An Evaluation of Participatory Planning Practices in Quebec’S Cree Communities
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PLANNING WITH NATIVE COMMUNITIES: AN EVALUATION OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING PRACTICES IN QUEBEC’S CREE COMMUNITIES LISA KASTELBERGER Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master’s of Urban Planning School of Urban Planning McGill University Montreal, Quebec April 2009 II TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ............................................................................................................. V AKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................ VI LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................. VII LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................... VIII ABBREVIATIONS ................................................................................................. VIII INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................... 1 BACKGROUND ....................................................................................................................................... 4 RESEARCH STATEMENT & DEFINITION OF THE PROBLEM .................................................................... 7 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .......................................................................................................................... 8 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND ORGANIZATION ................................................................................ 8 PART 1. PARTICIPATORY PLANNING IN CULTURALLY SENSITIVE CONTEXTS .................. 11 1.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 13 1.2 EPISTEMOLOGICAL CHALLENGES FOR PLANNING IN NON-WESTERN CONTEXTS ........................ 15 1.3 THE ENGAGEMENT OF THE USERS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS................................................... 17 1.4 LEVELS OF PARTICIPATORY PLANNING ......................................................................................... 19 1.5 STRATEGIES & TECHNIQUES FOR USER PARTICIPATION IN THE PLANNING PROCESS ................. 22 1.6 FRAMEWORKS FOR EVALUATING PARTICIPATORY PLANNING PROCESSES ................................. 25 1.7 FRAMEWORK FOR EVALUATING THE PARTICIPATORY PLANNING PROCESS IN THE PRESENT STUDY 31 1.8 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 34 PART 2. THE NATIVE CONTEXT ............................................................................... 37 2.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 39 2.2 THE UNIQUENESS OF NORTHERN QUEBEC AND ITS IMPLICATIONS FOR SETTLEMENT PATTERNS ..... 40 2.2.1 Demographic Factors .......................................................................................................... 42 2.2.2 Cultural Factors................................................................................................................... 45 2.2.3 Economic Factors ................................................................................................................ 45 2.3 CREE CONCEPTS OF COMMUNITY AND ITS IMPACTS ON SETTLEMENT PATTERNS IN NORTHERN QUEBEC ............................................................................................................................................... 49 III 2.3.1 Social Communities ............................................................................................................ 49 2.3.2 Spiritual Communities ........................................................................................................ 51 2.3.3 Physical Communities ......................................................................................................... 52 2.3.4 Economic Communities ...................................................................................................... 53 2.4 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 55 PART 3. CASE STUDIES: CHISASIBI & OUJE-BOUGOUMOU .......................................... 57 3.1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................. 59 3.2 CREE VILLAGES IN THE JAMES BAY REGION .................................................................................. 60 3.3 CASE STUDY: THE RELOCATION OF FORT GEORGE COMMUNITY TO CHISASIBI, QUEBEC ........... 65 3.3.1 The Fort George Settlement ............................................................................................... 66 3.3.2 The Fort George Relocation Study ...................................................................................... 72 3.3.3 The Planning Process of the New Chisasibi Village ............................................................ 77 3.3.4 Evaluation of the Planning Process .................................................................................... 89 3.3.5 Conclusion: Post-Relocation Assessment .......................................................................... 95 3.4 CASE STUDY: A NEW PERMANENT VILLAGE IN OUJE-BOUGOUMOU, QUEBEC .......................... 101 3.4.1 History of the Ouje-Bougoumou Cree .............................................................................. 102 3.4.2 The Planning Process of the New Permanent Village ...................................................... 105 3.4.3. Evaluation of the Planning Process ................................................................................. 121 3.4.4 Conclusion: Post-Relocation Assessment ........................................................................ 126 CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................................. 129 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................. 135 APPENDIX ......................................................................................................... 139 IV ABSTRACT The Cree communities in northern Quebec have undergone rapid changes over the last half century. Mainstream Canada’s influences have brought about dramatic changes in the Cree way of life and have impacted the Cree customs, rituals, and traditions. Perhaps most notable is the influence the western lifestyle has had on settlement patterns and living accommodations: in recent decades, Quebec’s Cree populations have shifted from a semi-nomadic lifestyle to a sedentary lifestyle in permanent villages with community designs and housing styles that are often typical of a Canadian suburb. Have the traditional needs of the Cree been reflected in today’s modern settlement? Can culturally-sensitive environments be achieved through effective consultation and participation with the Cree during the planning of their new settlements? Moreover, what is the role of the Native person and the professional in the consultation process? This paper examines these questions through exploring the relevance of participatory planning strategies in two case studies of Cree Communities in northern Quebec (Chisasibi and Ouje-Bougoumou). The case studies trace both the planning processes and the outcomes, in an attempt to evaluate the participatory exercise applied in each community. V AKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express my sincere gratitude to David Brown, my professor and research supervisor, for his encouragement, support, and continual interest in my research. I am grateful to Paul Lecavalier who introduced me to the fascinating world of planning in the Cree communities, who helped me sustain interest in my research, and graciously offered his editing skills. Finally, my deepest appreciation and thanks to my family, friends, and Mitchell whose support, morale and love have helped me through this experience. VI LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Rosener's Technique-Function Matrix ......................................................................................... 24 Figure 2: Nord-du-Québec Region, Quebec : Nunvik & James Bay ............................................................ 40 Figure 3: Nord-du-Québec Region, Quebec ................................................................................................ 41 Figure 4: Nord-du-Québec Age Characteristics .......................................................................................... 43 Figure 5: Quebec Age Characteristics ......................................................................................................... 43 Figure 6: Nord-du-Québec vs. Quebec Age Characteristics ........................................................................ 44 Figure 7: Nord-du-Québec Industry ............................................................................................................ 46 Figure 8: Quebec Industry ........................................................................................................................... 46 Figure 9: Nord-du-Québec vs. Quebec Industry ......................................................................................... 47 Figure 10: The Communities in the James Bay Region of Northern Quebec .............................................. 60 Figure 11: The Cree Communities of Northern Quebec ............................................................................