around. ... The oil companies don’t clean up their mess and the oil goes down to the creeks and whatever. And the moose they drink they get ‘em sick. That’s why they are coming out this way. Even elk they are like that. But they don’t come out this way. (S64, 26 February 2020)
We also did a lot of hunting back when they were building the Brazeau Dam and that, in that area in there before they dammed it up and the water took place of the land. We watched, the whole time that they were building the project, we watched them strip... strip the mountainsides. Used to be great elk hunting country, that was always where we went for elk, but when the dam got built we lost a lot of that. We lost a lot of that hunting area. (S59, 13 February 2020)
One SCN member expressed concern about the proliferation of pipelines and wellsites in the Study Area over time and the cumulative effect on animal abundances and the location of game. The SCN member highlighted the implications of these changes on the SCN Community Freezer Project and food sharing in the community.
...there are pipelines out there and nothing’s been documented in years past about those pipelines. There’s nothing, there hasn’t been questions about those pipelines, you know but there has been a decline in animals out towards the west area and we’re finding them more towards the prairies and every hunter that we work with [for the Community Freezer Project] has said the exact same thing. There was one hunter who mentioned a couple days ago that I spoke with him and this was his opinion, he said that you know, “I believe that the animals are moving away from those pipelines and those oil wells out there… and they’re moving more towards the east.” And that was his, his interpretation, that was his opinion of the matter. So to answer the question, I don’t know, it’s hard to say because like I say, there are pipelines out there but there’s also a decline in animals out there so maybe there’s a correlation. (S49, 27 February 2020)
Increasing signs of diseases in game have been noted by SCN hunters, which are attributed to contamination from industrial development, and oil and gas in particular. As shown in the quotes below, hunters are less confident about the health of harvested game as in the past, and this is having an impact on their use of hunting areas with which they have long-term family and ancestral connections. Several SCN members
45 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT noted that they do not feel safe eating foods from highly developed areas, because of the potential health implications.
They had, I think it was a few months ago, they brought an elk – I think it was an elk – and it was cut up. And here [SCN member] went to see it. Here it had lumps inside. Inside the, the animal… So, they’re not even – the animals are not even safe for us to eat. And that – that at one time was our mainstay – our grandfathers, our [local dialect], you know they – with them hunting there. And then with my father, he would go hunting all the way out here, around Rocky Mountain House area, and bring, sometimes they’d bring maybe three elk home ... (S46, 10 February 2020)
Nowadays, you can’t even go out there [Study Area] and kill a moose and take it home and eat it. ... Because of the contaminated grounds – ground, contaminated swamps, contaminated - moose likes to live in swamps and it’s contaminated, your contaminated swamps, so they’re eating that and whatnot. So, when you take them home, they’re not a fresh product anymore. It’s a contaminated product. So, what do you do? Would you eat a moose from there? No. (S26, 26 February 2020)
I don’t feel safe to go hunting, you know, where there’s a lot of other things that, you know, that our animals are ingesting. You know, like the salt licks that our deer and our moose and our elk have. Those things are being polluted too, our salt licks. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Overall, declining game abundance and loss of confidence in the health of animals in the Study Area, including hunting areas that were once considered safe and reliable, is causing some SCN hunters to travel farther to harvest wild meat and practice their right to hunt. Some hunters have had to adapt and target different animals. One hunter described how the declining abundance of moose in the Study Area has driven him to hunt buffalo farther east and north.
Yeah it used to be good hunting in there but now it’s scarce… You have better luck going out east. So now we, instead of going moose hunting or elk, big game hunting, we go buffalo hunting now. … in High Level. (S65, 28 February 2020)
While some SCN hunters have observed that animals are moving eastward and down from the foothills into the prairies as a result of industrial development in the Study Area, this does not mean they are generally more accessible to the community. Extensive land privatisation and access barriers (e.g., fencing) continue to prevent hunters from harvesting freely.
For SCN hunters, the perceived intactness and remoteness of an area influences how enjoyable the experience of hunting is, and generally, enjoyment decreases as disturbance increases. In the following quote, a hunter expresses their sadness that the Study Area no longer feels remote and having to travel further to hunt as a result.
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Sad in a way because now what we used to enjoy for hunting and gathering is not there anymore, now we have to go further. ... The remoteness of the area is gone. (S65, 28 February 2020)
As was shown in section 4.2.1, hunting and consuming wild animals is a central component of SCN culture, and community and family life. SCN members are concerned about the intensity of industrial development in the eastern slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountains in SCN territory and the Study Area, and the current condition of the environment, game populations, and the quality of hunting. In particular, they are concerned about the ability of current and future generations to meet their traditional food needs.
You know, I got ten children, 23 grandchildren. I got about eight great- grandchildren. So, what are they going to live on down the road when they can’t hunt?... And the only thing they have to look at is the destruction that these oil companies left behind. So, where are they going to go to get clean water? Where are they going to get… good meat? Deer, moose, elk, you know, rabbit? … those are our, our necessities. Our foods. And, you know, I believe that and I know that we’re – the way we’re going is that we’re going to destroy ourselves. The ancestors, the elders used to say, you know, when destruction’s coming, the destruction is coming, we see it … (S47, 25 February 2020)
The collected data demonstrate that numerous stressors and factors have acted to cumulatively affect the lands used by SCN members to hunt and trap, leading to negative impacts on animal populations, and disruption and alteration of hunting practices and locations. Leading causes of negative change include industrial development and increased traffic, enclosure and privatisation of lands, and contamination from oil and gas activities, which have all acted to fragment habitat, interrupt animal movements, and ultimately decrease the availability and quality of game. Any potential impacts from the Project will be experienced by SCN members within this already constrained environment.
4.2.3 Project Interactions
Samson Cree Nation members foresee further habitat fragmentation and degradation resulting from the Project, impacting animal numbers and health. In particular, SCN members raised concerns that the Project could interact with SCN Hunting values through contamination of the natural environment, road privatisation and access restrictions during pipeline construction and operations, displacement of wildlife and further changes to predator-prey dynamics, and the destruction of high-value habitat. SCN members expressed that these Project effects and reductions in access to game would have long-term impacts on their ability to pursue traditional hunting activities, affecting current and future generations.
Samson Cree Nation members are concerned about the potential for animal and habitat contamination introduced by the Project, such as from leaks and pipeline ruptures. Their concerns are described in the quotes below, including the potential for more occurrences of diseased animals, and having to be cautious about where they harvest animals to avoid contamination.
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Well it could affect the animals in many ways and probably even sickness… yes, that’s already going on as a matter of fact. Some hunters came with reports that they’ve shot a deer full of – when they open up the moose or the deer it’s spoiled, you know, a lot of pus and that, a lot of water bags. So there’s sick animals out there, they’re infected and, of course, forestry now has found some of those and now are warning the people to be careful not to touch the infected animals. You know, that’s the Alberta wildlife under the game wardens. But that could happen if something goes wrong here [with the Project]. (S09, 12 February 2020)
They, the only thing I’m really concerned about is these pipelines are – I don't want any – like what I said before with the – where there’s berries, where there’s trees, where there’s water, and where there's medicinal herbs, I don’t want them to be destroyed. That’s our way of life. Or even wildlife. If they – to me, these pipelines can – what if there's a leakage and contamination? It can destroy a lot of stuff. (S60, 14 February 2020)
Some noted that contamination associated with the pipeline could impact a high variety of species (plants and animals, which are highly interlinked), as the pipeline intersects numerous water courses and habitat types along the proposed route.
[Describing the range of animals that would be affected by the Project] Probably moose, deer, and elk. Cougars. Pronghorn. I mean those other kind of – mountain goats. … Weasels, porcupines, hawks, eagles, crows, owls. And probably those little animals that are in the water. Frogs and all that. They're affected [by] the salt and whatever goes into river. (S04, 13 February 2020)
One SCN member observed that a potential contamination event could interact with a waterway, resulting in impacts over greater large spatial extents.
And with me, as – hunting out there… I’m kind of worried that [the pipeline] doesn’t break through the water lines. That’s the game animals’ water drinking source, that’s where they drink from. And if they drink that, and if that’s like – if it breaks and, if it does, it’s going to, it’s going to have a big bad impact on the environment, the wildlife. (S23, 25 February 2020)
Another SCN hunter expressed concern that pesticide applications can contaminate vegetation browsed by ungulates and contribute to disease in food animals.
Yep I would love that [if companies stopped using pesticides] ... when they talk about wasting disease on elk and deer I blame it on pesticides. (S24, 27 February 2020)
The displacement of animals resulting from habitat loss and sensory disturbance from increased traffic and activity in the Study Area is a concern expressed by several SCN hunters. SCN members observed that development activity drives animals away into more secluded areas, or further east into private agricultural land this is not accessible to SCN members. These effects have required SCN hunters to travel farther in order to procure wild meat for subsistence and cultural purposes, increasing the time, cost, and
48 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT effort to hunt. Oil and gas development may result in some SCN hunters avoiding the Project area altogether.
The desire to go into that area would be less because obviously there’s not going to be as much animals as you know. You clear the area and it’s, I’ve seen a decline. I’ve seen a decline in areas even more east of that, where they’re doing a lot of clearing and putting in some gas lines and whatnot… the desire to go into those areas, like I said, will be less. (S49, 27 February 2020)
Like the animals. Wherever the oil companies go, the animals move. And for hunting, it’s not good because you have to travel more far, like to go. And I think a lot of game are move into the farm areas. So, because farm areas, you can’t hunt none unless you're allowed by the farmer… I don't know where the game went. I don't know if they moved to the mountains more. But then you don’t see the game like you used to years ago… Yeah. You rarely see any game anymore… (S61, 14 February 2020)
In addition to displacement, SCN members are concerned that the Project will contribute to observed increases in predator populations, especially wolves, in areas with high fragmentation from forestry and oil and gas impacts.
[The Project will] Probably be pushing [the animals] out. Like destroying their habitat. Then they have to keep moving. It’s like the elk. They have to keep moving. Deer. Moose. And the wolves are getting overpopulated, they're wiping out the caribou and the deer and that... Like due to the forestry, oil companies, seismics. (S04, 13 February 2020)
SCN members are also concerned about the additional loss of access that could result from the Project. The site-specific spatial data collected during interviews for this Study show that the Project Footprint and LSA crosses numerous access routes regularly used by SCN members while hunting in the Study Area. As the quote below shows, past experience with restricted access related to oil and gas development has one SCN member concerned about losing access to important and increasingly limited harvesting areas.
With the oil companies what they do is they build a road off this main road here, off these main roads. They build, they put a gate there and you can’t go in, they don’t allow public to go in there, so they’re setting up boundaries and so on. But with the high traffic, volume of traffic increasing, it displaces the animals and takes them away. (S65, 28 February 2020)
Grounded in their past experience with oil and gas activities in SCN traditional territory, one SCN member expressed concern about the legacy impact of the Project if the pipeline is abandoned and not removed, and the potential for contamination and long- term effects on soil quality and animals.
Yeah. They have pipes in the ground, so. And then – they’re not going to take the pipes out. The pipes are going to stay even when, when reclamation occurs the pipes are going to be still in the ground. And still with those pipes in the ground,
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it’s still going to affect the soil quality… it’s going to corrode… we’re not going to have any decent soil quality there… And that’s – and that’s where the animals – they go in – oh my God – like even our eagles, you know they go there in the mountains… And it will make people sick. It’s going to make the animals sick. (S46, 10 February, 2020)
The ability of future generations to confidently harvest from healthy and sustainable animal populations in the Study Area is a key priority for many SCN hunters, as described in the quotes below.
There's a future, they've got to think of the kids what are they going to live on? There will be no wild animals, no berries; they want to live long too. (S50, 11 February 2020)
…what they call Edson Expansion Project. I’d sure [like to] know that it would be a good, safe for all generations, for all wildlife as well. ‘Cause we’re all going to be here for a long time. We want to know it’s all safe for our kids, and their kids, and everybody as well, and the other communities too. Cause if it, if it fails, it’s going to be a whole big negative effect and it’s going to cause a lot of diseases… I just want to know if it’s going to be safe. Really safe, like, all time, checked on, pipelines checked, that’s what, I’d say I want that. (S23, 25 February 2020)
…for future hunters, it would be good to… make sure that these areas are safe and secure and monitored and checked every year for cracks and leaks… So it won’t affect any, our landscapes, our game, fish, bears, elk, moose, deer, fox, rabbits, anything that’s living out there that our future hunters would be affected by from any [leaks] of this gas, gas line. ‘Cause if any of those break, we don’t know, how are, how are we going to know if it’ll be safe for these future hunters that are going to kill game to feed future generations. (S23, 25 February 2020)
Habitat destruction and fragmentation, contamination and perceived contamination, changes to animal population numbers and behaviours, increased industrial and non- Indigenous hunting traffic, and safety risks resulting from the Project are anticipated by SCN members, and would impair SCN Hunting values and practices. In light of the impacted baseline condition of SCN Hunting values in the Study Area described in Section 4.2.2 and recent SCN cumulative effects assessments (SCN et al. 2019; SCN et al. 2020), Project effects would occur in addition to and exacerbate existing and reasonably foreseeable future cumulative effects, and further diminish the ability of SCN members to hunt in the Study Area.
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Figure 6: SCN reported site-specific Food Plants and Medicines values in the Study Area.
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4.3 FOOD PLANTS AND MEDICINES
This section discusses the importance of the SCN collection of food plants and medicines in the Study Area, as well as the impacted baseline (which includes existing impacts to Food Plant and Medicine values), and potential Project interactions with Food Plant and Medicine values in the Study Area.
4.3.1 Importance
The collection and use of a wide variety of plants both for sustenance and for their medicinal properties is an important part of the lives of many SCN members. For many SCN members, the collection and use of plants represent a continuity of cultural traditions, learned from other community members or ancestors. Healthy and freely available food plants and medicines are critical to maintaining and practicing SCN culture, and to nurturing the health and spiritual lives of SCN members. The following section describes the richness of SCN plant collection/use knowledge and practices that have been collected over generations, and which continue to develop in the present day, showcasing the important role that plants and medicines play in SCN culture.
SCN members use a wide variety of plants for food and medicine, including blueberries, raspberries, chokecherries, saskatoon berries, lily root, wild onion, sage, and sweetgrass among others.
…we picked herbs there. … [medicinal plant name]. … [medicinal plant name] and chokecherries and saskatoons, maybe. Raspberries. … By the reserve - in the reserve [Buck Lake] … Several places. (S04, 13 February 2020)
Right, that's what the Indians usually — used to use the lilies, the roots you know the white stuff for rice. … Long time ago. … This is way back. My mother used to tell me. There's stuff, there's wild onion too. (S57, 12 February 2020)
We picked blueberry. The real blueberries, they’re on the ground. You pick the blueberries for food. And you use the whole plant for medicinal. The high [bush] ones, same thing. And it’s harder for us to find the low ones, very low ones. Very, very hard. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Plant gathering is described by SCN members as an important activity which often involves gathering as a group and enjoying time on the land in SCN traditional territory. In the quote below one member describes enjoying the process of travelling to the west of the community in order to pick berries.
When my children were small. My dad used to take us on a Sunday [to Rimbey area to pick berries]. My mom would pack a lunch and we’d go there all day and pick berries. (S28, 10 February 2020)
Alongside consuming plants for subsistence and medicinal or spiritual purposes, SCN members also described other uses. In the quote below, one member describes an
52 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT example of these other uses of plants in a historical context, specifically the traditional use of moss as diapers for babies by Samson Cree mothers.
And the wagons would come by there in the middle [during wagon trips west from Maskwacîs to Rocky Mountain House], and the people would come by and you know greet the – their husbands or their grandfather, fathers. And you know, where they would moss, and then they would divide these moss amongst each other and the mothers. ‘Cause they had no diapers, it’s what they used for moss ...The main use of the moss was for diapers. And then they had these bags that they wrapped their babies in and they called them moss bags. [This was] Traditionally. (S36, 25 February 2020)
Medicinal plants remain an important part of the lives and healing practices of many SCN members, and are used to treat a wide variety of ailments. In the quotes below members described the medicinal plants they use to treat ailments including the flu and colds.
…[In Maskwacîs area] …then we would also pick some of the – you know the elders needed [medicinal plant names] you know the medicines that they would require for you know, remedies used for colds as what they told us – you know I mean I’m not a herbologist as some people have accused me of, I’m not a herbologist, you know there’s certain medicines that you know it’s the – the soft medicines that we were taught you know the [medicinal plant names]. So a lot of it you know, we pick over there [in the Study Area]. (S36, 25 February 2020)
And to this day my children all believe in [medicinal plant name]. So that's what my grandma used, part of her medicines and the — the leaves we picked for her she used a lot of — like I know the Indian names for them you know?... My auntie used to make that [medicinal plant name] tea in a great big pot. ... Mm-hmm, and she used to come and give it to us, all of us when we were small. A little cup of that [medicinal plant name] tea every spring eh? Yeah… Like I cured my two daughters. They were — they had the flu so bad they thought they were going to die you know? And they asked me and I never would come out and say you know? And both of them got better. (S58, 12 February 2020)
In the quotes below, several SCN members describe their use of traditional medicines, emphasising their efficacy, and in some cases a preference for traditional medicines over western or pharmaceutical medicine.
… a lot of [our medicines] are a lot better than getting them prescriptions…I have to be so thankful that if it wasn't for our Indian medicine, maybe I wouldn't be talking and moving around today. (S63, 24 February 2020)
Which fungus you have to take? And when we do have that [traditional medicine name] that I have, oh my God, I cherish that. And I have some stories that, you know, I share with my family when we travel. So, that’s the only way. Like my great – my granddaughter, she was going to lose her baby. And they call it the Western medicine, so non-native, [but] a lot of them are included, like [traditional medicine name] is included in chemo or radiation. They use [traditional medicine
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name] in there. How I knew this was a doctor told me, told us. But anyway, with this granddaughter, she was going to lose her baby and she was only going onto her sixth month… So, anyway, I ran out. I ran out this medicine, so I had to use my grandfather’s – how many generation’s back – that medicine. And that’s what I used. And that’s what saved that little boy. So, these are the things. High blood pressure. We depend on these plants. Cancer. We depend on them. They're not for sale. It’s for healing. (S08, 14 February 2020)
And my late mom used to use [medicinal plant name] stems or those tree branches, and she'd cut them – peel them and boil that bark or whatever. And she made – I know she gave me that medication. It cured me of my tuberculosis… She'd make a big pot, and about this much of that bitter-tasting medicine, and I'd go out in a clean place and I'd drink that up. She'd be standing there and she'd tell me, drink, drink until I wanted to throw up. And finally, I'd throw up and all that yucky stuff would come out. She'd do that to me about once a month because I had TB and I had to go to Prince Albert, Saskatchewan for six months. ... And then when I came out that's how she treated me. She didn't give me no pills or anything. So I believe in mother earth. She gives us even medicine to get through it. (S50, 11 February 2020)
Gathering plants, be they berries and other food plants or medicinal plants is, for many SCN members, an important community gathering activity; friends and family will come together to spend time on the land. It is common practice for many SCN members to pick plants and share them with other community members, particularly elders and others who may not be able to travel and collect plants themselves.
I did a lot [of plant gathering] for my — our grandmother had picked up and she did have medicine that she helped people ‘eh? We were raised ‘eh? Where she learned it I don't know… they raised me and she had medicines. And we used to go in the bush and she'd tell us what to pick for her ‘eh? (S58, 12 February 2020)
[Interviewer: So, when you pick medicines, do you just pick it for your family, or do you share it?] [S08:] I share it because there's a lot of these people that aren’t able to walk. Like my auntie, she’s 92. … She’s very clear, but her eyesight is going. And I pick for her. And I pick one for a woman in Hinton. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Plant and medicine expertise is passed down between generations and constitutes a complex body of knowledge developed through continued use of the plants and exposure to them in their natural setting. SCN members described experiences of learning the nuances of plant picking from others and by spending time on the land, emphasising the importance of plant abundance and availability for knowledge transmission.
That part, I’m proud of myself, is the plants, because I grew up where there’s – a lot of my kookum’s were still alive. They were my teachers. They told me what this one is called. This one and this one. So, I only know them by Cree. On English, no. Very few I know. Very few. ... And the only ones that I will show is my family. And this year, I told them what we're going to do is pick the plants,
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take the root. Wash it, dry it, and put them in a photobook so they can see what’s this one is called in Cree and in English. But I got to know the names in English, I can’t just go ahead and say – and yeah, my family knows which ones to take. ...that’s my ancestor’s – my kookum’s. A lot of kookum’s had taught me what. (S08, 14 February 2020)
That’s the other thing, how a lot of people were taught when we were growing up, you use your nose. Whichever plant you’re looking for. Some of them have this aroma and you just follow that and you’ll find it. Some people will never find it. It’s just that some are taught from elders and me I was fortune from my mom [personal name] and my late dad [personal name] and my mom's grandparents and my grandparents. So I was fortune then. My dads’ friends and the old fellas there a lot of the guys I hunted with, they taught me a lot of plants too. So I never considered myself as a medicine man, I just always picked for my mom and I always picked for certain people. (S24, 27 February 2020)
Well, I met – actually, I’ve met men that were introduced to me that are like – you could say they're medicine men. And there’s – they’ve taught me a lot of things that I didn’t know about. The herbs, the medicines they use. I picked up from there and people have taught me what they look like and what they're for and whatever else. But I don’t – I don’t really pick them myself. Although, there’s definitely certain ones that I pick. And the one I would pick would be like in the mountains ... Like by the Kootenay Plains… And there’s the [medicinal plant name] over there too. (S61, 14 February 2020)
When you see a bush – when I go drive through, when I see a bush, I know what I can get from there. And if I look at the trees, I know which bark I can use. So, a lot of people don’t know how. And like my son knows a lot. And so, does my other son ... And he did a lot of hunting with his brother. And my son used to show these boys – they’re all grandfathers now. When they were in their teens, they used to go out hunting a lot. And the more you go out, the more you learn. The more people you meet, the more you learn. But a person will not teach you, “Hey, pick this one. This is what it’s for.” Because we're reluctant with the secrets. (S08, 14 February 2020)
For many SCN members, medicinal plants and knowledge of medicines is sacred. Plant stewardship and the harvesting of plants is governed by protocols and rules which are designed to preserve the integrity of the plant for future use and for the future transfer of plant knowledge. In the quotes below one SCN member describes how their practices are influenced by these protocols that teach how to respect the plants and harvest using methods that ensure their continued growth.
So, a lot of these [plants], I had my own place that we used to go, but then again, learn to cut them by their roots. Don’t pull them. So, I don't know how many people tell you guys that. I don't pull them. Once you’ve pulled this, you kill the plant. So, you have to learn to respect them. Because without these, why are we here? Years and years ago, for how many thousands of years, our ancestors lived here. And that’s what – that library of knowledge that they have is – once
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that knowledge is closed, when they die, that knowledge is forever – closed. They can’t share. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Usually, when you have a fire, they recover. After a good rain they recover pretty good – the plants. The trees take longer, as you guys know… It takes a while for the trees and the spruce family to grow back. It takes a lot. And when a fire goes through that, it’s something that the plants regenerate because of the roots. But where they're disturbed, the roots are destroyed. And it takes a while. It takes a while to regrowth. ... To me, I’d say from three years and on and - that’s why when we do a lot of picking medicinal, we cut them, so the roots can stay in the ground. So, we don’t pull the roots. Otherwise, we destroyed that. So, you have to learn and respect the values of mother earth’s plants. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Generations of reliance on plants has generated a rich knowledge, passed down amongst SCN members, about the best times of year to harvest certain plants. Seasonal changes important to activities such as hunting or travelling, are also vitally important to the gathering of plants, dictating both what is available but also its potency or potential use. In short, plants (in their preferred form) are not available all of the time; plant gathering and use is sensitive to time and location.
Yeah, and another thing, like we — we did a lot of — when we were growing up in the — in the bush there in the spring about June maybe early part of June my dad used to take us out in the bush there and mom and dad, and of course there was a lot of us kids ‘eh? And he would go and peel a tree. And pull the bark out so they were so juicy eh? And he'd have that bark like this like he'd form like a— a plate and he'd have a knife and take all that bark off and he's take all the — it just comes off and we — he'd put it in these and we'd eat all that. (S58, 12 February 2020)
Like in the fall it's good to pick them 'cause yeah — they grew eh? In the fall they're full grown. That's when you pick your — your roots. ... The roots, like last fall I went and picked some in Samson's by my cousin's place and when you pick if someone comes to you while you're picking you're supposed to show them what you're picking and what it's good for. ... Yeah, where you pick you're supposed to put tobacco. (S57, 12 February 2020)
[Interviewer: ...When you pick medicines in the mountains, is it any time of the year, or is it a specific times?] [S08:] No. It’s not any time of the year. You got to learn the time to take those. And the time to take the bark. When the gum or whatever it is run in that sap, when it’s running, that’s the time to take the medicine on the bark. And don’t overdo that. Only take what you have to take. And there’s a plant – I don't know what it’s called. But it’s like a black tar. And it’s right in the mountains. And it comes off. And that’s one of the main medicines that my son got. ...it’s called, [Cree name] I don't know what it’s called in English. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation members have also developed a deep understanding of the conditions in which certain plants are most likely to be found. In the quote below one SCN member describes the specific conditions required by one plant type.
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[Interviewer: Are there particular plants that only grow in the foothills?] [S08:] Mainly on these areas where there’s a lot of water. You pick a lot of that – some of them we found – water lily. … And that’s one of the main plants. A lot. And [medicinal plant] – a lot. And what are those shrubs called?... [uses Cree name]. I don't know what it’s called in English. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Alongside certain growing conditions, SCN members with plant knowledge also recognized that certain plants were also found together. In the quote below, one member describes this pattern as important for their recognition or identification of plant communities when they are out gathering plants on the land.
But wherever I can go, any road stop, any road if I know, I will recognize what grows there. So, that’s the only thing I can say. I’m not exaggerating. But I’ve been learning where if I see a plant, he’s got a partner there. These plants have a partner that will grow in that same area, so. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Many SCN members, illustrated in the quotes below, articulated a difference between the prairie plants which they would find closer to the community and the mountain plants, which they were accustomed to finding in the eastern slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountains, closer to the Study Area.
Oh yeah. I remember [medicine picking around Brazeau Dam area]. We always carry a knife. And if I get stopped, all the people with traditional medicine picking always carries knives, so that’s to pick the medicine. The shrubs. We called them – we called these plants mountains plants because they're closer to the mountain. And there's certain types that grow there whereas here, it’s different. ... Different plants. ... We call them the prairie plants. So, we knew where. (S08, 14 February 2020)
One of my boys, our middle son, he’s really into trying to get into these, like finding plants, [medicinal plant names] and stuff like that. [Medicinal plant names]. Because it’s more just like a dying art now for a lot of our reserve, anywhere you go. There’s some that are trying… (S24, 27 February 2020)
Like I was telling you about that sneezing powder? … Yeah, that grows in the mountains, and other stuff too. Like this lady [said], if I had a way of going to the mountains, I'd bring a lot of medicine. But she never told me what kind of medicine. (S57, 12 February 2020)
…it’s real good [medicinal plant name] over there [indicating the Study Area]. But here [Maskwacîs Reserve] it’s only about this tall, it’s not — over there, when you light that [medicinal plant] after picking it, you can just — oh, it’s got such a nice aroma to it, you know. It’s for cleansing ... And then we picked that [medicinal plant], oh, hands full, yeah. (S20, 10 February 2020)
Use of the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and western portion of the territory for gathering plants and medicines is understood by SCN members to be a continuation of a tradition that has existed for generations. Below, one member describes their knowledge of the network of trails used to travel from Maskwacîs to the
57 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT area around the Rocky Mountain foothills close to Hinton, and their contemporary use of roads in the same area which they see as continuing this pattern of movement.
We used to go deeper in the bush. Like in Rocky Mountain House, I can take any road where. And I know which one. Now today, it’s just overgrown. So many of these trails. And there were – years, ago, was wagon trails. Wagon. From here, Maskwacîs to Hinton… And people there picked medicine for them…(S08, 14 February 2020)
The Study Area is considered by many SCN members to be less disturbed than other parts of the traditional territory, in part because much of the land in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains is still Crown land and not yet converted for agricultural or other uses.8 By extension, the quality of plants and their healing efficacy is higher compared to elsewhere in the territory. The quotes below describe how SCN members travel to the eastern slopes and Study Area in search of plants, notably in the vicinity of Nordegg, Rocky Mountain House, Kootenay Plains, and the Brazeau Dam.
In Nordegg, and it’s further up north, in this area, not only is the wildlife that we for sustenance for us to feed ourselves, they have herbs. They have herbs, they have you know our herbs to do our ceremonies. Also, for our own purposes since – and things like that. This is where you go harvest. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Yes, that’s the first time [I set up a tipi by Rocky Mountain House in 2019], but they do it every year, yeah, and that was the first time that I participated in that, you know, their ceremony. They did a ceremony there and picking [medicinal plant name] and all that… And we’re going there again in June. (S20, 10 February 2020)
Nordegg and Kootenay Plains. … That's where I went and got some plants and medicine. … Got [medicinal plant name]. And this other kind of medicine here we got. It looks like – spruce, but it has a little – like saskatoons or blueberries. … (S04, 13 February 2020)
I know we couldn’t even find any [medicinal plant] right by that [Brazeau Dam]— so I don’t believe it. That’s where our late mum used to pick hers, yeah… I watched her and seen how she dug it [medicinal plant] out of the ground. Big bone knife. You had to go right into the ground to get at it, and it’s bitter. Oh, yeah… it clears your throat and whatever, yeah. And you can even grind it in your hot drink if you've got a cold or whatever, it just warms you. (S20, 10 February 2020)
I'm thinking now, south of Rocky [Mountain House]. There's medicines on the mountains too. They climb for them, they used to but I don't know if they still do… Every plant is a medicine. Yeah. Every tree root, bark, that's how the Indians survived. There were no stores; the white men were not here. Yet they
8 See SCN cumulative effects assessments (SCN et al. 2019; 2020) for discussion regarding the extent of land conversion in SCN traditional territory, which is especially concentrated in the central and eastern portions.
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were strong because they lived off the land, there was no pollution. To start off with you know. (S51, 11 February 2020)
Due to the distance and time required to travel west into the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains some SCN members have not been able to make the journey as often as they would like to or as they once did. In the quotes below, members described their desire to return to this valued portion of the territory to collect plants and enjoy the landscape.
Well, sometimes when we’re even travelling on the road or something, you know, I can spot the [medicinal plant name] way over there. Stop, and I’ll go and get a handful, two handfuls. You see a lot of things when you're travelling, you know, you just have to know what they are, yeah. And I really enjoyed the — like, you know, I'm going to be 75, but I'm healthy — thank you to the Creator — and I want to start going back here [to the Study Area] again. I want to see what it’s like, see if it’s the old place, you know. Oh yeah, that’s where I found [medicinal plant names] and now where is it, you know. I want to go and see, so I'm going to spend a whole week over there at the mountains in June… Doing it for myself. Beautiful territory if you know where to look. (S20, 10 February 2020)
[Interviewer: Do you plan on going back to the foothills here?] S08: I’d like to go back – very. I told my son, I’d really like to go back where dad and I used to go. …[I would like to go back for the] Types of plants. And also, the memories. (S08, 14 February 2020)
In sum, the collection and use of a wide variety of plants for food, medicines, and also ceremonial and spiritual purposes are important components of SCN culture. SCN members actively harvest plants in the Rocky Mountain foothills and the Study Area.
4.3.2 Impacted Baseline
A variety of impacts have altered the growth, quality, and availability of food plants and medicines across SCN territory. As the quantity of plants and accessible harvesting areas are reduced, remaining sites and areas increase in importance.
Access to plant gathering locations has become increasingly restricted, as illustrated by the quote below. Agricultural land uses, a growth in industrial developments, and land privatisation have all limited the ability of SCN members to access important plant collection sites, particularly close to Maskwacîs in central Alberta.
Oh yes. So, I know working with a company, they have to go ahead of us to go ask [land owners’] permission if we could go into their…fields. But without – like myself, as a private family, that we knew we used a lot of these plants. The barks, the shrubs, and all the needles. And if there’s no fence, we still go in. But we're always, always leery that somebody will, you know, which that happened to us a lot of times, they’ll send us away. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Moreover, certain plants have become rare and more difficult to obtain. Agricultural activities such as the keeping of livestock, have impacted SCN plant gathering activities by damaging vegetation.
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Yeah, livestock. Those are the ones also that will do more damage. I don't know how many years that would take for those plants to ever regrow. I don't know. ... Some, they eat it. And some, they tramped over them. So, a lot of it is destroyed by animals. (S08, 14 February 2020)
And that's the only thing I use when I smudge. I respect the [medicinal plant name], but I'd rather use the [medicinal plant name]. ... it's hard to find now, but sometimes it - it depends who, somebody else will give it to you. And I don't know who has them. But - and lately it's been - they've been so hard to come by. Yeah. And then it's just like the [medicinal plant name]. [Medicinal plant name] is so hard to come by. The places that you knew it was there, next year, it may not be there. (S63, 24 February 2020)
Overharvesting has also limited SCN access to certain plant species. In the quotes below, SCN members describe two examples of plants which have been overharvested.
Less [medicines]. … Probably over-picked. ... I have to say that. Because I know a lot of these plants are no longer here. And if I was to find one, instead of letting the people let it expand to seed. ... So, a lot of these are handled differently. Which way do you cut these? And also, we got [medicinal plant name] here. If I see [medicinal plant name] up there, I’ll pick both. The roots in the [medicinal plant name]. (S08, 14 February 2020)
And even that no-leaves [plant], we got it in South Dakota. Wild turnip. It used to grow in Montana reserve. There’s nothing. It’s over-harvested. See, a lot of these are gone. And there’s one plant that was purple, our kookums used to call it a pillow. The plant was square, like a square plant. And there’s one plant there that looks like a human being. So, you have to really watch. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Alongside issues of access and abundance, many SCN members have experienced a loss in confidence in the purity or efficacy of medicinal plants harvested in the vicinity of industrial developments and agriculture lands. SCN members described concerns around the effects of pollution in harvesting locations and the implications for their health.
The rule of thumb used to be if you’re going to pick medicine anywhere near close to the road or off the road - you could do it way back in the ‘60s, ‘70s, because there was hardly any traffic here. Now because of the traffic density is higher we don’t pick medicine there ... [because] people contaminate. (S65, 28 February 2020)
And that’s like we do, us, we take certain plants at a certain time. Like anywhere out this – out west it’s going to be an impact no matter what. It’s not only out west, towards up north, south, it’s everywhere. The land is getting impacted quite a bit from the oil wells and stuff like that but they seem, like some places [the plants grow] back, some places [they] just die out. You can see the ground when nothing grows, it's just bare. Then we don’t bother those areas when that happens. (S24, 27 February 2020)
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Even here on the reserve, you were able to pick berries. Now some of them, the berries, they’re not fit to eat here. Even around here the berries are not as abundant as they used to be. Even the medicine is affected around here… Pollution. (S28, 10 February 2020)
But now, you get – you don't really want to pick [plants] and eat it. Like our area in Ma-Me-O, it's polluted. And we still live there. I don't know why, we could move. With all these gas pipelines, something's got to give. (S51, 11 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation members living at the reserves at Maskwacîs and Pigeon Lake (Ma-Me-O Beach) have a long history of experience with oil and gas development since the 1950s, the effects of which continue to be felt today.
Yeah, it [farms and oil wells] has affected a lot of our [medicinal plant name]. And we used to have strawberries here, I haven't seen any… And like I said, it’s saskatoons [berries]. My auntie’s house, now they’ve got an oil well sitting there. No more saskatoons, they're gone. I don’t know if it’s something new. I don’t know … Yeah, they're gone [since the oil well was installed]. No more. They used to just be plentiful there. (S20, 10 February 2020)
As a response to the local effects of pollution, some SCN members now travel farther afield to access uncontaminated and more potent plants.
You know, when some of the stuff that we get from here like the [medicinal plant] ... are essential to including into our, in our herbs ... you get one root here, you get one root there, like you combine them. But most of our roots around here are not really good enough and they don’t have that quality anymore to heal anybody. So, we have to go where it’s cleaner, but then again, now you got these pipelines going through there [referring to Study Area]. … (S47, 25 February 2020)
You hardly find [medicinal plant name] now. You got to search miles and miles. Years ago, when I was a kid, we used to go behind our fields and get [medicinal plant name]. ... [medicinal plant name] being polluted. You know, all these things that we use. You might – they might not be essential to you, I mean these companies ... but we use natural mother earth… I’m really reluctant to even go pick herbs over here [near Maskwacîs]. (S47, 25 February 2020)
And that [medicinal plant name] one of the medicines that they used a lot, now we don’t even have any gooseberries. Very few I find on the road. Very, very few. And that’s one of the main ones that we have – that we have with the roots and the leaves. So, a lot of these – sometimes we go to the state of Montana to get a certain plant and a bulb – and a root. And yet, we can’t bring [home] – we have to do things illegal. So, those are the plants that we use a lot. (S08, 14 February 2020)
While the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains in the west of the traditional territory has been described by some SCN members as a location where healthy plants can still
61 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT be found, it too has been impacted by development. In the following quote, one member describes observing changes and disturbances to the land first hand, particularly along 756 Road (referred to as “the backroad”).
I know these big pipelines – even going to Rocky [Mountain House]. On our way, there’s a big opening which they brushed aside. And I was just shocked how much – how much they – the disturbed land. And even that one place that we used to go pick berries, we can’t now. ... Rocky Mountain House to Sunchild and O'Chiese. On the backroad. They called it the backroad. ... I saw a lot of disturbance, on both sides [of the road]. Even on the main highway. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Beyond the physical characteristics of plants that can determine whether they are suitable for harvesting, medicines also have a sacred dimension that is sensitive to disturbance. For instance, one SCN member gave the example of how vehicle traffic can lead to the spiritual degradation of medicines, affecting their ability to harvest.
All I can say is the land, in terms of medicines and that kind of stuff, the land is not as – because of high traffic, it’s not as sacred as what it used to be like. So now we have to be very mindful as to where we pick medicines and that kind of stuff. (S65, 28 February 2020)
Importantly, SCN food plant and medicine harvesting values have also been impacted by physical and social stressors. In the quote below, one SCN member describes how the trauma of residential schools has led to the loss of medicinal plant knowledge and the transmission of that knowledge.
So, these are the things you have to learn what to do for survival. And I think in the residential school years, that’s where a lot of our people lost – lost the plants and what it did for them. And I seem to hear more people are opening up to use this medicinal use for this purpose and that purpose. So, when my husband was sick with the high blood pressure, and I just – I can’t just go in and ask you what can I use for my husband? Nobody is going to open their mouth. You don’t have that right just to ask. The right you have is to give them that protocol and trust. And some of our elders won’t even talk to you because of the treatment, what they had gotten during the residential school days. (S08, 14 February 2020)
As the experiential knowledge shared by SCN members above attests, SCN usage of plants and medicines is occurring within an impacted environment, with impacts especially dense in areas closer to the home reserves at Maskwacîs and Pigeon Lake. SCN plant and medicine values are furthermore increasingly impacted in the Study Area due to a range of developments, including oil and gas activity and roads (SCN et al 2020).9
9 SCN et al (2020:26) identifies several factors that continue to degrade the status of culturally important plants in SCN traditional territory and the Project Footprint, including: permanent and ongoing land conversion to non-native cover types resulting in dramatic reduction in native plant biodiversity; forestry conversion of diverse mixed-wood forests into (footnote continued)
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4.3.3 Project Interactions
According to one Study participant’s past experience with natural gas pipelines, they anticipate that the Project will lead to the loss of valued food plants and medicines.
Oh yeah [the pipeline will affect berries and medicines] — 'cause it did in Ma- Me-O. They have natural gas, but they don't [have plants] anymore. ... Blueberries, huckleberries, strawberries all and some medicine. Now there's not. (S57, 12 February 2020)
Study participants were particularly concerned that the Project will lead to the destruction and degradation of plant and their habitats. Various SCN members articulated how the Project would kill valuable food plants and medicines (including animals).
You know, maybe with a whole bunch of First Nations people that have the same feeling I have, but when are we going to be heard? Don’t destroy where I hunt. Don’t destroy where I pick my herbs. Don’t destroy where I, where I [pick medicinal plants]. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Now, the universities, the hospitals, the research labs, are trying to find out “What do these Indians use to get cured of anything?” Well, it’s there. All of it is right here, right around in there. The whole works, as a matter of fact, the whole, the whole field. The whole area. So that’s sacred to the people. So, you put a [pipe]line in there, you put a line in there - you’re killing all our medicines. You’re killing the animals. ... you take a skunk for instance. You find a skunk. Well that skunk has medicines that you don’t know, that the universities don’t know – to you it smells rotten, to you it smells like dead, eh? But not to the Indian people; that skunk will cure pneumonia, double pneumonia. Different sickness, that skunk will cure that. So that’s what the Indian people believe and that’s what guys are destroying. (S26, 26 February 2020)
They'd [the Project] probably kill all of the wild berries, the seeds, and no more berries around those routes. Or even medicinal herbs. (S50, 11 February 2020)
So once when something is damaged, it doesn’t come back. There’s — there’s no more life. ... there’s been a difference of, of plants, the plants that used to be there are not there anymore, the berries that used to be there are not there. And I – I — I guess that would be my concern, you know what kind of vegetation is in that [Project] area? (S34, 26 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation members identified a number of ways in which the Project will impact their ability to gather and use food plants and medicines. Potential Project interactions include the physical destruction of vegetation and habitats through
even-aged stands with low diversity and low mature forest representation; increasing linear disturbances (e.g., oil and gas roads, pipelines, seismic) and associated habitat loss and fragmentation; invasive plant species introduction as areas are opened up by development and reseeded; grazing impacts in native plant habitat; and spraying and herbicide or pesticide treatment on linear features, cutblocks, or agricultural land.
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Remote and relatively unaltered plant habitats found in the Rocky Mountains and eastern slopes portion of SCN territory are important for medicine picking. Clearing of the Project ROW would have an impact on the ability of SCN member to harvest plants in the immediate vicinity of the Project.
A lot of times you'll find [medicinal plant names] way out, where nobody's been ever been there before. And I said when they go hunting there and there's - that's the only - that's one thing I would hate to be destroyed. Because I know when they do the pipeline, they just - they don't only cut a small piece. They made a big huge - maybe over the size… or maybe more on the road. With those big machines. (S63, 24 February 2020)
According to one SCN member, even if valued plants can regrow following construction of the pipeline and ROW, Project use of pesticides and herbicides for vegetation control would prevent it from occurring.
Just like these pipelines here. You just wait, after they dig it up I guarantee you they’ll take some of the plants out but in a few years there’s going to be some plants that’s going to grow over them and the government, they're going to pesticide it. But some of the plants that don’t grow will come back on these pipelines and it will be a plant that’s hard to find. It seems like when they open it, when they cover it, the old seeds that were underground they will regenerate. ... A lot of these pipelines, they’re always going to find a plant that has been gone because after they dig it they seem too uproot some of the plants, the old seeds when they put it over back on top they seem to grab again. ... When they spray, they figure they’re weeds, but a lot of those plants that have been brought back up, they’re medicinal plants. They are, yeah. (S24, 27 February 2020)
In addition to the impacts of physical land clearing for the ROW on SCN plant and medicine values, numerous Study participants are also concerned about the potential for plant contamination, and voiced reluctance to use disturbed areas for medicine picking.
I mean there's a loss of habitat. You can't get it back. … Even the dirt is medicine. Now you just can't take it [pick plants] anywhere. … But it's polluted, they’re, gone. They're there, but they're contaminated [plant medicines]. (S51, 11 February 2020)
[When asked if she feels comfortable picking medicines near development areas] I really don’t – where there’s disturbed, I really don’t. And sometimes you can see the difference where these new growth and the old ones. You can see them after, if you're familiar with plant picking. ... That, I’m always reluctant. But if – but if desperate, what chance do I have? When you're desperate, I have to. (S08, 14 February 2020)
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A source of Project contamination risk includes impacts to water quality (see Section 4.4). As the quote below additionally highlights, impacts to plant values can have secondary effects on SCN ceremonial and spiritual values.
[Speaking about the importance of safety and water contamination] Especially for water, game, and plus medicines that we pick out there in the far wood. And you know, like this, that we can use for the future, that these medicines and berries. Things we use for ceremonies that could be affected and, so that won’t be, won’t be a problem for the First Nations or other people and animals as well. And to keep it safe. (S23, 25 February 2020)
As described in Section 4.3.2, SCN members are already experiencing restrictions to their access to areas of their traditional territory where they have previously gathered plants. SCN members described their concern that the Project will lead to a continuation of this pattern with the gating of roads and increased safety risks on roads used to reach gathering sites.
[Regarding access to medicinal plants] Everywhere is gate, gate, gate now. Where my son used to hunt and pick up these willow, no. See, that’s just it. Where do we pick these up? Are we going to be allowed after they put the pipeline? Are we going to be allowed to go there? If they're privately owned, we don’t have a chance. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Yes. [To know the plants are] clean, you got to watch it [the area]. And you got to watch the movement of the industrial vehicles. They don’t drive 20 miles an hour. They drive fast. So, you got to really watch, you know? I guess in other words, to say, “is it safe for us even on the highway?”. (S08, 14 February 2020)
In sum, SCN members are concerned that the proposed Project will negatively impact food plants, and especially and medicines (and related values), in a region of their territory known for having unique plant species.
It’s very important for the community, for any people – that’s medicinal use. It’s very important. And if these [medicine places] are destroyed, where are we going to go?... And when I had to go to the states, I had to go buy some of those. Because you only found them in Morley, Alberta. And that’s close to the mountains. So, a lot of these is – yeah, they're very, very important. (S08, 14 February 2020)
The Project is proposed in a sensitive region where medicines can still be found and accessed due to its status as relatively undisturbed Crown land. SCN members are concerned that physical and chemical damage to plants, contamination, limitations to access, and other Project-related changes to these important collection sites would impact their ability to obtain the plants they require.
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Figure 7: SCN reported site-specific Water and Fishing values in the Study Area.
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4.4 WATER AND FISHING
This section discusses the importance of the SCN water and fishing resources and values, as well as the impacted baseline (which includes existing impacts to Water and Fishing values), and potential Project interactions with Water and Fishing values in the Study Area.
4.4.1 Importance
Water is a fundamental resource for SCN members who continue to use the waters of their traditional territory for fishing, travel, and drinking. The purity of water is of great importance to SCN members, who consider it vital to their lives and culture.
Access to clean water from lakes, rivers, and springs is important to SCN members who use it for drinking, bathing, and ceremonial purposes as the quotes below describe.
Our people that go there and do our ceremonies, and bath, and drink the water. ‘Cause it’s natural water, it comes from the mountains. The mountains there. (S23, 25 February 2020)
Because right at Two O’Clock Creek, they have a natural waterspout. … It comes out of the ground. And so that’s where we would go pick – go get our water – haul our water from out of there, and use in our ceremony. (S46, 10 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation members also emphasised the importance of water in supporting healthy animals and therefore SCN hunting activities. Below, one Study participant describes the importance of mountain water for drinking and for healthy game.
‘Cause I like to drink the mountain water, cause the water goes through there and wow, it’s so awesome. Mountain water is really good and that like, you know, for it to flow down from the west going to the east. So our animals can drink, and so we can have healthy game that we can hunt in the future. (S23, 25 February 2020)
Freshwater bodies including lakes and rivers have also been a traditional source of sustenance for SCN members who have fished and gathered freshwater mollusks. In the quote below, one SCN member describes some of the resources which have been traditionally consumed and explains how the purity of water is of central importance to this pattern of culture and land use.
Growing up back home, we ate fish from the Battle River and they were good. There was pickerel, walleye, jackfish, whitefish and a buffalo humpback. But the buffalo humpback fish only came four days beginning [in] June. The others were around. We had seashells, we got clams. We could eat clams. Later on, when I was older, this old man said you can't take fish from there, what Edmonton is doing is throwing the sewer into the river, and I've seen some fish going belly-up there, dead he said. So, that was years ago. And now, how is it now? With all
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these pipelines, gas lines, the water – that's how we live, from water. You can't live without water, like air. Yeah, water is most important. (S51, 11 February 2020)
Water furthermore contributes to intangible cultural values. As the quote below explains, water is also valued for its beauty.
Well I believe that, you know, water, the rivers are important to us. To not only us, but everybody, and to me they just look so beautiful. (S62, 24 February 2020)
From the qualitative data, it is clear that water quality is of utmost importance to SCN members. Water is valued intrinsically and as a supporting value, essential for the persistence of other resources and cultural practices, including fish and fishing, and the other VCs highlighted in this Report.
4.4.2 Impacted Baseline
Changes brought about by oil and gas developments and increasing settler populations have already impacted SCN Water and Fishing values in the traditional territory.10 As such, many SCN members are concerned with the potential for increased contamination and other effects on water and fish.
The abandonment of oil and gas infrastructure is a major concern for SCN members who described it as a source of water contamination. One SCN member recalled extensive impacts from nearby (improperly) decommissioned oil and gas projects in this context.
You know, all these [companies] that are saying we’ll clean up, we’ll clean up. Like I say, what about the pipes that are in our reserve here [from previous projects]? ... Are you going to clean them out? ... They’re rotting. ... They were in the [19]50s somewhere around there when the oil, you know, [when the] oil and gas and stuff started to – there’s so many different – there’s so many caps everywhere here in our [land] – and they got those pumps everywhere. So, as a result of that, you know, some of them are not even running, they’ve been covered… if you cover something, that’s not cleaning it up. You got to take those pipes out. You know, they – because you know the corrosion and all that things that’s contamination within the pipes that’s still there’s probably gas in there yet. There’s probably oil, there’s probably all kinds of stuff that destroy the water. (S47, 25 February 2020)
An SCN member familiar with the oil and gas sector furthermore reported having observed first-hand contamination events during right-of-way (ROW) clearing and pipeline construction resulting from worker negligence and disregard for the environment.
10 Current stressors and status of fish and fish habitat in SCN traditional territory, including the Study Area, is discussed in SCN et al. (2019; 2020). Key agents of change include various developments and associated habitat degradation and fragmentation, overharvesting, invasive species and disease, and climate change.
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Oil or gas stays above water. You can see it when you spill gas or diesel, you can see it on top of the water. At Pigeon Lake years ago when the wells were drying up they pumped water from the lake down the wells to bring the oil or whatever up and that water is done. Nobody can use it. There was quite a bit of that. Like I say, when they used to just drive off of the right-of-way and drain your old oil, to change oil, I seen that a few times. And my brother worked on a seismic and he said that guys just drain their vehicle wherever, let it run on the ground. Some places you can still see where there was oil spilt, nothing grows there. Take a long time before anything grows there. Especially diesel. (S01, 27 February 2020)
Alongside the oil industry’s legacy impacts, SCN members described seeing the effects of seismic lines and infrastructure associated with natural gas projects impacting their drinking water.
There’s one going through about three-quarters of a mile west of our place. Going towards Rimbey. ... The seismic comes through right in the middle of the place. I think it’s a little more than 15 years ago. Might even be 19 years. After that you couldn’t drink our water it was so rusty. I had to get a couple of filters on the line and you got to change them about every week or every month. ... But now we have to go to town to get water. When we go to town we bring the jugs. (S01, 27 February 2020)
Even right here [at Maskwacîs], they had good water up to the time when the damn seismic, right here [unclear which project referring to, or where]. ‘Cause I worked at the oil and gas here, that time that they did seismic and after that, the water was no good. After that seismic. Now, do you think the oil companies will come back and straighten it out? No, they just say, “Well, we’ve done our job,” and that’s it. (S26, 26 February 2020)
Urban development has also played a role in impacting water quality. As SCN members describe in the quotes below, municipal sewage has contributed to the degradation of water.
…they polluted the whole lake because of a sewer system being pumped into that. It’s not necessarily just oil and gas that destroyed everything, it’s the sewer systems that our communities, the municipalities that done to our systems. Our water, our water table. So, so that’s just the beginning of just some of the destruction that human, humanity has done. (S47, 25 February 2020)
By the oil fields, by the oil and gas and all the corrosion of the waters and the rivers, and also the local community – there was in the olden day, I don’t know about now, they were pumping their sewer system right into our river, the Battle River, from Ponoka. So, I don’t know if it’s still happening today … (S47, 25 February 2020)
Contamination of water, particularly the lakes and rivers close to the SCN reserves at Maskwacîs (e.g., Battle River) and Ma-Me-O Beach (e.g., Pigeon Lake), is having a direct impact on the ability of community members to enjoy and use their waters in preferred ways, such as fishing, swimming, and camping.
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… the areas where in Ma-Me-O Beach, Pigeon Lake that’s where our fishing, fishing port was. Where we used to fish and stuff like that, and that one itself has been also contaminated. And a couple of years ago, I guess you might have heard of the overflow of dead fish and stuff like that. ... Due to algae accumulating. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Even the Battle River is polluted. When I was growing up when I was young, and my brothers, when we grew up there you could go to the river and they would make holes on the ice and you could see the fish under the ice. Now it’s just polluted you can’t even fish in there. (S55, 11 February 2020)
[At Pigeon Lake] Fish would just swim and then it was just so clear – it was just so pure – just all – it was just so awesome. But now the lake itself has become so raunchy, it’s not even safe for our kids to – to swim. (S46, 10 February 2020)
We camped there, oh how many years ago, five or six years ago with my friends and we went and camped there [Pigeon Lake]. There was dead fish floating to the shore, whitefish. You can’t even go in there. (S55, 11 February 2020)
The quotes above and below capture recent high-fish-mortality events associated with algal blooms and contamination. Moreover, Study participants noted how fish from various water sources across the traditional territory are no longer considered safe to eat.
… Pigeon Lake, they had… stopped from fishing. Even to catch the fish during the summer, they had stopped it because – I’m not sure what was happening with the lake. There was fish that were just coming ashore dead. And same thing with Buck Lake last summer I believe. Because I go to these watershed meetings. There’s a committee on that watershed committee across probably the province, I would say. I sit on there. Last year, they put it on the – I think I got an email on it. Some write up about Buck Lake where it wasn’t safe to eat the fish there anymore. I’m not sure what has happening with it ... That was the first time I’ve ever known of people not to be allowed to eat the fish from there. And they were good fish, too. Like in Ma-Me-O … (S61, 14 February 2020)
Oh, [I] just [fish] Buck Lake, Alder Flats and that. … Battle Lake. … But then you can't eat fish from the lake now. … Yeah, even the - they had oil wells there in '52. There used to be a lot of blueberries and medicine. Now there's nothing. ... Because of the oil wells. They killed them. (S57, 12 February 2020)
These aforementioned impacts to water and fish underscore the importance of remaining healthy fish and water resources in SCN traditional territory. Although water quality in the Study Area is still considered to be decent, it too has declined.
[Water quality in Study Area] It’s still pretty good. On a scale of one to 10, probably a five or six. It used to be really good. (S65, 28 February 2020)
As illustrated above and in recent cumulative effects assessments (SCN et al. 2019; 2020), SCN Water and Fishing values are already impacted across SCN territory by the combined effects of settlement and development. SCN use of several important water
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4.4.3 Project Interactions
Throughout interviews, SCN members expressed concern that the Project would have negative interactions with water sources in the Study Area, which would directly and indirectly impact use and access to a large suite of cultural resources. In the quotes below, SCN members describe concerns around potential breakage or rupture of the proposed pipeline and the impacts that would have on their lives and health.
You know, this is what they’re doing to us in a subtle way. The power of suggestion is that I will put this pipeline here to kill you subtly, subtly with all the chemicals that’s going to be coming from the ground when you drink that water. It’s going to be in the air. All the, you know, everything is going to be in the air and everything in the ground. So, you’re getting both. You can’t breathe the clean air. You can’t, you can’t sustain your body with water and also food. So, these – those three things are very important to me ... That’s where it’s going to go. Mark my words. It’s going to go there. (S47, 25 February 2020)
They [Samson Cree Nation] are concerned, you know when you hear a pipeline leak somewhere, they’re concerned about that, about their water. And underground streams like I say with seismic they divert the streams, underground streams. There’s lots of places that people can’t drink their water, especially on Samson’s [Cree land]. There’s quite a few people that don’t have water, drinkable. I think it will happen all along wherever they go. But there’s no guarantee that pipe isn’t going to burst somewhere. That’s about it. (S01, 27 February 2020)
[My other concerns] Just would be the water. These gas wells. They don’t know if there's ever going to be a disaster. This woman talked about this one time about earthquakes. If that ever happens, what’s going to happen if it breaks? ... And whatever lakes are nearby, that thing break, and it goes, you know. Disaster. This is why those people are protesting now, you see? We have concerns. (S04, 13 February 2020)
Potential impacts to the potability of water were described by one member as being particularly concerning, given that water around the SCN community is already contaminated.
I think for me, is how much is it going to be, you know, how much water’s going to be safe, in that area [Study Area] without damaging the water. The water has been damaged as it is, it’s been contaminated, it’s been polluted. I can’t even use my water at home, to drink. It’s contaminated. So I have to buy my bottled water already, and the – the elders predicted this, “You’re gonna start buying water in the future because of the, you know, because of the, the poisons in the water.” Here we are, buying water. (S34, 26 February 2020)
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Concerns were also voiced regarding the spread of Project contamination through water and what pipeline malfunctions could mean for water quality and potability as far away as Maskwacîs.
If there’s a break – a leak on the line, it will affect a lot of water. If happens to run, you know like [during] a run off in the spring. It all runs to the creek no matter, or to the lake, whatever, the sloughs or lakes. It’s got to go somewhere. (S01, 27 February 2020)
Yeah, take water samples, and [provide] updates. To let the Samson know that, let the Samson Band know that it’s safe… ‘Cause we want to make sure that this whole area that’s going to be safe, if it’s going to affect, if anything – if that part breaks ‘cause that’s the water here, it goes... downstream to where we, I think most of the natural water comes from this area … So, anything can happen if it does burst. It can affect all these lakes around the areas, or these two south and north of where they’re built. (S23, 24 February 2020)
Water contamination could also impact the ecosystems and wildlife upon which SCN members rely for cultural activities and linked values. Numerous Study participants discussed how contaminated water would lead to the death of fish, birds, and a variety of terrestrial animals, including bear, deer, elk, rabbits, and moose.
[When asked about concerns about the proposed project] I would say the rivers. … Yeah. Because if there's ever a break, it'll destroy the fish and wildlife, I guess. (S04, 13 February 2020)
...when you think about it, how the beavers, you know, every [water] crossing, how many of them are going to get killed? And how many of the birds that drink water will die? Because birds need water. Animals need water. And most of all, we need water. We don't need - you know, some places they can't even use their water because it's so full of - you can't even drink it because they have so many stuff in their water. (S63, 24 February 2020)
But water would be — would probably be the number one concern is water and if there’s creeks and springs and ponds [in the Project area]? How are — how are they going to be protected? How is that water going to be protected? And if there’s wetland and everything how, you know, how is that going to be protected? (S34, 26 February 2020)
And the pipelines here on the sites, we want to make sure that the water here is safe for generations to come. If there’s an out breakage or anything that can spoil the wildlife from drinking it. And to prevent it from causing CWD [chronic wasting disease] on, on game, like deer, elk, moose, and bear. Whatever we hunt, we want to make sure it doesn’t cause any of that. And we want to like, it’s a concern that we want to make sure it’s safe. (S23, 25 February 2020)
Fish are dying. They’re being polluted. You have to think twice where did this fish come from? Where did this bird come from? Because there’s lagoons where the ducks and geese go swimming. You have to think twice about killing them,
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eating them. You know, that’s the destruction that’s being done and part of it is that pipeline [the Project]. That’s one of the things. (S28, 10 February 2020)
Water crossings and the clearing of the ROW for the proposed pipeline are of concern for SCN members who feel that these activities will damage creeks and water courses, including through the introduction of debris from the clearing process.
I think [the Project] might have an impact on the streams and you know, the water. Because, there's gonna be debris. You can never replace creeks. Because I think once you damage a creek you're — you know, they're damaged. Because there's a lot of natural springs, too. (S34, 26 February 2020)
They’ll [the Proponent will] do it [water crossings] all wrong. Drilling. They’ll drill underneath the… river, it’s wide. They’ll drill underneath the river, or either that or they’ll make a dam, make a dam and trench across it and then put it back in place -trying to put it back in place. ‘Cause you can never get that thing into 100% the way it was. You can’t. (S26, 26 February 2020)
Moreover, SCN members described observing worker/operator negligence with respect to contaminants, including the improper disposal of oil and other waste. In the quote below, one SCN member describes how they have observed this pattern behaviour and how they are as a result concerned about the potential for contamination and pollution from the proposed Project.
I usually take water from home. ... I don’t think there’s a place where you can drink out of the creek now. The whole country is polluted. ... From man and woman. They don’t - some people don’t care what they put in the water. They don’t think of tomorrow. They [workers on oil and gas projects] throw garbage and stuff. ... Before I used to see them, they change oil out there on the job and just let it run on the ground. ... Especially the seismic guys. (S01, 27 February 2020)
As discussed in Section 4.4.2, SCN members cited many cases of abandoned pipelines causing environmental impacts in their territory. Based on previous experience, SCN members are concerned that the Project may result in abandoned equipment or may be left in situ post-closure, posing a similar contamination risk.
Yeah. Some places, yeah. Yeah, they [proponents] abandoned it … For the water table [it would be a problem if the Project was abandoned in the ground]. … Yeah. It’s only four feet [deep]. Around here, they've been digging a lot of abandoned wells – gas lines. Gas pipelines or abandoned wells. Like abandoned lines. I hit one just here in August. (S04, 13 February 2020)
Yes I do [have concerns regarding accidents, leaks, and abandoned pipes]. … Because it affects – even already my water is not drinkable. I'm supposed to be boiling my water but who's going to be boiling every – all damn day? (S50, 11 February 2020)
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Based on existing experiences with oil and gas developments, SCN members expressed frustration at the prospect of the Project exacerbating the degradation of important waterways and waterbodies.
… And doing the pipeline [Project] that’s further destruction. That’s my ultimate belief. Even the river, the Battle River where my late father used to live, my children used to be able to go swimming there. The water was clean, it was pure. Today you don’t even want to put your finger or your hand in that water. How awful it is, thanks to them again … They’re going to keep doing it. No matter how many times or maybe 100 of me, 1,000 of me keep saying look, this is what you’re doing, you’re destroying the way of life, not only our life, the wildlife, the game, the birds, the water, the plants, the trees, they’re still going to go ahead anyway. (S28, 10 February 2020)
Study participants identified several pathways by which the Project could interact with SCN Water and Fishing values. The interactions summarised above would impact tangible cultural values, such as the collection of drinking water and fishing from creeks and streams, as well as intangible aspects of SCN culture including stewardship responsibilities and knowledge transmission. Water is and continues to be a fundamental resource that underpins nearly all other SCN cultural values, and as such is a primary concern for the community.
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Figure 8: SCN reported site-specific Cultural Continuity values in the Study Area.
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4.5 CULTURAL CONTINUITY
This section discusses the importance of SCN Cultural Continuity values in the Study Area, as well as the current condition of those values, and potential Project interactions with Cultural Continuity values in the Study Area.
4.5.1 Importance
Cultural Continuity comprises the intangible aspects of SCN culture, including the transfer of knowledge between and within generations, connection to the land, sense of place, and identity. Cultural Continuity also includes non-subsistence activities such as camping, travel in and through the territory, and ceremonial and spiritual practices such as Sundances, powwows, and fasting, among others. Cultural Continuity depends on the ability of SCN members to access abundant and healthy natural resources without disturbance or harassment.
Sense of Place and Identity
Samson Cree Nation members’ sense of place is derived from an affinity with the traditional territory which is intimately connected to Indigenous and community identity, spirituality, history, and ancestry. The quotes below describe some of the different ways this connection is manifested for SCN members, for example, through stories, ceremonies, and visiting burial sites.
There’s some stories where the Cree people were kind of driven towards the mountains at times… [By] Not only the Blackfoot, and other times they would be chasing. But most of the time they went up to the mountains for a vision quest, you know? In the foothills and that’s where these Brazeau River and North Saskatchewan River in some points where there’s a curve or a steep cliff that’s where they, they went to fast. They done a lot of their fasting along the river… I’ve [also] fasted, yes. (S09, 12 February 2020)
Around the town and it's sort of like a mountain area, and they found a lot of Indian artefacts there, and they wouldn't let them go in that area. … I went there about 10 years ago. ... Somebody told me that there were graves over there. ... Somebody from Samson. ... Oh yea, Caroline, that's the town. (S51, 11 February 2020)
No, this camp here [Smallboy], I don't know it just got to me. Like it's very, very touching, ‘eh. Like having my, it was my cousin that had passed away and he got buried there because he wanted to be buried in the mountains. They have their own burial site there, you know. (S58, 12 February 2020)
Yes, yes I do [feel connected to the Elk River Road area]. Because like I said it’s been a few years since I changed my culture and traditions. Before that I didn’t really bother with it because I was Catholic and I just went to church and that. But now I feel connected to mother earth. Yeah, we call her mother earth because she’s the one that supplies us everything. I’ve learned a lot that way, yeah. Through elders too, like doing feasts and going to gatherings and
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Sundances. I learned a lot but it’s only a portion of what I should know. (S56, 11 February 2020)
As highlighted above and in the quotes below, for many SCN members, the eastern slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountains in the traditional territory are areas of unique spiritual and cultural importance. SCN members described enjoying the peace and quiet of the mountains and feeling a special kinship to the landscape and the Creator.
Yeah, we’re closer to our Creator when we’re at the mountains, it seems like, you know, when you're on the top and you talk to him from there, and if you — there's a lot of eagles that fly around, it’s as if they're taking a message up to our Creator… Yes [eagles are important], that’s our bird. It’s where we get our feathers from and all that, for our gathering. (S20, 10 February 2020)
You know, the Rocky Mountains is so majestic. It’s got a lot of life. You get the energy from there and you bring it back home, so that we can go another year to, you know, to be able to live our lives. (S47, 25 February 2020)
No, we just would scout out the area. Range finders and with binoculars, and looking all around for game, and the scenery, the mountains, the fresh air, the high altitude of it. Your ears kind of go up and ‘cause oh boy it feels, it’s cold but just really, it’s just peaceful... (S23, 25 February 2020)
You have to have an understanding of our beliefs, our spirituality to fully comprehend what I’m talking about. When I was teaching Cree there was such a thing as animate, inanimate. A lot of these things, majority of these things that I’m talking about are animate. They’re spiritual to us. So are the mountains. They’re very alive to us. They feel it just like anything that’s animate, that’s alive. (S28, 10 February 2020)
The Study Area is a central part of the identity of SCN members, who feel that this part of their traditional territory is central to the inheritance of culture by future generations of SCN members.
In this area, I value this area. I like this area. It’s all we have we can share for generations of kids coming, and for people too… because we value these sites. Or these, where we have our ceremonies… and it makes us feel better and make us who we are. Our character, how we share our cultural heritage of First Nations people. And we know that we can make something good of this land here, Crown land. (S23, 25 February 2020)
Knowledge Transmission
Transmitting knowledge of SCN culture and traditions between generations is a complex process which requires opportunities for elders and knowledge holders to spend time together with youth. For many types of knowledge (e.g., hunting, trapping, plant gathering and use, fishing) this learning process also relies on access to the land and reliable healthy resources. In the quotes below SCN members emphasise the
77 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT importance of this teaching and learning process for the continuation of SCN culture and survival.
But our ancestors survived. The four corners of the world, you know. They survived. And I’m happy to learn more. I learn a lot. But you need to keep them in your head because if I do write it, somebody can take it. So, a lot of these here, what animal can you take to use this and that? What part of the stomach that you use for a little rattle for babies? These are the things that you have to know. You have to know the animals. You have to know how to cut the glands on some animals. A lot of these things. (S08, 14 February 2020)
But what I am going to do this year is I'm going to get a photo album or something. I will take the plant and while it’s – when it blooms, the leaves, and the roots. I will put them on one side, and I will write that and what’s the name of it in Cree and in English. So, that’s the only way I can do now. ... For my children. ... I will show them. I don't want to die with the knowledge of plants because if I die without sharing this to anybody, that knowledge, it’s going to be to lost forever. And the time they need it, my younger generation, the younger generation and my family, when it’s time for them to learn, they will know that I knew. (S08, 14 February 2020)
I think it’s very important [to teach youth skills] because that’s one of the livelihoods of our, of when I was growing up and without all these modern facilities like deep freezes and microwaves, that type of thing. You know, we had to prepare for the winter months storing food, that type of thing, collecting berries, canning them or drying them. So I feel it’s very important that the children learn how we existed, how we survived back then like building a fire, cooking over a fire, warming, you know, keeping warm by a fire. I always say if for some reason all of a sudden there’s no running water, there’s no artificial heat, us older people we’d be the survivors… The younger generation, my grandchildren, unfortunately, they wouldn’t know how to cope or how to survive, how to take care of themselves. So to me, it’s very important that a lot of these things are preserved, especially, you know, where you get your livelihood from. (S28, 10 February 2020)
Knowledge transmission is an ongoing and long-term process which, particularly for certain bodies of knowledge, demands time spent on the land in the company of knowledge holders. Below, one SCN member describes the complexity of certain harvesting protocols which are best learned and experienced through immersive, on- the-land learning and observation.
It’s good to learn on the land, both. I agree. You learn it on the land and then on the book. But I got to take them out. They got to see that. My daughter’s know what plants that I'm talking about… And you have to respect these plants. And you just – just because you’re a person that knows these, our younger generation, if they're – the time of their moon time, they cannot go near these plants. They cannot pick these plants. That’s respect. We have to respect them. ... So, that was my teachings from my kookums... (S08, 14 February 2020)
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While cultural knowledge is learned by doing and observing out on the land, it is also acquired through storytelling.
Well after supper I guess when you’d sit around the stove in a log cabin, that’s how it was, and grandpa would be sitting there with his lectures and his stories and every story had a meaning. You know, like when he’d tell a story it has – if it has something that – like the moral of the story, you know, how it ends and that’s what we were taught ... (S09, 12 February 2020)
Regardless of how learning is taking place, SCN members identified the importance of this lifelong process beginning as early as possible in order to have the time to observe and absorb the depth of knowledge required. The quote below describes the importance of learning while young in order for knowledge to become embedded.
Just like going to school when you’re a young age, you get taught a plant and then different plants. Whichever plant you’re looking for or else even if you’re not looking for it and you happen to see it you can identify it right away from the road or else while you’re walking. It’s just more or less like it’s planted in your mind, a lot of these plants. (S24, 27 February 2020)
Culture camps are often held in the foothills and mountains, including at O’Chiese reserve, Nordegg, Kootenay Plains, and Smallboy Camp. Culture camps and ceremonies were noted by SCN members as being important venues for the transmission of cultural knowledge and subsistence skills, and as an important time and space for families and the community to learn together.
Just it would probably be like, teach them [youth] values and ceremonies. Like guidance for like, for the group of boys would go hang with the men, and a group of little girls would go hang with the women. And show them how - and teach them how to grow up to be women… And too, to show them how to, our way of life. Like how, around catching game, medicines, things like that, that we pass on to them... So they can pass on to their children. And to be a good, healthy, role [models]. Even just knowing this area, because I think this is the only place in this area, that our reserve, Samson Cree Nation, know to take kids and people always from Maskwacîs always come to Two O’clock Creek, Kootenay Plains and maybe Smallboy Camp, and Brazeau area. (S23, 25 February 2020)
They had all kinds of activities going [at the culture camp at Kootenay Plains]. There was activity coordinators and people that oversaw these activities. Oh, one thing we also did do was we showed the children how to cut up meat and to dry and smoke meat. That was one of our jobs and we had fellows that went hunting. They’d bring in the game and they’d skin the animals and me and my other coworkers our job was to cut up the meat into strips and dry them and smoke them. You know, involve the children because that was one of the activities… (S28, 10 February 2020)
The deep knowledge of the land which SCN members hold has been described in preceding sections of this report dealing with the specific practices of hunting, plant gathering, and fishing and water use, however one of the important ways in which
79 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT cultural knowledge of the land is also transmitted is through the Cree language and place names. For instance, Cree toponyms provide a link between SCN members and SCN ancestors. SCN members spoke of the importance of learning and transmitting this knowledge.
Just that Elk [River has a Cree name]— Elk River they call it. ... Like the — these — out west like Buck Lake it has a Cree name. They all have Cree names. (S57, 12 February 2020)
[Interviewer: Do you feel like when you teach your kids and your grandkids, do you think it’s important for them to know the Cree names too?] … Yes. Yes. It’s very, very important to know the Cree names. That’s all I knew is in Cree. That’s all I knew. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Ceremonies
In many of the preceding quotes within this Report, SCN members articulated their participation and the importance of ceremonies, especially in and around the Study Area. Many SCN members participate in a rich tradition of ceremonies and gatherings with a variety of spiritual and healing purposes. These occasions often re-occur in the same location chosen for their cultural or spiritual importance, and in some cases, proximity to certain resources such as plants or flowing water.
In this area, here [Kootenay Plains]. Right there. There’s still ceremonial grounds that are in use there. Sundances, it’s also – I’ll have to say it’s a sacred site. Sundances and ceremonies go back years and years, and just remembering what my dad said, he remembered as a child going there to Sundance ceremonies, so you know, that’s going back, that’s going back a few years… But that area in there, was also good for, for picking different types of herbs, and I won’t get into that, I, but I can tell, I can tell you that we pick herbs there; not so much berries, berries we found more towards the north. (S59, 13 February 2020)
As one SCN member describes below, Cree ceremonies and their teachings hold the same significance to Cree people as religion and church do in other cultures.
Well, it’s [Sundance ceremonies] my church. Just like you, you have a church. Well, that’s my church. (S26, 26 February 2020)
Alongside Sundances, sweat lodges are another important ceremonial gathering with spiritual and healing dimensions.
Yeah, it [sweat lodge] was a passed-on thing you know. From elders. It take about, about two and half hours to do a four-round sweat. A lot of time I would be helping people there, you know. Take their pains away. (S64, 26 February 2020)
Highlighting the interlinkage between the VCs, plants play a major role in ceremonies. Smudging, or the burning of herbs along with prayers, is an important cleansing ritual used by many SCN members to purify their homes or to cleanse the spirits of members. Below, one member describes the importance of this practice.
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You need to smudge. Once in a while I’ll smudge my whole house. And every one of my grandchildren they are there, learn not to be overpowered by alcohol or drugs or something. And then I want my house to be clean and nothing to come in that we don't want. No negative things… to come in. And then that's how come I smudge. And I smudge when I know I desperately need it, to do a prayer for a sick person. I smudge for them. (S63, 24 February 2020)
Ceremonies in the vicinity of the Study Area also play an important role in connecting SCN members to other First Nations reserves and communities. In the quotes below, members describe attending ceremonies including Sundances, sweats, dances, fasts and feasts at sites like the Sunchild and O’Chiese reserves, Ermineskin reserve, Big Horn reserve and Smallboy Camp.
Yeah. … It was a Sundance we went to [at Sunchild or O’Chiese]. … Maybe 20 years ago, yeah. … One of the reserves anyways. … We always have them on the reserve. (S51, 11 February 2020)
The mountains is our sacred place ...when my late husband – we used to go around here – the – Two O’Clock Creek. And their Sundance is – the Big Horn Sundance is around that area. And that’s – that’s where – my – my children – my sons go Sundance. And then when we had our pipe ceremonies, our son – our sweat lodge ceremonies – we do our four – we used to do our four-day fast and feast and it’s about the area where we used to go – around this area. (S46, 10 February 2020)
Yeah. … As a small boy [we traveled to Smallboy Camp], like. But I used to have some – I have some friends up there. They had this traditional dancer that was from over there. And I think next week is his one year. He used to be a grass dancer. [Personal name]. But people go up there. Yeah people that live, from Ermineskin, that go up there. (S04, 13 February 2020)
It's along the river. … They have a lot of lodges down here. … It was Sundance. And not far from there, there’s a reserve called Big Horn. (S04, 13 February 2020)
The Rocky Mountains and foothills in the western portion of SCN territory are considered by many SCN members to be a sacred space where, from their heights, members can feel a particular spiritual power not granted on the plains.
It’s cool – it feels just – we feel closer to our Creator and well, the mountains, to us, they're very sacred. And it’s as if you can reach – like, when you're sitting on a mountaintop, right, you're sitting there looking. It’s as if the Creator – the eagles are flying around, you know, it’s such a good, peaceful feeling when you sit up there and pray for your people, you know, whoever needs it, pray for them and smudge. (S20, 10 February 2020)
In the quotes below SCN members describe the importance of the area between Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg, and the Brazeau River, for their ceremonial and spiritual lives and culture. The remoteness and relatively undeveloped nature of this area of the
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Study Area is appreciated by SCN members who describe it as an important site for cleansing, healing, fasting, and giving respect to those that have passed.
...this area, like Rocky Mountain House, all the ceremonies that happened here, you know, all these ceremonies even in, in the, where I come from here Maskwacîs, we believe us, these are sacred landmarks. There’s some certain, certain landmarks in here that you don’t see that First Nations people will not let you know about these things. ... There’s things that are so valuable to us that people go out there and fast. They go do those, you know, spiritual things. ... Preparation for Sundances. Those things with isolation to where you can go. I guess, re-establish yourself to mother earth and Creator to, you know, to go through that hardship that you’re feeling over here, you leave it for a moment and you feel so secure in the mountains when you go sit there and you hear the rivers and the birds and the wind … (S47, 25 February 2020)
Nordegg is the area where we go fasting in these areas here which is kind of like in between here, you know, but here this is where I go. Kootenay Plains. In this area, all these, the river, the Brazeau River in this area. This is all sacred for us. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Last fall I went to Nordegg by the mountains. My sister was really sick we, me and my daughter and that little guy I’m raising, and my, two of my grandkids, and my daughters, their kids, we went to the mountains. We brought some prints and we went to the, like right into the bush like the spruce trees, yeah we went and smudged and we went and put up the prints and stuff up there because my sister was really sick that time, and you know … It was in the fall we went, it was really nice. (S55, 11 February 2020)
No, my [sibling’s] ashes are spread on the mountains [east of Nordegg], my other [relatives], their ashes are spread right in that area… Yeah, we go and feed them and, you know, have a little feast… Yes, we have a feast, we have like, the guys will start singing. Oh, that sounds so beautiful, it echoes, the drumming, hey. Oh, that’s so, I just cried when I heard that. So beautiful, you could just hear it all over the place, echo. Even mountain goats were coming down to look at us, yeah. (S20, 10 February 2020)
Habitation Sites and Travel Routes
To access the traditional territory, SCN members use – and have established – a range of habitation and camping sites, as well as travel routes through the Study Area. Habitation sites may be temporary and only used overnight or they may remain in use year after year. As with other cultural activities, SCN members described staying on the land as an enjoyable activity that facilitates connection to the natural world.
Feels nice [to be out camping]. Feels like, I don’t know, being part of – being out in the wild, wildlife and being with nature. (S65, 28 February 2020)
In the vicinity of the Study Area there are a number of sites where SCN members frequently stay. As the quotes below describe, in many cases these camps are located
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And we – where we camped [along the Elk River Road], we travelled further west to go pick berries [blueberries] and that. And there used to be lots in that area. But I'm not even sure if they’d be there anymore… Right off the road. Like there’s openings all along in these areas where a person can set up camp ... We’d camp and then we'd drive off and look for berries. And that one place I remember, it was off the road. We camped on this side because there was berries all over in the bush area. (S61, 14 February 2020)
Oh, yes. They had [trapping] cabins there [near Sunchild and O’Chiese reserves]. We used to go spend time there … (S61, 14 February 2020)
Depending on what time of the year it was – like, if it was in the fall, we might set up a camp – there again, I spent a lot of time in, in the Nordegg area around Ram Falls, and that’s where our, we used to camp, and then just go out from there, during the day. But a couple times we also stayed at Smallboy Camp and hunted. Hunted along that area along the trunk road. (S59, 13 February 2020)
Study participants furthermore recounted traveling through the Study Area to hunt, gather plants, and to access culturally important locations, such as Smallboy Camp north of Nordegg. Smallboy Camp is of particular note as a cultural hub often visited by SCN members to connect with family and relations away from the urbanized environment of central Alberta.
We drove over there. But there — they [Smallboy community] already moved when we went over there with my cousin and my sister. And we went and checked it out. It was a nice place where they live — lived and then they moved to Robb. ... That was way back ‘cause my friends and I went camping there. It's a group camp. That's where they had it. ... We camped there, yeah me and my friends. (S57, 12 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation culture is dependent on the ability of community members to access the land and its resources through camps and travel routes. Cultural continuity is also ensured by the ability of community members to transmit knowledge through teaching and practice of cultural activities such as hunting, gathering plants and medicines, and conducting ceremonies. Together, these activities and the experiences and memories of the land contribute to SCN members’ identities and sense of place. Any disruption to these conditions has the potential to negatively impact SCN cultural continuity.
4.5.2 Impacted Baseline
Changes to SCN traditional territory, including reduced accessibility due to privatisation, landscape changes and pollution from industrial development, proliferation of roads and other physical infrastructure, and increased urbanisation and settlement have negatively impact SCN members’ sense of place, ability to transmit
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Sense of place, which relies on specific place characteristics (physical and symbolic) has been disrupted by the loss and alteration of those features. For instance, many SCN members value clean and quiet environments intrinsically and in supporting other land uses. However, as articulated by numerous SCN members, industrial developments have led to the pollution of the air, water, and animals to an extent that many familiar places cannot be enjoyed as before (also see Sections 4.2.2, 4.3.2, and 4.4.2).
Years back, we were allowed to breathe in that fresh air. We used to go with our kookums to go to the river and swim and swim. And our water, our river water was very clear, as clear as this. Now today, it’s very – you can’t even go in the river. It was very, very clear. And we used to look at these bucks, fish, going by. Now you don’t. So, we don’t even fish from the river. We don’t, at all. (S08, 14 February 2020)
All the wells they had built, you know, you could smell that – some evenings, you could just smell the fumes, like from – you could still smell it. Although, they said they had cleared all that too. But so much was – you could really smell the stench of that. I don't know if it’s the firing, the burning thing they have. (S61, 14 February 2020)
Now, you’ve done that at my home, my home area. You’ve destroyed everything in our home area, and I had to live through that. Today, they talk about pollution, they talk about everything. Well, I had to live through that pollution. ‘Cause the odour of gas and oil, you wake up in the morning, you can smell it in your house. You go out to play, you play with that thing. You go inside the house, you bring it in. You go to bed, you slept with that. So I’m thinking, “Okay, why did my parents die at an early age?” I’m blaming the oil. (S26, 26 February 2020)
In addition to polluted water and air, traffic in the Study Area is already an issue for SCN members. One SCN member described how traffic impacts their ability to enjoy the land.
Trunk roads, back roads yeah. You’re always going to see lots of big trucks yeah. ... Pretty well yeah, [the truck traffic] does [impact his enjoyment of the landscape]. ... It’s not like back then when you went for a drive and it was peaceful, calm, enjoyed the scenery. Nowadays, now a lot of areas all you’re going to see is dust flying up from meeting big trucks. (S24, 27 February 2020)
The aforementioned impacts can lead to the avoidance of certain locations by SCN members, in effect alienating people from opportunities to learn and teach cultural knowledge. The effects described in Sections 4.2.2, 4.3.2, and 4.4.2 have similarly reduced the number of opportunities and the ability of SCN members to engage in knowledge transmission.
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In addition to physical effects limiting knowledge transmission, the impacts of residential schools on cultural knowledge transfer continue to be felt. A number of SCN members discussed these impacts and the need to access the land and cultural events to recover and relearn their culture.
Oh, definitely [residential schools affected traditional knowledge]. … Because, you know, they’re taken away from their parents and, and so – and when they’re put in, like I went to this one for seven years. ... You just lost everything. I didn’t lose my language because my mom spoke Cree. She did not – she couldn’t speak English. So, when we went home during the summer holidays, that’s all she spoke to us was Cree. So, we never lost it. And then in school when my siblings and I would kind of get together, we would speak it. The nuns weren’t going to take it away from us. It was our language, so we spoke it. So, yeah. (S62, 24 February 2020)
Yeah, we’re just learning; I’m just learning about my culture and traditions and I go to feasts, I go to tea dances, Sundances. I’m just learning all about that. Like I usually have feasts at my house for my grandsons … And I’m close to my grandchildren. We went to a feast the other day – like we have to learn how to – like when you bring feast stuff home but they’re not eaten, you have to go bring them in a clean place, buried. Stuff like that I’m just learning those things. (S56, 11 February 2020)
Accessing the land without disturbance is increasingly challenging due to land privatisation and the attitudes of landowners.11 Study participants often emphasised how gating, private land, and other prohibitions have interrupted their ability to freely camp and travel in their territory.
Like I said, I was telling the old man this morning, you know, in the old days we used to hitch up our wagon and horses and ask the farmer. We said, “Okay, we’re going to camp here overnight, can we make a fire?” “Don’t burn the field down, go ahead.” You know, it was nice in those days, now you're going to get shot … Yeah, it’s really bad now. Scared to go to a farmer’s yard to go and ask for help. You never know, there might be a gun there. (S20, 10 February 2020)
So much [has changed]. Even when I go to Nordegg, there’s always on the side, I looked at it. It’s brushed aside. And then you're not allowed. You're not allowed. Even allowed to stay there overnight. Going to Nordegg, going to – going to Smallboy’s Camp, there’s always these camp overs. You're not allowed to stay there overnight now. ... Government. ... Government owns everything. (S08, 14 February 2020)
Samson Cree Nation Cultural Continuity values are intimately connected with the other VCs detailed in this Report. Sense of place is tied to peaceful and tranquil
11 This aspect of the current condition of lands is a significant contrast to when Treaty 6 was signed in 1876 and less than 2% of lands in SCN territory were taken up by private lands, and roads and other disturbance was minimal (SCN et al. 2019). The White Zone, which is an Alberta land use designation established in 1948 and is predominantly private land holdings, represents 207,002 km2 (or 66%) of SCN traditional territory (SCN et al. 2020).
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4.5.3 Project Interactions
The Project has the potential to impact SCN Cultural Continuity values over and above existing impacts (Section 4.5.2).
As discussed in the preceding section, connection and kinship with nature and non- human life play an important role in sense of place and the worldview of many SCN members. In the quotes below two members describe how the Project would impact the natural and spiritual order of the land (also discussed further below).
… it’s hard for me to explain and put it into words, but wildlife, plant life, wildlife, plant life, they’re – it’s a way of life for us, it’s a, we have a different, we have a different, ah, what do you call, different way that we look at it, I guess… And we believe our beliefs; everything in nature is, is intertwined, and when you bring in an activity like this it’s, it’s not natural, so you put yourself in the same, the same shoes, and you get exposed to a, a different environment, y’know. That’s the way, that’s the way I look at it. (S59, 13 February 2020)
It’s very important because to me with the passing of time with all these pipelines and electricity [pause] you know, you’re destroying mother earth and eventually, mother earth is going to suffer needlessly. The animals are going to suffer, the wildlife, the berries, the medicine. All the things that we need for survival they’re at risk. They’re always put at risk. (S28, 10 February 2020)
One SCN member described how proponents fail to appreciate the spiritual values of Cree culture in the context of previous negative experiences with oil and gas developments. As seen in the quote below, the Project poses the same potential risk.
But, yeah. It – it’s – I don’t think – and are these oil companies, are they going to – they don’t – they don’t understand our – our Cree culture – I mean, our Native culture ... Like this is what I’m starting to teach my – I’ve taught my children – and I’m hoping they’re going to teach their grandchildren – the trees, the vegetation, everything, the [medicinal plant name] and the berries – they’re all living – they all have a living spirit about them. And then to see those – like out at Pigeon Lake – what I always see – they came to Pigeon Lake. They dug into the ground. They came and totally raped – to me that’s how I interpret it – totally come and rape mother earth. And they take whatever they can out of mother earth – whatever wealth they can gain from mother earth. And then as a result – you know after they have taken all the oil, all the gas and then they leave it. It’s a
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mess. And that’s how it is at Pigeon Lake. So that’s how this [Project area] is going to get affected too. (S46, 10 February 2020)
The importance of the Study Area as a remote and relatively undisturbed and uncontaminated environment is also important to SCN members. Study participants described concerns that the Project and associated contamination would impact their sense of place and confidence in the health of resources by disrupting valued place characteristics, particularly peacefulness and cleanliness. SCN members discussed how a lack of cleanliness, specifically, would disrupt sacred places and make the land unfit for certain ceremonies, with impacts for generations of SCN members.
If they are there, if the sacred grounds are there, and if the sacred herbs are growing there, and medicines, and the lodges are still standing there, no, you can’t [build the Project]. (S09, 12 February 2020)
There’s going to be no clean places. So, as a result, it’s going to affect our spiritual ceremonies. And so, you know – and our youth, they’re going to miss out on that… [A clean place means] it’s not – it’s not been desecrated by – by pipelines – pipelines – by, you know there’s a – and you can tell it’s a clean place, because you see the vegetation, trees are growing wild. You know the wild game, they’re there. So, to us that’s a clean place. But because of the way it is there now, I don’t see our children going out there and having those – those, those quests ... (S46, 10 February 2020)
So, with anything like this, with the gas line or with pipelines, we pray that it doesn’t affect any – contamination, anything to do with the – just to ruin everything, what the nature is there for. God has given us all this and we have to use it how we see things. Not to wreck it for – to disrupt the nature. Otherwise the nature will fight us … I’m hoping that it wouldn't affect it. I'm hoping that [the pipeline] wouldn't even go through it with the sacred grounds. Especially, with the – where the elders would go and do their ceremonies. I'm hoping that they don’t bother with that – those sacred grounds. (S60, 13 February 2020)
Moreover, various animals and plants have a central role in SCN ceremonies, gatherings, and feasts (e.g., hides for drums, plants for smudges, food for celebrations, etc.). Adverse effects emerging from the Project that affect these resources would therefore impact SCN ceremonial values.
Intergenerational effects of the Project may further extend to SCN knowledge transmission. Anticipated impacts to knowledge transmission were described by SCN members who felt that the Project would have a direct impact on their ability to access harvesting sites, and thus opportunities to share place-specific knowledge and cultural teachings with future generations.
Even with the medicines because if it’s destroyed like what is there? What is there for us to gather? What is there for us to show our grandchildren … our great-grandchildren? What’s there for us to pick? What’s there for us to show, to teach them because I am teaching my grandchildren, my great-grandchildren and I talk to them about how life was … (S28, 10 February 2020)
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As detailed in Section 4.5.1, the ability of SCN members to transmit cultural knowledge is inextricably tied to the abundance and health of natural resources and the land. Project effects on the other VCs examined in this Report thus have the potential to reduce hands-on teaching opportunities and time with knowledge holders that is essential to cultural knowledge transmission.
Opportunities for knowledge transference in other venues, such as in ceremonies, gatherings, and in community may also be reduced in the event of declines in natural resources. Declines in the quality and quantity of natural resources (including food plants, game, fish, and medicines) due to Project effects may lead to concomitant declines in lessons pertaining to the preparation, processing, and sharing of wild resources.
The ability of SCN members to travel and camp in their traditional territory is an important part of SCN culture, including to reach sacred and ceremonial sites. Resource accessibility has also been highlighted throughout this Report as problematic across large areas of SCN territory, and is also an important for knowledge transmission. It is possible that the Project may interact with SCN travel, hunting, and gathering routes mapped in the Study Area (Section 4.1), for instance during construction. Impacts on habitation were also a concern for one SCN member who expressed that the Project has the potential to dissuade future generations from inhabiting the area.
...what if someday one of my grandchildren wanted to live around that area [Study Area]? And they can't find a place because it's all cut up and everything. And because the pipelines are put in there … (S63, 24 February 2020)
Despite the intangible nature of many of SCN’s Cultural Continuity values, they are nonetheless crucial to the cultural integrity of the SCN community. SCN Cultural Continuity comprises a suite of highly complex tangible and intangible values that are interconnected with the lands and resources of the traditional territory. As a result, Project effects on one VC are likely to have consequences for other VCs, including the ability and opportunity for SCN members to transmit traditional knowledge, experience the land in preferred ways, practise ceremonies and maintain spiritual relationships, and uphold core principles of SCN life.
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4.6 PRELIMINARY CHARACTERISATION OF CUMULATIVE EFFECTS
The findings presented in Sections 4.2.2, 4.3.2, 4.4.2, and 4.5.2 underscore that Project effects would add to, and compound, existing and historical impacts to SCN knowledge and use values and culture. These findings are consistent with the SCN report, Samson Cree Nation Cumulative Effects Assessment: Updated Analysis for Selected Valued Components Specific to the Edson Mainline Expansion Project (SCN et al. 2020), prepared for the Project, as well as the SCN report, Cumulative Effects on the Aboriginal Rights and Interests of Samson Cree Nation: A preliminary desktop analysis of Valued Components in the project affected area of Nova Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) – 2021 System Expansion Project (SCN et al. 2019), prepared for the larger NGTL 2021 System. A comprehensive cumulative effects assessment (CEA) was not conducted as a part of this Study; refer to SCN et al. (2020) for a more detailed discussion of the potential contribution of the Project to cumulative effects.
As described in SCN et al. (2020) and by SCN members who participated in this Study, large-scale commercial agriculture, forestry, mining, and oil and gas activities have been developed across SCN traditional territory for decades. These activities have had resulted in (among other effects) reduced access to land through incremental privatisation of Crown lands; declines in available habitat for plants and animals; and increases in pollution and environmental contamination through spills, runoff, improper disposal, and abandonment and deterioration of legacy oil and gas infrastructure. The consequence of these aforementioned changes are negative impacts to SCN rights and interests, and way of life.
The Proponent is among those developers active in SCN territory, and has been for close to 60 years (Transcanada 2018). The Project itself is a component of a much larger NGTL distribution system in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and SCN territory, which includes existing pipelines and related infrastructure, as well as yet to be built future components such as the 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project.12
Samson Cree Nation members’ perspectives on the Project are informed by their extensive experience with past and ongoing agricultural and oil and gas activities. In the vicinity of SCN home reserves at Maskwacîs and Pigeon Lake, for example, cumulative effects have left many community members concerned about drinking water quality, animal health, availability of plants and animals, and other conditions critical to SCN members’ health and wellbeing, quality of life, and cultural continuity.
It would probably affect their [animal] habitats. Yeah, it would affect their habitat. Just like here, like you see deer run across by, on my field – I live on Five-Mile [Road] – and they run across and, I see deer running across there. And there’s a little bush there. You can’t kill those deer because there’s oil wells there. There’s an abandoned oil well there by my house, and you know they probably feed around there by those hills. The only deer meat that I would eat is from when if
12 Samson Cree Nation submitted a similar Study for the 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project in November 2019 (see Tam et al. 2019).
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they go to Medicine Lake, you know those areas in the mountains, yeah. (S56, 11 February 2020)
[Speaking about the changed quality of life] I think from what I remember, like when they started building these pipelines and whatever else [in the late 1940s in Ma-Me-O (Pigeon Lake)]. I think that’s when everything started getting worse and worse to the point where nobody has a say where a pipeline can go and anything like that. But we know the game disappeared. And different kind of herbs, like we have to go a distance [to get herbs and game now]… [It happened] Gradually, I think. As the things picked up, like the pipelines and the wells and everywhere. Like everything – I think it just gradually killed or – I don't know why they [plants and medicines] stopped growing when there was plenty there to begin with. (S61, 14 February 2020)
Study participants furthermore identified numerous sources of contamination, including roads, farms, and rail, that have led to deleterious effects for water and the broader environment.
…the contamination that happened within locally where we live here, you know, the contamination of, you know, road construction too is the contamination because of the, the, the carbon monoxide that hits the trees and you, and also the, the rail line that goes through here on Highway 2, the, the amount of spraying they’ve been doing CN or CP Rail. They’ve been spraying the ditches, not to overgrow, you know, for the rail line. And also, even for the highway, and also for the – there’s so much contamination not necessarily with the oils and stuff like that, but the sprays that they’re doing. You know, the chemicals that they put into the ground. They’ve destroyed a lot. And also, the farmers here in our, in our, in our land here in Maskwacîs, you know, in Samson, you know when you think about here, they, all the, all the chemicals that they – all the farmers throw into the fields that’s also going into our water table. It’s destroying everything. (S47, 25 February 2020)
Demonstrating the extent of cumulative effects in the region of the Project, recent analysis of spatial data determined that approximately 13.4% (~8,385 km2) of Alberta’s Green Area within SCN traditional territory currently provides sufficient resources and required conditions for the unfettered practice of SCN rights and traditional use (SCN et al. 2020).13
... Well slowly we’re losing our treaty rights there again, you know? So. ... Sad to say, but we’re just, we’re just losing everything. Everything is taken from us, hey? (S62, 24 February 2020)
13 The Green Area provincial land designation represents a relatively narrow belt of land area along the western and northern margins of SCN territory, which otherwise is subsumed by the largely settled and developed White Area. The spatial data analysis which produced this estimation of “sufficiency of resources” was based on a cultural understanding of the conditions required for the practice of Treaty rights and other cultural practices, which among other factors includes sustainable population of preferred animals, and access to undisturbed hunting areas on Crown land that still provide a sense of place and cultural connection. See SCN et al. (2020) for further detail.
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Alongside the cumulative effects of industrial activities, SCN members are witnessing the effects of climate change. They are observing, for instance, changes in the timing of the seasons and animal movement and migration patterns, affecting hunting, gathering, and cultural continuity values.
In addition to these changes, members are also concerned about the increasing incidence of wildfires and extreme weather events across SCN territory. The destruction of woodlands, in particular, is a concern as it represents an additional burden on an already strained resource, one important to the community for peaceful enjoyment as well as sustaining wildlife (Tam et al. 2019). From 1985 to 2010, for example, members observed the loss of at least 3,669 km2 (conservative estimate based on spatial data) of forest cover due to wildfires in SCN traditional territory (SCN et al. 2020). With Alberta’s climate expected to increase by 4.2°C by the end of the century and be increasingly dry, especially in the summer months (Schneider 2013), wildfires are likely to occur with greater frequency. SCN members are concerned that wildfires will reduce wildlife availability (among other impacts), and have the potential to interact dangerously with oil and gas infrastructure in the Study Area.
…a lot of the forest fires, I don’t know, they killed off lots of animals but I always wonder where do they run to… I know they’re not in their usual habitat. (S54, 11 February 2020)
And even forest fires. If there was a forest fire, and if there’s an open gas line, like a leak, it can explode. Yeah. (S60, 13 February 2020)
As discussed throughout Section 4, SCN members rely on the western portion of the territory, which includes the Rocky Mountains, eastern slopes and foothills, and Study Area, for a range of species and subsistence and cultural practices. This is both because the mountains and foothills are ecologically and culturally important and have been for generations, and because many other areas in the territory are less reliable and/or accessible due to the cumulative effects of settlement and development.
However, members are nonetheless observing negative environmental changes in the Study Area and eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains over several decades including, but not limited to, reduced availability of game and increases in industrial activity and traffic, as described in the quote below.
…and just over the years since I started going out there [to the Project area] as a youth, it has declined, like very, very. And now you see, nowadays you see those animals that you used to see regularly out there, here on, on Samson Nation land. Last summer I saw elk just on the other side of the four-lane one evening, when I was coming home from golf. Moose, we have ‘em out here all the time, you never used to see that. You saw a lot of that activity that was taking place, like the cut lines that they were punching through with the oil companies in around Alder Flats and that area there, west of Alder Flats, west of Medicine Lake to the river. That whole area there was brush, there was hardly any lease roads, oil lease roads. When they started building those, the game just slowly disappeared, and you notice, moving this way, east a lot more... And some days you go out there and, but it’s not like, you used to be able to drive out there and
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pick a spot where you wanted to go, and bang you get your game, and it’s not as plentiful as it used to be, and it has, in my view anyway, it has a lot to do with the activity that’s going around there, with oil companies that are putting in all these lease sites ... (S59, 13 February 2020)
As described in Section 4.2.2, habitat fragmentation and linear disturbances associated with clearcutting, access roads, and oil and gas infrastructure is attributed by SCN members to reduced abundances of animals in the Study Area, and reduced enjoyment of the area. Furthermore, the Project ROW and pipeline would bisect or parallel numerous wetlands and riparian areas. Based on a review of the Project assessment (Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2019), the Project would result in the direct loss of additional forest cover, including increasingly scarce mature forest. If approved, the Project would thus lead to the further densification of linear disturbances in the Study Area and compound past and ongoing loss and degradation of critical and sensitive ecosystems (e.g., wetlands, riparian areas, mature forest, and native prairie grasslands) that support a high variety of culturally important species.
In sum, Samson Cree Nation members are concerned about past, present, and future cumulative effects in their territory. SCN members have observed declines in animal and plant numbers, quality, and availability, and an overall deterioration in the natural environment as a whole – resources critical for sustenance and the maintenance and practice of SCN culture. SCN members are concerned that the Project will further contribute to these negative effects with consequences for SCN cultural persistence and practice.
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5. CONCLUSION
5.1 SUMMARY
The site-specific and qualitative data collected for this Study clearly demonstrate that SCN members highly value and use the Study Area and the surrounding eastern slopes and foothills of the Rocky Mountains for hunting, collecting plants and medicines, fishing, travelling, teaching and learning traditional knowledge, performing ceremonies, and for their sense of place and identity. Of critical note is that the Study Area overlaps an area where limited Crown lands remain in SCN traditional territory. It is thus an area where SCN members can enjoy relatively unfettered access to lands and resources critical to the practice of their Treaty rights and SCN culture (SCN et al. 2020).
Throughout the Study interviews, SCN members emphasised that current use of lands and resources in the Study Area is already constrained by existing development, including from agriculture, forestry, oil and gas developments, and recreational land users. Impacts from these sources have already rendered many SCN cultural values vulnerable to further change in their territory. This evidence is consistent with the findings of two recent SCN cumulative effects assessments for the Project and NGTL 2021 System (SCN et al. 2019; SCN et al. 2020). These studies determined that all SCN VCs in the eastern slopes of the Rocky Mountains and broader territory are currently impaired, including lands and resources critical to SCN Hunting, Food Plants and Medicines, Water and Fish, and Cultural Continuity. It is in this context that potential Project interactions must be considered.
Below is a non-exhaustive summary of key findings and potential Project interactions with SCN knowledge and use values that emerged from this Study.
Hunting
Key Project interactions with SCN Hunting values include:
• Reductions in and displacement of animal populations valued for hunting within the Study Area due to habitat loss and fragmentation, and human activity;
• Reductions in and displacement of animal populations valued for hunting due to habitat fragmentation and increases in local predator populations and predation success;
• Negative impacts to animal health resulting from Project activities, including the introduction and dispersion of contaminants; and
• Diminished ability of SCN members to harvest desirable quantities of quality animals in the Study Area, and increased distances that community members must travel to hunt culturally preferred animals.
Samson Cree Nation members anticipate Project impacts will further impair SCN Hunting values and practices through habitat destruction and fragmentation,
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Food Plants and Medicines
Key Project interactions with SCN Food Plants and Medicines values include:
• Destruction of valued habitat for berry picking and medicine collection due to land clearing;
• Reduced health and power of plant and medicine resources due to the dispersion of industrial contaminants; and
• Diminished ability of SCN members to harvest food plants and medicines as a result of both the loss of habitat and the loss of confidence in the quality of resources.
Samson Cree Nation members are concerned that the proposed Project will negatively impact food plants and medicines in a sensitive region of their territory known for having unique plant species. SCN members anticipate that the Project would result in physical and chemical damage to plants, contamination, limitations to access, and other Project-related changes to important collection sites would impact their ability to obtain the plants they require.
Water and Fishing
Key Project interactions with SCN Water and Fishing values include:
• Negative impacts to water and fish health resulting from Project activities, including the introduction and dispersion of contaminants through the landscape and into rivers, creeks, and wetlands;
• Reduced potability of water resulting from Project activities, including the introduction and dispersion of contaminants through the landscape and into rivers, creeks, and wetlands; and
• Destruction or degradation of waterways from stream bed and bank alteration from trenching and land clearing.
Many SCN members are concerned that the Project would further impact tangible cultural values, such as the collection of drinking water and fishing from creeks and streams, as well as intangible aspects of SCN culture including stewardship responsibilities and knowledge transmission. Water is and continues to be a fundamental resource that underpins nearly all other SCN cultural values, and as such is a primary concern for the community.
Cultural Continuity
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Key Project interactions with SCN Cultural Continuity values include:
• Changes in the landscape and valued place characteristics negatively impacting SCN members’ sense of place and peaceful enjoyment of lands and resources within the Study Area;
• Reductions in opportunities and the ability of SCN members to transmit knowledge and skills to younger generations;
• Reductions in opportunities and the ability of SCN members to engage in and conduct ceremonies due to Project impacts on natural resources and sacred and spiritual spaces; and
• Reduced ability of SCN members to access the territory due to Project interactions with travel routes and habitation sites.
Samson Cree Nation Cultural Continuity comprises a suite of highly complex tangible and intangible values that are interconnected with, and rely on, abundant and healthy lands and resources in the traditional territory. Project effects on one VC are likely to have consequences for other VCs, including the ability and opportunity for SCN members to transmit traditional knowledge, experience the land in preferred ways, practise ceremonies and maintain spiritual relationships, and uphold core principles of SCN culture.
As described in relation to impacts on the other VCs (Hunting, Food Plants and Medicines, Water and Fish), SCN members anticipate that the Project will result in further degradation of lands, waters, and resources in a critical area where members are actively practicing their rights and culture. Based on the collected evidence, the Project is anticipated to impact SCN members’ sense of place and continued use of the Study Area and, by extension, SCN knowledge transmission, ceremonial practices, and the use of habitation sites and travel routes.
5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
In light of the above, we recommend that Project mitigations and management plans be developed in close consultation with SCN, particularly with regard to values and sites of cultural and environmental importance. It is recommended that SCN traditional knowledge is incorporated and that knowledge holders are engaged in all phases of the Project should it proceed, including planning, installation, operation, reclamation, and monitoring.
Specific recommendations include:
• Opportunities for SCN members to visit the Project Footprint prior to construction activities;
• Appropriate cultural protocols and ceremonies being conducted as part of, and prior to, Project activities (with the involvement of SCN elders);
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• Long-term monitoring to ensure the safety of resources, and the involvement and employment of SCN monitors throughout all Project phases, from construction and to reclamation;
• Project employment opportunities extending beyond short-term labour contracts to include permanent leadership and corporate positions;
• Accommodations in the form of improvements to community infrastructure and services (e.g., roads, water services) and training opportunities for youth;
• The avoidance of pesticide use along the Project ROW;
• Proponent support of community cultural initiatives, such as the Community Freezer Project – a wild food sharing initiative that provides wild meat to families at SCN as well as other nearby Indigenous communities;
• Off-setting measures that work towards addressing the broader issue of existing adverse effects from the NGTL system within Samson Cree’s Territory;
• Development of environmental stewardship initiatives that address Samson Cree’s interests including cumulative effects and the diminishing Crown land base for Samson Cree members to meaningfully exercise their Treaty No. 6 rights
• Facilitated socio-cultural and economic benefits that:
• can work towards redressing the historic issue of economic benefits bypassing Samson Cree;
• support improving Samson Cree’s ability to access economic benefits including employment opportunities and beneficial business opportunities;
• address the historical legacy of adverse effects on Samson Cree’s Inherent and Treaty No. 6 rights, and the continuation of those adverse effects going forwards; and
• support revenue sharing;
• Other benefits and opportunities that the Crown can provide to support Samson Cree’s interests;
• Further support of CER’s NGTL 2021 recommendations to Alberta and Canada.
Additional SCN recommendations for mitigations and measures may be included in this Report following SCN community verification of the final report.
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5.3 CLOSURE
Should you wish to discuss any aspect of this Report further, please do not hesitate to contact Jordan Tam at 604-563-2245 or at [email protected].
Sincerely,
Jordan Tam, PhD
______
Firelight Research Inc. 505-510 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6B 1L8 T: +1 (604) 563-2245 E: [email protected]
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CITATIONS
Candler, Craig, Rachel Olson, and Steven DeRoy. 2010. As Long as the Rivers Flow: Athabasca River Knowledge, Use and Change. Edmonton: Parkland Institute, University of Alberta.
Darnell, Regna. 2001. Plains Cree. In Handbook of North American Indians: Plains (2). Sturtevant, William, Ed. Washington: Smithsonian Institution.
DeRoy, Steven. 2012. Using geospatial and network analysis to assess accessibility to core homeland areas of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) in the context of increasing oil sands development. Dissertation for Masters of Geographic Information Science. University College London.
Government of Alberta. 2017. Sustainable Forest Management: 2015 Facts and Statistics.
Hegmann, G., C. Cocklin, R. Creasey, S. Dupuis, A. Kennedy, L. Kingsley, W. Ross, H. Spaling and D. Stalker. 1999. Cumulative Effects Assessment Practitioners Guide. Prepared by AXYS Environmental Consulting Ltd. and the CEA Working Group for the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency (CEAA). Hull, Quebec: CEAA.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), March 2020. First Nation Profiles: Registered Population – Samson.
Mandelbaum, D. 1978. The Plains Cree: An Ethnographic, Historical, and Comparative Study. Regina: University of Regina Press.
MSES (Management and Solutions in Environmental Science). 2010. Effects on Traditional Resources of the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation: The Joslyn Creek Project Specific and Cumulative Effects in the Oil Sands Region. Prepared for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation.
Nova Gas Transmission Limited (NGTL). 2019. Edson Mainline Expansion Project: Project Application. Submitted to the Secretary, National Energy Board, April 3, 2018.
Samson Cree Nation (SCN), C. Whittaker, K. Dimmer, and A. MacDonald. 2019. Cumulative Effects on the Aboriginal Rights and Interests of Samson Cree Nation: A preliminary desktop analysis of Valued Components in the project area of NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. (NGTL) – 2021 System Expansion Project.
Samson Cree Nation (SCN), Carolyn Whittaker, and Firelight Research Inc. 2020. Samson Cree Nation Cumulative Effects Assessment: Updated Analysis for Selected Valued Components Specific to the Edson Mainline Expansion Project.
Schneider, Richard R. 2013. “Alberta’s Natural Subregions Under a Changing Climate: Past, Present and Future.” Biodiversity Management and Climate Change Adaptation Project.
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Stantec Consulting Ltd. 2019. Edson Mainline Expansion Project Environmental and Socio-Economic Assessment. Prepared by Stantec Consulting Ltd. for Nova Gas Transmission Ltd., April 2019.
Tobias, Terry. 2010. Living Proof: The Essential Data-Collection Guide for Indigenous Use-and-Occupancy Map Surveys. Vancouver: Ecotrust Canada and the Union of British Columbia Indian Chiefs.
TransCanada. 2018. 2021 NGTL System Expansion Project: Project Description. Submitted to the Secretary, National Energy Board in February 2018.
VanStone, J. 1991. The Isaac Cowie Collection of Plains Cree Material Culture from Central Alberta. Chicago: Field Museum of Natural History.
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PARTICIPANT CITATIONS
S01. 2020. Transcript of February 27. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S04. 2020. Transcript of February 13. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S08. 2020. Transcript of February 14. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S09. Transcript of February 12. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S20. Transcript of February 10. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S23. Transcript of February 25. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S24. Transcript of February 27. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S26. Transcript of February 26. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S28. Transcript of February 10. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S34. Transcript of February 26. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S36. Transcript of February 25. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S46. Transcript of February 10. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
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S47. Transcript of February 25. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S49. Transcript of February 27. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S50. Transcript of February 11. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S51. Transcript of February 11. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S54. Transcript of February 11. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S55. Transcript of February 11. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S56. Transcript of February 11. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S57. Transcript of February 12. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S58. Transcript of February 12. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S59. Transcript of February 13. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S60. Transcript of February 13. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S61. Transcript of February 14. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
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S62. Transcript of February 24. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S63. Transcript of February 24. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S64. Transcript of February 26. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
S65. Transcript of February 28. Interview from the SCN Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Firelight Inc. for the Samson Cree Nation.
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APPENDIX 1: SCN CONSENT FORM
Samson Cree Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion
Declaration of Informed Consent and Permission to Use Information
I (name) ______, on this day (complete date) ______, give permission for Firelight Research Inc. to interview me for the Samson Cree Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to NOVA Gas Transmission LTd.’s proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project.
I understand that the study is being conducted by Samson Cree Nation. The purpose of the study is to document the rights and interests of Samson Cree Nation in the area of NOVA Gas Transmission LTd.’s proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project.
By signing below, I indicate my understanding that a) I consent to have my words and responses recorded on maps, in notes, and using audio and video recording equipment. b) I am free to not respond to questions that may be asked and I am free to end the interview at any time I wish. c) Samson Cree Nation will maintain intellectual property rights over information and recordings collected through my participation and may use the information and recordings, including audio, video, or pictures, in pursuit of its claims, and for defending and communicating the rights, interests, and titles of its members. This includes, but is not limited to, sharing information for the purposes of negotiation or participation in regulatory or court proceedings. d) Samson Cree Nation will ask permission from me or my descendents before using my information for purposes not indicated above.
For more information, please contact Kyra Northwest at (780) 585-3793.
Signature of participant Witness
______
PIN #:
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APPENDIX 2: INTERVIEW GUIDE
Interview Guide for the Samson Cree Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study Specific to NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project
This guide includes:
• Pre-interview setup guide • Interview questions • Mapping notes • Mapping codes
PRE-INTERVIEW
Before formally beginning the interview, ensure the following steps have been completed:
1. Introductions o Introduce yourself and the research team, who you work for, who you were hired by and who you report to.
2. Give the participant an overview of the project o In advance of the interview, the research team will have developed a 1-2 page summary of the project and its components. Provide the participant with the project summary and/or describe it in detail verbally and demonstrate on Google Earth where project components would be located in relation to landmarks such as the community, neighboring towns, roads, rivers, lakes, etc.
3. Explain the mapping and interview process and goals of the research. Read the following: o The purpose of this research is to document community members’ knowledge and use on the land in relation to the project. This means we will be mapping places and areas where community members hunt, trap, fish, collect plants and medicines, camp, practice other culturally important activities and spend time out on the land. We will also be recording other cultural places and environmental features that are important to you and the community, such as sacred sites, teaching areas or gathering places. We will be focusing on the study area outlined by (define the study area and indicate its location on the map). Afterwards, we will map other areas that are important to you. o From this, we will be compiling all of the data and preparing a report for the community based on community members’ knowledge and use in the project area. This report will be given to the community so that they may
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use it to support their goals and objectives.
4. Provide an opportunity for the participant to ask questions o Providing accurate answers to participants’ questions is an important aspect of free, prior and informed consent. o Technical questions relating to the project should only be answered if you have the necessary project information from the proponent or regulator. o Questions that you cannot answer should be directed to the community coordinator, principal investigator or proponent contact, as appropriate.
5. Review of the consent form o Read the consent form aloud to the participant. o Ask the participant if they have any questions. o Once the participant’s questions have been answered, ask them if they give their consent and, if yes, ask if they will sign the form are comfortable signing the consent form. o If the participant would prefer to give verbal consent, ensure that the audio recorders are on, read through the consent form, and have the participant provide their verbal consent for the recording. o If the participant does not sign the consent form or provide recorded verbal consent, do not continue with the interview.
6. Provide participant with honorarium or tobacco where appropriate
1. INTRODUCTION
[Complete the interview checklist and pre-interview section, above, then read the text below with AUDIO & VIDEO RECORDERS ON at the start of each interview.]
Today is [date]. We are interviewing [participant name] for the Samson Cree Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study report specific to NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project. Thank you for coming.
My name is [name] and my co-researcher(s) is/are [name]. We are at the [building/office] in [community] in Alberta. [participant name] has read and signed the consent form, and we have assigned him/her participant ID [number]. We have explained the purpose of the study, mapping process, and interview plan. We will be mapping in Google Earth at 1:50,000 or finer as much as possible.
Primary goal: to document community knowledge and use in the area of the project. We’d like to know how you have and continue to use these areas, as well as what you may know about how community members have used them in the past.
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2. BACKGROUND AND EXPERIENCE
2.1. Personal Information
• What is your full name? • Do you go by any other names or use a traditional name? • Where were you born? • What is your date of birth? • Where were you raised? • Where do you live now? • Are you a member of the [community name]? • What are your parents’ names? • What are your grandparents’ names? o On your mother’s side o On your father’s side • Do you have any siblings? If yes, what is/are their name(s)? • Do you have a spouse/partner? If yes, what is their name? • Do you have any children? If yes, what is/are their name(s)?
2.2. General Use Questions
Be sure to ask the following questions with Google Earth centred on and displaying the entire Study Area. Questions in Section 3.2 are designed to give an overview of the parts of the Study Area that are important to participants, and how they use this area and its resources.
For this first part of the interview, we are hoping to get an overview of how you or your family members use this area and whether it is important to you. We will map these locations in more detail afterwards.
Have you ever used the area around the project, or areas nearby? • If yes, what activities have you done there? • Which locations or areas are used? • If no, why?
Have your family or community members ever used the area around the project, or areas nearby? • If yes, how have family/community members used the area? • Which locations or areas are used? • If no, why?
Is the project area important to you / your family / your community? • If yes, what makes this area important? • If no, why?
Do you use any other areas close to the study area?
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Are there other areas that are important to you?
Are there other areas that are important to your family or your community?
3. DETAILED DISCUSSION OF USE AND OCCUPANCY
Part 4 of the interview will focus on a more detailed discussion of the participant’s use and occupancy of the areas identified in Section 3. Skip to the subsection below for each identified activity or value as appropriate to find relevant questions.
The goal is to discern why an area and/or activity is important, whether the participant’s use or experience of an area has changed in any way and how the participant feels the project may affect their use and experience of the area.
Mapping Notes
Ensure all features are mapped below an eye height of 10 km.
When mapping routes and linear features in Google Earth, follow the actual route indicated by the participant and follow natural features. Do not record a straight line from A to B.
When mapping polygons in Google Earth, avoid mapping large areas where possible; follow natural features and avoid recording straight lines. Ask the participant to be as precise and specific as possible.
For each site mapped in Google Earth, ensure to include the following in the Name field:
• The activity code (e.g. Permanent Habitation – PX) • The mapped site number (i.e. sequence in the interview) • Any relevant modifiers: o If second hand knowledge, map with a * o If they were with someone who carried out the activity, map with a + o If the activity was for commercial purposes, map with a $ o If an approximate location given, map with a ? o If mapped above 10km eye height (i.e. 1:50,000), map with a ^ • The Participant ID
Example map code: PX01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode/SequenceNumber/Modifier(s)-ParticipantID]
For each mapped site, ensure to include the following in the Description field: • Who was there (spell out all proper names) • What activities took place at the site • When they were first there, last there, how frequently they return there and whether they plan to return there in the future (include year, month and season)
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• Relevant value-based information on why that area is used for that purpose. This may include the importance of the site for kinship, ecological, or knowledge transfer values. [See follow-up questions below] • Reference to any other recorded values that may be related (e.g. Cabin access by recorded route TR02-X01 • Include trapline number, if applicable
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See further detailed questions on additional values throughout Section 4.
Next, we will talk about each of the important areas you just discussed and we will try and record as much as possible on the map while we do so.
Leading questions It is important not to ask “leading” questions. A question may be leading if it suggests a particular answer or assumes a particular answer or reality. Ask yourself if the questions you are asking encourages a particular answer over other possible responses?
DON’T ASK: “This project will impact moose populations. How does that make you feel?” DO ASK: “Do you think the project will impact moose populations? How?”
DON’T ASK: “You like camping here, right?” DO ASK: “Do you like camping here?”
3.1 Habitation
Permanent Habitation (PX) & Temporary Habitation (TX)
Can you show us where you were born? [BP]
Can you show us where you live? [PX]
Can you show us where have you stayed in one of the following? • A cabin you built or used, campsite, tent, other temporary or permanent structures? • How many times have you stayed there? o Once or short-term (less than 3 days): (TX) o More than once or long-term (more than 3 days): (PX)
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: PX01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note:
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[Participant name] stayed at this cabin with [names] in February 2018. [Participant name] built the cabin in 2010 and they have stayed there every summer since 2010. [Participant Name] accesses this cabin through the trail recorded as TR02-X01. They plan to return there in 2019.
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4.
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• How do you get to this place? • Why do you go there? • What is this place called? Does it have any other names in other languages? • Can you describe what this place is like / the current conditions of this place? • Can you describe what it is like to be in this place? How does it make you feel? • Would you consider this place to be unique? If yes, what makes it unique? • How did you find out about this place / who showed it to you? • What other activities do you do when staying there? o Follow up with questions from the relevant part of Section 4 o Specifically, have you taken younger generations there? Do you teach them there? If so, what do you teach them? (map as a teaching area) • Is this place important to you / your family / community? Why? • Is this place important for your culture / way of life? Why / how so? • How do this project make you feel about visiting / staying at this place in the future? • How would you explain the importance of this place to people who do not know it / the government / industry?
After you have covered a participant’s personal use, and if there is still time, you may want to ask about their knowledge of how other community members use the area. You may do this particularly for important areas, if the participant does not have much personal experience of an area, or if you are trying to collect historical use data.
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have camped or stayed in cabins?
3.2 Travel Routes
This refers to routes used specifically for hunting, trapping, gathering plants, accessing camping or fishing areas etc., rather than just driving on a highway
Trail (TR)
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Can you show us routes you have travelled by foot, quad, snowmobile, truck or other means?
Can you show us old trails that have been used by community members? [map with *]
Water route (WR)
Can you show us routes you have travelled along creeks, lakes or rivers by boat?
Can you show us old water routes that used to be used by community members? [map with *]
When recording routes and linear features in Google Earth, follow the actual route indicated by the participant and follow natural features. Do not record a straight line from A to B.
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: PX01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] travels along this route with [names] in order to access the [related value] located at [identity e.g. PX01-X99]. They learned about it from [name] and have travelled along it every [season] since [year]. They last travelled there in [year/month] and plan to return there in [year/month]
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See further detailed questions on additional values throughout Section 4.
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• Does this route have a name? In your language? • Is this a new route, or a well-travelled, well-recognized route? • What is this route like (current condition)? • Is this the only route to get from point A to B, or is there an alternative? • Why did you use this route? • What is the farthest point that you have travelled along this route? • Are there many routes like this one or is this route unique? What makes it unique? • What do you do when you are travelling along here? o Do you teach younger generations along this route? If so, what do you teach them? (map as TA)
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• How did you learn about this route? Did anyone teach you about it? • Is this route important to you? If so, how / why? • Can you describe how it makes you feel when you’re travelling this route? • Is this route important to you / your family / community? Why / how so? • Is this route important for your culture / way of life? How? • If this project were to go ahead, how would that make you feel about travelling this route in the future?
After you have covered a participant’s personal use, and if there is still time, you may want to ask about their knowledge of how other community members use the area. You may do this particularly for important areas, if the participant does not have much personal experience of an area, or if you are trying to collect historical use data.
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have travelled across the area?
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3.3 Hunting and Trapping
Can you show us places where you have trapped any of the following animals?
• Badger [BG] • Mouse [MO] • Beaver [BR] • Muskrat [MU] • Bobcat [BO] • Other Fur Bearer [FO] • Chipmunk [CK] • Otter [OT] • Coyote [CO] • Rabbit [RB] • Ermine [ER] • Raccoon [RC] • Fisher [FI] • Skunk [SK] • Fox [FX] • Squirrel [SQ] • Groundhog [GH] • Weasel [WE] • Lynx [LX] • Wolf [WO] • Marten [MT] • Wolverine [WV] • Mink [MK]
A mapped trapping area or line can be copied and pasted for each species listed by the participant. Mapped trapping values can be copied as a general trapping area [TP] for mapped polygons and trapline [TL] for mapped linear features
Can you show us places where you have shot and killed any of the following animals?
• Black Bear [BB] • Moose [MO] • Bison/Buffalo [BI] • Mule Deer [MD] • Caribou [CA] • Other Game [OG] • Chicken [CH] • Porcupine [PO] • Elk [EK] • Sheep [SH] • Grizzly Bear [GB] • White-tailed Deer [WD] • Grouse [GR] • Whistler/Marmot [MM]
Do you hunt birds? If so, can you show us where you have shot and killed any of the following birds?
• Blue Heron [BM] • Loon [LO] • Crow [CQ] • Other Bird [OB] • Duck [DU] • Owl [OW] • Eagle [EA] • Partridge [PA] • Falcon [FL] • Ptarmigan [PT] • Geese [GE] • Raven [RV] • Grouse [GR] • Sand Hill Cranes [SC] • Hawk [HA] • Sandpipers [SN]
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Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: PX01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] trapped/shot and killed [species] in the [season/month] of [year] with [name(s)]. [Participant] first hunted/trapped here in [year/month] and last hunted/trapped here in [year/month]. [Participant] accesses this hunting/trapping area by [mode of travel].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See further detailed questions on additional values throughout Section 4.
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• Where did you cut up the animal? [mark as PR] • Did you share the meat? • How many people can [animal species] feed? For how long? • Did you smoke / dry the meat? Where? • What is this area like for hunting / trapping? • Are any of these animals hard to find? Which ones? • Are there many areas like this to hunt / trap this / these animal[s], or is this area unique? What makes it unique? • Does [animal species] have a name in your traditional language? • Who taught you how to hunt / trap? Where? [mark as TA] • Is hunting / trapping important to you? Why? • Have you taught anyone how to hunt / trap? Who? Where? [mark as TA] • Is it important to teach younger generations how to hunt / trap? Why? • Is this / these animal[s] important for your culture / way of life? If so, how / why? • Can you describe what it is like to be out on the land hunting / trapping? How does it make you feel? • How does this project make you feel about hunting / trapping in this area (now and in the future)? • How would you explain the importance of these animals to people who do not know / the government / industry?
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After you have covered a participant’s personal use, and if there is still time, you may want to ask about their knowledge of how other community members use the area. You may do this particularly for important areas, if the participant does not have much personal experience of an area, or if you are trying to collect historical use data.
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have killed or trapped animals or birds?
3.4 Fishing
Can you show us places where you have caught any of the following fish species?
• Bass [BS] • Northern Pike [NP] • Bull Trout [BT] • Other Fish [OF] • Carp [CD] • Perch [PE] • Catfish/Mariah [BH] • Pickerel/Walleye [PK] • Dolly Varden [DV] • Rainbow Trout [RT] • Grayling [GY] • Shells/Mussels [MC] • Jackfish/Pike [JF] • Sturgeon [ST] • Lake Trout [LT] • Suckers [SU] • Minnows [MN] • Whitefish [WF]
Mapped fishing areas can be copied and pasted for each species caught by the participant.
Mark any locations where the participant has fished but released the fish or not caught anything as an Environmental Feature (EF).
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: LT01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] caught [species] in the [season/month] of [year] with [name(s)]. [Participant] first fished here in [year/month] and last fished here in [year/month]. [Participant] accesses this fishing area by [mode of travel].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4.
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Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• What did you do with the fish [meat] (dry it, smoke it, other)? Where? • How many people can [fish species] feed? For how long? • What is fishing like in this area? • Are there many areas like this to fish this / these species, or is this area unique? What makes it unique? • Are any of these fish hard to find? Which ones? • Does [fish species] have a name in your traditional language? • Is fishing important to you? Why? • Who taught you how to fish? Where? [mark as TA] • Have you taught anyone how to fish? Who? Where? [mark as TA] • Is it important to teach younger generations how to fish? Why? • Can you describe what it is like to be out on the water fishing? How does it make you feel? • Are these fish important for your culture / way of life? How? • If the project went ahead, how would that make you feel about fishing in this area in the future? • How would you explain the importance of these fish / fishing to people who do not know / the government / industry? • If the project went ahead, how would that make you feel about hunting / trapping in this area in the future?
After you have covered a participant’s personal use, and if there is still time, you may want to ask about their knowledge of how other community members use the area. You may do this particularly for important areas, if the participant does not have much personal experience of an area, or if you are trying to collect historical use data.
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have caught fish?
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3.5 Harvesting Berries / Other Plants / Fungi
Can you show us places where you’ve collected any of the following berries or other plants?
• Aspen Bark [AB] • Parsnip [PA] • Balsam [BL] • Pincherry [PI] • Berries/Wild Fruit [BE] • Pine Cones [PC] • Cambium [CB] • Plums [PU] • Cat tail [CT] • Poplar [PP] • Chokecherry [KY] • Poplar Sap [PB] • Cottonwood [CW] • Rose Bush [RS] • Cranberries [NY] • Rotten Wood [RW] • Dandelion [DL] • Saskatoon Berries [KN] • Dye Plant [DP] • Spruce Gum [SG] • Eggs [EG] • Wheat [WT] • Food Plants [FP] • Wild Carrots [WK] • Juniper/Crow Trees [JU] • Wild Lillies [WS] • Lily Pad [LP] • Wild Onion [ON] • Mosses [ME] • Wild Rhubarb [RH] • Mushrooms [MS] • Wild Rice [WL] • Other Plant [OP] • Wild Root [WB]
Can you show us places where you’ve collected any of the following medicine plants?
• Cedar Tea [CE] • Peppermint [PM] • Chi [CI] • Pine Cones [PC] • Choke Cherry Bark [CC] • Rat Root/Weecay [RR] • Devils Club [DC] • Red Willow [RD] • Flowers [FR] • Red Willow Bark [RE] • Fungus [FU] • Sage [SA] • Labrador Tea [LB] • Sweet Grass [SE] • Mint Tea [MI] • Tamarack [TM] • Mountain Ash [MA] • Willow [WG] • Muskeg Tea [MG] • Willow Fungus [WI] • Medicinal Plant [MP] • Yellow Slippers [YS]
Can you show us places where you’ve collected mushrooms, lichen or other fungi?
Can you show us places where you’ve collected plants for crafts other uses? (e.g. creating art, building a drying rack)
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Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: MP01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] harvested [plant species] in the [season/month] of [year] with [name(s)]. [Participant] first harvested here in [year/month] and last harvested here in [year/month]. [Participant] accesses this harvesting area by [mode of travel]. These harvested items are used for [use].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4.
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• What is picking / gathering / medicine / plants / fungi like in this area (current condition)? • Are any of these medicine / plants / fungi hard to find? Which ones? • Are there many areas like this to pick medicine / plants / fungi, or is this area unique? What makes it unique? • Does [medicine / plant / fungus] have a name in your traditional language? • What do you use medicine* / plants / fungi for? (*if appropriate to share) • Who taught you how to collect and use medicine / plants / fungi / resources? Where? [mark as TA] • Is gathering medicine / plants / fungi important to you? Why? • Have you taught anyone about how to collect and use medicine / plants / fungi? Who? Where? [mark as TA] • Is it important to teach younger generations about medicines / plants / fungi / resources? Why? • Can you describe what it is like to be out picking / gathering medicine / plants / fungi? How does it make you feel? • Are these medicine / plants / fungi important for your culture / way of life? How? • If the project went ahead, how would that make you feel about gathering medicine / plants / fungi in this area in the future? • How would you explain the importance of these medicine / plants / fungi to people who do not know / the government / industry?
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After you have covered a participant’s personal use, and if there is still time, you may want to ask about their knowledge of how other community members use the area. You may do this particularly for important areas, if the participant does not have much personal experience of an area, or if you are trying to collect historical use data.
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have collected berries / plants / fungi / water / other resources?
3.6 Gathering Materials and Other Resources
Can you show us places where you have collected any of the following resources?
• Antlers or sheds [SD] • Other materials collected for • Barks used for construction, crafts [CZ] crafts or other purposes [BA] • Rocks, clay, vermillion, other • Feathers [FE] earth materials [EM]
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: SD01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] gathered [resource] in the [season/month] of [year] with [name(s)]. [Participant] first gathered here in [year/month] and last gathered here in [year/month]. [Participant] accesses this gathering area by [mode of travel]. These harvested items are used for [use].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4.
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• What do you use these resources for? • Does [resource] have a name in your traditional language? • Are any of these resources hard to find? Which ones? • What is collecting resources like in this area (current condition)? • Are there many areas like this to collect resources, or is this area unique? What makes it unique? • Is collecting these resources important to you? Why? • Who taught you how to collect these resources? Where? [mark as TA] • Have you taught anyone about how to collect resources? Who? Where? [mark as TA]
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• Is it important to teach younger generations about resources? Why? • Can you describe what it is like to be out collecting resources? How does it make you feel? • Are these resources important for your culture / way of life? How? • If the project went ahead, how would that make you feel about collecting resources in this area in the future? • How would you explain the importance of these resources to people who do not know / the government / industry?
After you have covered a participant’s personal use, and if there is still time, you may want to ask about their knowledge of how other community members use the area. You may do this particularly for important areas, if the participant does not have much personal experience of an area, or if you are trying to collect historical use data.
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have collected berries / plants / fungi / water / other resources?
3.7 Collection of Water
Can you show us places where you have collected water while out on the land? (e.g. for drinking, cooking, making tea, ceremonies) [mark as WA]
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: WA01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] collected water here in the [season/month] of [year] with [name(s)]. [Participant] first collected water here in [year/month] and last collected water here in [year/month]. [Participant] accesses this area by [mode of travel]. [Participant] uses collected water for [purpose].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4.
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Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• What did you do with the water you collected? • What is collecting water like in this area (current condition)? • Do you feel safe drinking the water collected from this area? • Is water hard to find? • Are there many areas like this to collect water, or is this area unique? What makes it unique? • Who taught you about where to collect water in this area? [mark as TA] • Have you taught anyone about where to collect water in this area? Who? Where? [mark as TA] • Is the ability to collect water from the land important to do? • Is it important to teach younger generations about where to collect water? How so? • Is collecting water important for your culture / way of life? How? • If the project went ahead, how would that make you feel about collecting water in this area in the future? • How would you explain the importance of collecting water in this area to people to do not know / the government / industry?
3.8 ENVIRONMENTAL FEATURES
Environmental Features (EF)
Can you show us the locations of habitat or environmental features that are important for mammals / birds / fish / plants? (i.e. calving or mating areas, mineral licks, fish spawning areas)?
Environmental Feature Corridor (EC)
Can you show us any migration routes or crossings that animals use to move through the area?
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When recording routes and linear features in Google Earth, follow the actual route indicated by the participant and follow natural features. Do not record a straight line from A to B.
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: EF01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] identified this area as an [environmental feature/corridor] for [species] due to [features]. [Participant] learned about this from [name]. [Participant name] last travelled through the area in [month/year].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4.
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• What environmental features [e.g., migration routes / crossings / fish spawning areas] make for good [animal / plant] habitat? Why? • Are any of these [environmental features] hard to find? Which ones? • Are there many areas like this with these features, or is this area unique? What makes it unique? • Have you observed any changes to migration routes / crossings / fish spawning areas in this area over your lifetime? • Who taught you about these [environmental features]? Where? [mark as TA] • Have you taught anyone about these [environmental features]? Who? Where? [mark as TA] • Is it important to teach younger generations about these [environmental features]? Why? • Are these environmental features important for your culture / way of life? How? • If the project went ahead, would it impact animals’ use of migration routes / crossings / fish spawning areas? • How would you explain the importance of these features to people who do not know / the government / industry?
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3.9 CULTURAL USE
Gathering Place (GP)
Can you show us important places where your community holds or attends gatherings?
Examples: pow wows, rodeos, Treaty celebrations, community camps, village sites, etc.
Ceremonial Place (CP)
Can you show us places that are used for ceremonies?
Examples: Sundances, sweat lodges, shaking tent, etc.
Teaching Area (TA)
Can you show us places that are used or have been used for teaching knowledge to children or others?
Can you show us any places that have special knowledge or stories associated with them?
Examples: creation stories, dreamer stories, histories
Burial (BU)
Can you show us places where members of your first nation are buried or where their remains are found (e.g. cremation)?
Spirit (SP)
Can you show us places where spirit beings live or where there are special rules about how you act or respect the place?
Examples: Little people, spirits, bigfoot, etc.
Place Name (PN)
Can you show us any places that have traditional place names?
Include place names and translation in Google Earth description field
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: CP01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
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Example note: [Participant name] has [gathered/attended activity, etc.] here in the [season/month] of [year] with [name(s)]. [Participant] first [gathered/attended activity/etc.] here in [year/month] and last [gathered/attended activity/etc.] here in [year/month]. [Participant] accesses this area by [mode of travel]. The traditional name for this location is [name], which means [translation].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• Are [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names] important to you? Why? • Does [gathering place / ceremonial place / teaching area / burial site / spiritual location / place name] have a name in your traditional language? • What is the current condition of [gathering place / ceremonial place / teaching area / burial site / spiritual location / place name]? • Have you observed any changes to [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names] in this area over your lifetime? • Can you describe what it is like to be at [gathering place / ceremonial place / teaching area / burial site / spiritual location / place name]? How does it make you feel? • Who taught you about this [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names]? [mark as TA] • Have you taught anyone about [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names]? [mark as TA] • Is it important to teach younger generations about these [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names]? Why? • Are these [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names] important to sustaining your culture / way of life? • If the project went ahead, how would that make you feel about the [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names] in this area? • How would you explain the importance of these [gathering places / ceremonial places / teaching areas / burial sites / spiritual locations / place names] to people who do not know / the government / industry?
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After you have covered a participant’s personal use, and if there is still time, you may want to ask about their knowledge of how other community members use the area. You may do this particularly for important areas, if the participant does not have much personal experience of an area, or if you are trying to collect historical use data.
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have attended ceremonies, gatherings or other important cultural events?
Can you show us places where members of your family or community or your ancestors have participated in other activities?
3.10 Impaired Use
General impaired use (GL) & Specific impaired use (SL)
Can you show us any places where you used to hunt / gather / fish / camp/ practice other rights, but cannot anymore? (i.e. From industrial impacts, environmental change or other impacts)
Can you show us any general areas or specific sites where you have experienced degraded habitat for mammals, fish, or plants?
Read the map code aloud for each mapped feature.
Example map code: GL01*?^$-X01 [ActivityCode][SequenceNumber]Modifier(s)]-[ParticipantID]
Example note: [Participant name] identified this as a place where they used to [activity]. Use of this place has been impaired due to [reason for loss]. [Participant name] used this area since [month/year] until [month/year].
Make sure to record all other activities and values in this area. See detailed questions for additional values throughout Section 4.
Follow-Up Questions
Use the following questions as prompts to ensure you have a full understanding of why this place is important.
• What activities did you used to do in this place (SL) / area (GL)? • Why did you first use this area? Why do you continue to use it? • Why can you no longer use this place (SL) / area (GL)? • When was the last time you used this place (SL) / area (GL)? • How often did you go to or use this place (SL) / area (GL)? • Can you do those activities somewhere else? Why or why not? 124 DRAFT REPORT: SCN TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE AND USE STUDY SPECIFIC TO NOVA GAS TRANSMISSION LTD.’S PROPOSED EDSON MAINLINE EXPANSION PROJECT
• How does it make you feel that you can no longer go to or use this place (SL) / area (GL)? • Has the loss of use of this place (SL) / area (GL) impacted you / your family / your community? • Has the loss of use in this place (SL) / area (GL) impacted your culture / way of life? How? • How would you explain the importance of this place (SL) / area (GL) to the government / industry? • How would you explain the impact of not being able to use the place (SL) / area (GL) to people who do not know / the government / industry? • How the presence of this project make you feel about this place (SL) / area (GL)?
4 PROJECT IMPACT QUESTIONS
Make sure industry data and participant’s mapped sites are on the screen.
Refer back to the participant’s use in the Study Area, e.g., if they do a lot of fishing
NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd. is proposing to develop the Edson Mainline Expansion Project.
• Do you have any concerns about the proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project? If so, what are they? Project components include: o Up to ~85 km of pipeline o Valve installation and receiver facility o Water crossings o Temporary access roads o Temporary work spaces (e.g., offices, yards, storage sites, drill pads, soil storage, laydown areas) • Do you think the proposed Project will have any impacts on your ability to use the project area and its resources? If so, how? • Are there any outstanding questions you have for NOVA Gas with respect to this project? What else do you want to know about the project? • Do you have any other concerns about this project that we haven’t talked about today? • Do you have any suggestions with respect to monitoring or mitigations that you would like to see implemented by NOVA Gas?
Based on your understanding of the project, do you think it will affect:
• Your ability to enjoy your treaty or aboriginal rights or way of life? (includes hunting, trapping, or other activities they do in the area) • Your children’s or grandchildren’s ability to enjoy their treaty or aboriginal rights or way of life? • If so, how?
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What do you think the most important issues are for your community to focus on in relation to the project?
Are there any other important places or issues related to the project that you think we should be documenting today?
Are there other community members that we should talk to?
Note: You may want to ask some of these questions earlier in the interview, for example if a participant has talked a lot about moose hunting in the Study area, ask them if they think the Project will impact their hunting, and why.
5 Sense of Place
Ask the following questions in relation to territory in general, the Study Area and/or other areas identified as important by the participant during the interview. Use these questions to ensure you have a full understanding of why each place is important.
Do you feel connected to the land in this area? • If yes, why do you feel connected to this place?
Is this place important to your identity? If so, how?
Can you describe what it is like to be on the land in this area? How does it make you feel?
Is there anything special about these places? What makes it special?
Are there many places like this one or is this place unique? • If it is unique, what makes it unique? • Could it be replaced? Why or why not?
6 CONCLUSION
Read with audio & video recorders on after every session
Today is [date]. We have just finished interviewing [participant name] for the Samson Cree Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study report specific to NOVA Gas Transmission Ltd.’s Proposed Edson Mainline Expansion Project.
My name is [name], my co-researcher is [name] and we are here at [office/building] in [community/town]. We’ve given [participant name] participant ID [#]. We’ve mapped a total of [#] values in Google Earth, and recorded a total of [#] tracks on the digital recorders. Notes are recorded in/on [notebook/computer]. This interview has taken approximately [#] hours [#] minutes.
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MAPPING NOTES
As much as possible, map all points, lines and polygons at an eye height of approximately 10 km or less (1:50,000 or better).
Label each site consistently in the name field of the site properties dialogue box.
Each code should indicate:
• Site use; • Site number; • Modifiers (if relevant); and • Source (participant ID).
Modifiers (after the site number):
• First-hand knowledge has no modifier (e.g., TX01-P08; member with ID P08 reports temporary shelter where she has camped); • Second-hand knowledge is mapped with a * (e.g., TX01*-P08); • Approximate spatial information is mapped with a ? (e.g., TX01?-P08); • If the participant was present but did not take part in an activity, map with a + (e.g., BE01+-P08); • Commercial use (including guiding/outfitting) is mapped with a $ (e.g., TX01$- P08); and • If multiple modifiers are used, a code could look like, e.g., TX01*?$-P08.
All other information goes in the description field of the dialogue box.
Transportation routes and all linear features should be controlled.
• Zoomed in to less than 10 km eye-height; and • Follow the actual route and natural features (i.e., not a straight line from A to B).
Include for each mapped site in Google Earth description field of the dialogue box:
• First and last use (day / month / season and year / decade); • Frequency of use; • Species (if relevant); • Number and names of members who were present; and • Any additional information you are told.
Other:
• Keep list of place names; • Spell out proper names and place names where possible for the recording; and • Use prompts to gain detailed access and use information.
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MAPPING CODES
Habitation and Transportation GE = Goose PX = Permanent Habitation GR = Grouse / Chicken TR = Trail HA = Hawk TX = Temporary Habitation OB = Other Bird WR = Water Route OW = Owl SW = Swan Environmental Features EC = Environmental Feature Corridor Fish Catch Sites EF = Environmental Feature BT = Bull Trout DV = Dolly Varden Mammal Kill Sites GD = Goldeye BB = Black Bear GY = Grayling BI = Bison / Buffalo JF = Jackfish / Pike CA = Caribou KO = Kokanee EK = Elk LT = Lake Trout GB = Grizzly Bear MR = Maria / Burbot MD = Mule Deer OF = Other Fish MM = Whistler / Marmot PK = Pickerel / Walleye MO = Moose RT = Rainbow Trout OG = Other Game SU = Sucker PO = Porcupine WF = Whitefish RC = Raccoon SH = Sheep Plants and Other Resources WD = White-tailed Deer BA = Barks (crafts, construction, etc.) BE = Berries/Wild Fruit Furbearer Kill Sites DP = Dye Plant BR = Beaver EG = Eggs CO = Coyote EM = Earth Material (rocks, clays, etc.) FI = Fisher FE = Feathers FO = Other Fur Bearer FP = Food Plant (roots, bulbs, FX = Fox cambium) LX = Lynx FU = Fungus MT = Marten FW = Firewood MU = Muskrat MP = Medicine Plant OT = Otter MS = Mushrooms RB = Rabbit OP = Other Plant SQ = Squirrel PC = Pine Cones TP = General Trapping Area WA = Water WO = Wolf WV = Wolverine Cultural Use BU = Burial Bird Kill Sites CP = Ceremonial Place DU = Duck DR = Drying Rack EA = Eagle PN = Place Name FL = Falcon SP = Spirit
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TA = Teaching Area Impaired Use GL = General Loss SL = Specific Loss
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APPENDIX 3: JORDAN TAM CV
EDUCATION
Doctor of Philosophy in Resource Management and Environmental Studies, University of British Columbia, BC, 2016
Master of Arts in Resource Management and Environmental Studies, University of British Columbia, BC, 2010
Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, 2005
EMPLOYMENT HISTORY
The Firelight Group, Vancouver, BC, Canada Senior Research Manager (January 2015 – present)
• Principal investigator, project manager, and researcher for traditional use studies (TUS). Working in collaboration with First Nations communities to: plan and carry out field research for traditional use studies with First Nations communities in Canada; analyse map data and qualitative data; and author TUS reports.
Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – Vancouver, BC Intern (January – April 2012)
• Tasked with identifying, from the primary literature, factors that might help forge strong relationships between children and youth with the natural environment. Wrote and submitted a report to CPAWS-BC.
David Suzuki Foundation – Vancouver, BC Contract (February 2009)
• Report writing position investigating the scope of ecosystem goods and services in the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) and the degree to which they have been researched and identified. Provided summary information on the social, economic, and health benefits of the marine environment.
Climate Decision Making Center – Vancouver, BC Research Assistant (September – December 2008)
• Conducted statistical analyses and aided research on expert judgments of sockeye salmon vulnerability under climate change in the Fraser River for a project supported by the National Science Foundation through the Climate Decision Making Center at Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh.
Wilson Banwell – Vancouver, BC Intake Counsellor (August 2005 – November 2006)
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• Conducted intake interviews with clients, clinicians, and employers with regard to a wide spectrum of mental health problems of varying magnitude, often dealing with crises. Primarily operated in a coordinator capacity to facilitate client treatment and engaged in client record management.
SELECTED PROJECT EXPERIENCE – TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE (TEK) AND TRADITIONAL USE STUDIES (TUS)
Various roles and responsibilities as lead author, principal investigator, project manager, and co-researcher for numerous Indigenous TUS projects, including as:
• Co-researcher for the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Review of Teck Resources Limited’s Traditional Land Use Assessment for the Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project Update.
• Co-researcher for the Blueberry River First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for Shell Canada Limited’s Proposed and Existing Developments.
• Co-researcher for the Blueberry River First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for Nova Gas Transmission Limited’s Merrick Mainline Pipeline Project.
• Co-researcher for the Doig River First Nation Knowledge and Use Study for BC Hydro’s Site C Energy Project.
• Co-researcher for the Eabametoong First Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study for the Wataynikaneyap Power Phase 2 Transmission Project.
• Lead Author and Principal Investigator for the Matachewan First Nation Phase 1 Traditional Ecological Knowledge Values and Mapping Project for Goldcorp Canada Limited’s Porcupine Gold Mines Century Gold Project.
• Lead Author and Principal Investigator for the Mathias Colomb Cree Nation Knowledge and Use Study specific to Manitoba Hydro’s Laurie River I & II Generation Stations.
• Lead Author and Principal Investigator for the Mattagami First Nation Phase 1 Traditional Ecological Knowledge Values and Mapping Project for Goldcorp Canada Limited’s Porcupine Gold Mines Century Gold Project.
• Co-author for the Mattagami First Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Scoping Study for Canadian National Railway’s Gogama 88 and Ruel 111 Train Derailments.
• Co-researcher for the McLeod Lake Indian Band Knowledge and Use Study for BC Hydro’s Peace Region Electricity Supply Project.
• Co-author for the Mikisew Cree First Nation Preliminary Knowledge and Use Scoping Study for Prosper Petroleum Limited’s Rigel Oil Sands Project.
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• Lead Author for the Musqueam Indian Band Marine Shipping Effects Assessment of Port Metro Vancouver’s Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Musqueam Indian Band Knowledge and Use Study for the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure’s Proposed George Massey Tunnel Replacement Project
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Musqueam Indian Band Knowledge and Use Study for Translink’s Proposed Pattullo Bridge Replacement Project.
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Musqueam Indian Band Knowledge and Use Study for BHP Billiton’s Proposed Potash Export Facility Project.
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Musqueam Indian Band Knowledge and Use Study for WesPac Midstream’s Proposed LNG Marine Jetty Project
• Project Manager for the for the Musqueam Indian Band Regional TUS Phase I
• Lead Author and Principal Investigator for the Musqueam Indian Band Regional TUS Phase II
• Lead Author and Principal Investigator for the Musqueam Indian Band Gaps Analysis for a Knowledge and Use Study
• Co-researcher for the Nadleh Whut'en First Nation Knowledge and Use Study for New Gold’s Blackwater Gold Project.
• Co-researcher for the Okanagan Indian Band submission to Part C of BC Hydro’s Revelstoke Unit 6 Project Environmental Assessment Application.
• Co-researcher for the Qikiqtani Inuit Association Inuit Knowledge and Use Study Specific to the Baffinland Mary River Mine Project Phase 2.
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Saulteau First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for BC Hydro’s Peace Region Electricity Supply Project.
• Co-author for the Saulteau First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for BC Hydro’s GMS WAC Bennett Dam Rip Rap Upgrade Project.
• Co-researcher for the Saulteau First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for Boralex Incorporated and Aeolis Wind Power Corporation’s Babcock Creek Ridge Wind Project.
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Saulteau First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for Encana Corporation’s Cutbank Ridge Project.
• Co-researcher for the Saulteau First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for Nova Gas Transmission Limited’s Merrick Mainline Pipeline Project.
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• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Saulteau First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for Natural Forces’ Wolverine and Zonnebeke Wind Energy Projects.
• Co-author for the Saulteau First Nations On-Territory Knowledge and Use Study of Nova Gas Transmission Ltd.’s North Montney Mainline Pipeline Project
• Co-author for the Saulteau First Nations Knowledge and Use Study for Shell Canada Limited’s Groundbirch Project.
• Lead Author and Principal Investigator for the Shackan Indian Band Knowledge and Use Study for BC Hydro’s West Kelowna Transmission Project.
• Co-researcher for the Wabun Tribal Council Knowledge and Use Study for Goldcorp Canada Limited’s Borden Gold Mine Project.
• Co-author for the Wabun Tribal Council Traditional Use Study and Assessment for TransCanada Pipelines Limited’s Energy East Pipeline Project.
• Lead Author and Principal Investigator for the Wahgoshig First Nation Phase 1 Traditional Ecological Knowledge Values and Mapping Project for Goldcorp Canada Limited’s Porcupine Gold Mines Century Gold Project.
• Co-researcher for the West Moberly First Nation Ethnohistory Report for the Peace River Region and the Site C Dam.
• Co-researcher for the White River First Nation Knowledge and Use Study for Casino Mining Corporation’s Casino Project.
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Xatśūll First Nation Socio-Cultural Impact Assessment for Imperial Metals’ Mount Polley Mine Dam Breach.
• Lead Author and Project Manager for the Xatśūll First Nation Traditional Knowledge and Use Study (2019).
PROJECT EXPERIENCE – HEALTH AND SOCIAL
• Project Manager for the First Nations Health Authority Northern Regional Asset Mapping Framework Development, Support, and Report for the Northern region of FNHA.
• Project Manager for the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami National Suicide Prevention Strategy (NISPS) Research and Data Collection Project.
• Project Manager for the Council of Yukon First Nations Indigenous Central Service Delivery Agency project.
• Project Manager and lead author for the Council of Yukon First Nations Yukon Model for Jordan’s Principle Feasibility Study.
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PROJECT EXPERIENCE – RESOURCE MANAGEMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
University of British Columbia Fieldwork in Region V, Chile
PhD dissertation research. This interdisciplinary dissertation focuses on understanding adaptation to social and ecological change in small-scale (rural and urban) Chilean fishing communities. The project recorded Local Ecological Knowledge regarding environmental change and its perceived drivers, as well as marine resource use behaviours and impacts to livelihoods. Involved the collection and management of extensive datasets including hundreds of in-person surveys as well as interviews, field notes, and observations. Conceived, planned, and executed as the lead researcher; worked with academic and local experts, and hired, trained, and directly supervised a six-person research team
University of British Columbia Vancouver, BC
MA thesis research. This thesis examined risk perceptions of biological conservation practices under climate change. The project involved the design, launch, and analysis of an online survey. The survey assessed various psychological factors, such as conservation attitudes, and their influence on perceptions of risk.
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
Publications in Preparation
Tam, J. and MacDonald, A. (in prep.). Methods and metrics for determining the significance of effects to Aboriginal traditional use: a survey of the field.
Tam, J., Waring, T., Gelcich, S., Chan, K.M.A., Singh, G.G., Satterfield, T. (in prep.). Rethinking social learning in resource management.
Tam, J., Glecich, S., Chan, K.M.A., Singh, G.G., Satterfield, T. (in prep). Who’s adapting to what? General and specific adaptive capacities in Chilean small-scale fishers.
Tam, J., Satterfield, T., Chan, K.M.A., Gelcich, S. (in prep.). Follow the lever: adapting institutions to resource user motivations in an era of globalization.
Refereed Publications
Tam, J., Chan, K. M., Satterfield, T., Singh, G. G., & Gelcich, S. (2018). Gone fishing? Intergenerational cultural shifts can undermine common property co-managed fisheries. Marine Policy, 90, 1-5.
Singh, G.G., Tam, J., Sisk, T.D., Klain, S.C., Mach, M.E., Martone, R.G., Chan, K.M.A. (2014). Conducting a more social science: Barriers and incentives for scientists engaging in policy. Frontiers in Ecology and in the Environment, 12(3), 161-166.
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Russell, R., Guerry, A. D., Balvanera, P., Gould, R. K., Basurto, X., Chan, K. M. A, Klain, S.C., Levine, J., and Tam, J. (2013). Humans and Nature: How Knowing and Experiencing Nature Affect Well-Being. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 38(1), 473-502.
Raymond, C. M., Singh, G. G., Benessaiah, K., Bernhardt, J. R., Levine, J., Nelson, H., Turner, N.J., Norton, B., Tam, J., and Chan, K. M. A. (2013). Ecosystem Services and Beyond: Using Multiple Metaphors to Understand Human-Environment Relationships. BioScience, 63(7), 536-546.
Ban, N. C., Mills, M., Tam, J., Hicks, C. C., Klain, S., Stoeckl, N., Bottrill, M.C., Levine, J., Pressey, R.L., Satterfield, T., and Chan, K. M. A. (2013). A social–ecological approach to conservation planning: embedding social considerations. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 11(4), 194-202.
Tam, J., & McDaniels, T. L. (2013). Understanding individual risk perceptions and preferences for climate change adaptations in biological conservation. Environmental Science & Policy, 27, 114-123.
Chan, K.M.A., Guerry, A., Klain, S., Balvanera, P., Satterfield, T., Basurto, X., Bostrom, A., Chuenpagdee, R., Gould, R., Halpern, B., Hannahs, N., Levine, J., Norton, B., Ruckelshaus, M., Russell, R., Tam, J., and Woodside, U. (2012). Integrating ‘cultural’ and ‘social’ into ecosystem services: A framework for making decisions about what matters. BioScience, 62(8), 744-756
Daniel, T.C., Muhar, A., Arnberger, A., Aznar, O., Boyd, J.W., Chan, K.M.A., Costanza, R., Elmqvist, T., Flint, C.G., Gobster, P.H., Gret-Regamey, A., Lave, R., Muhar, S., Penker, M., Ribe, R.G., Schauppenlehner, T., Sikor, T., Soloviy, I., Spierenburg, M., Taczanowska, K., Tam, J., and von der Dunk, A. (2012). Cultural ecosystem services: Potential contributions to the ecosystem services science and policy agenda. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 109(23), 8812-8819.
Vignola, R., Klinsky, S., Tam, J., & McDaniels, T. (2012). Public perception, knowledge and policy support for mitigation and adaption to Climate Change in Costa Rica: Comparisons with North American and European studies. Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies for Global Change, 1-21.
Select non-refereed publications
Tam, J. (2012). Fostering connections between youth and the environment in British Columbia. Report submitted to the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society British Columbia Chapter.
Sisk, T.D., Singh, G., Tam, J., Chan, K.M.A., Klain, S., Mach, M., and Martone, R. (2011). Barriers and Incentives to Engagement in Public Policy and Science-based Advocacy. Bulletin of the Ecological Society of America, 92, 276–280.
Chan, K.M.A., Öberg, G. Anderson, E., Chamberlain, B. B., Empey, E., Evans, C., Klain, S., Levine, J., Mach, M., Clarke-Murray, C., Reckermann, J., Tam, J., Sihota, N., Singh,
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G. (2009). An ecosystem services approach to sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Report submitted to the UBC Sustainability Office.
Molnar, M., Clarke-Murray, C., Whitworth, J., & Tam, J. (2009). Marine and Coastal Ecosystem Services: A Report on Ecosystem Services in the Pacific North Coast Integrated Management Area (PNCIMA) on the British Columbia Coast. The David Suzuki Foundation, Living Oceans Society, and Sierra Club of BC, (p. 1- 102).
Tam, J. & Klain, S. (2008). Marine planning for ecosystem services: Fisheries and cultural values in Gwaii Haanas. Report submitted to Parks Canada.
Select Presentations
Tam, J. & MacDonald, A. (2017, April 2017). Choices and methods in determining the significance of effects on CULRTP. Talk presented at the 37th Annual Conference of the International Association for Impact Assessment, Montreal, QC.
Tam, J. (2013, October 29). Social-ecological systems in theory and in practice. Guest lecturer in RMES 510 Social Ecological Systems class, Vancouver, BC.
Tam, J., Singh, G., Chan, K.M.A. (2012, September 20). “Social” Science: Barriers and Incentives for Science to Engage in Policy. Talk presented in UBC’s Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability seminar series, Vancouver, BC.
Tam, J. (2010, July 26). The psychology of climate change adaptation for protected areas: the challenge of online experiments. Talk presented at the Norms Evolving in Response to Dilemmas Workshop 2010, Vancouver, BC.
Chan, K.M.A., Klain, S., Tam, J., & Satterfield, T. (2010, July 7). Marine planning for ecosystem services and cultural values: a proposed framework. Talk presented at the 24th International Congress for Conservation Biology, Edmonton, AB.
Tam, J. (2010, July 4). The psychology of climate change adaptation for protected areas: beliefs, feelings, risk and uncertainty. Talk presented at the 24th International Congress for Conservation Biology, Edmonton, AB.
Tam, J., Levine, J., Satterfield, T., & Chan, K. (2010, February 10). Decision-making for ecosystem services: values and process. Poster presented at the First Barkley Sound Knowledge Symposium, Barkley Sound, BC.
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