There is No Free - An Indigenous Informed Perspective on Free, Prior and Informed Consent

Wilfrid Laurier University

Scholars Commons @ Laurier

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

2020

There is No F e is No Free: An Indigenous Informed P ee: An Indigenous Informed Perspectiv erspective on Free,

Prior and Informed Consent

Nicole Burns

[email protected]

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Burns, Nicole, "There is No Free: An Indigenous Informed Perspective on Free, Prior and Informed

Consent" (2020). Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive). 2259.

https://scholars.wlu.ca/etd/2259

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Running head: There is No Free I

There is No Free:

An Indigenous Informed Perspective on Free, Prior and Informed Consent

by

Nicole Burns

BA (Hons), Wilfrid Laurier University, 2016

THESIS

Submitted to the Department of Psychology

In partial fulfillment of the requirements for

Master of Arts in Psychology

Wilfrid Laurier University

© Nicole Burns 2020

There is No Free II

Abstract

Many Indigenous nations in Canada are faced with complex issues surrounding proposed

development on their lands. There are numerous rights frameworks that support Indigenous

Peoples’ inherent rights, which includes their right to free, prior and informed consent (FPIC) in

relation to any development that would impact their lands. This case study examined the various

perspectives of Matawa First Nations in regard to their experiences of consultation with

government and industry. This study was conducted by performing document review and

analysis of three focus groups (n=20), a video analysis of the APTN documentary series Ring of

Fire and survey distribution and analysis (n=49). Results indicate that Matawa’s experience of

the implementation of FPIC fails to comply with Indigenous laws and ideologies and is also not

in keeping with the principles of FPIC itself. Government and industry exercise their power by

creating biased laws, processes, and spaces for consultation and denying Matawa First Nations

any means of participating except by those rules. Matawa First Nations have expressed their

willingness to establish genuine relationships with government and industry and work towards

sustainable development of their lands. This study ends with a list of recommendations for

government and industry to consider in moving forward with consent-seeking in a way that is in

keeping with Indigenous perspectives and the principles of FPIC.

Keywords: FPIC, Indigenous Rights, Rights of Consultation, Matawa First Nations, Ring of Fire

There is No Free III

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank my supervisor, Dr. Terry Mitchell, for her guidance and support

over the last three years. Thank you for the opportunities you have provided for me with hands￾on learning, dialogue, and community engagement. I truly appreciate all of the support and

insight I have gained from you over the last few years.

I must also acknowledge the mentorship I have received from Darren Thomas and

Courtney Arseneau over the last few years. My learning experience would not be the same

without you two. Thank you both for your genuine insights, your kindness, and your critical

engagement with the theories and ethics behind doing this work in a good way. I appreciate your

knowledge and friendship.

I am very lucky to have two amazing members on my thesis committee, Dr. Manuel

Riemer and Dr. Erich Fox Tree. Thank you both for your thorough reviews of my thesis as it has

gone through its various stages of completion. I truly appreciate the way that you both

challenged me in the development of this manuscript, and I value the different insights you both

brought to the table.

I am also indebted to my partner, Ashlee Burns, who has continued to support me over

the last few years while I pursued my degree. I know it has not been easy for you while I have

had to spend numerous hours between work and school, but I am so thankful that you have

cheered me on in every endeavour.

Lastly, thank you to all my family and friends that have provided emotional support to

me over the last few years while I juggled multiple responsibilities. I am so thankful for you all.

There is No Free IV

Table of Contents

ABSTRACT....................................................................................................................................................II

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................................................III

TABLE OF CONTENTS...............................................................................................................................IV

LIST OF TABLES........................................................................................................................................VII

LIST OF FIGURES.....................................................................................................................................VIII

INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................................1

LITERATURE REVIEW ...............................................................................................................................6

BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE ................................................................................................................................ 6

THE IMPORTANCE OF LAND ....................................................................................................................................... 8

LEGAL FRAMEWORKS ................................................................................................................................................ 9

Indigenous Laws................................................................................................................................................. 10

International Rights Frameworks....................................................................................................................... 11

Canadian Laws................................................................................................................................................... 15

Canadian Mining Industry ................................................................................................................................. 18

IMPLICATIONS AND RESEARCH OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................ 19

METHODOLOGY ....................................................................................................................................... 20

PARADIGM ............................................................................................................................................................... 20

ETHICAL CONSIDERATION ....................................................................................................................................... 21

POSITIONALITY ........................................................................................................................................................ 22

LENS FOR ANALYSIS ................................................................................................................................................ 27

DATA COLLECTION .................................................................................................................................................. 29

ANALYSIS................................................................................................................................................................. 32

Transcripts.......................................................................................................................................................... 32

There is No Free V

Surveys................................................................................................................................................................ 34

KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION ................................................................................................................................... 35

FINDINGS.................................................................................................................................................... 35

HISTORICAL CONSIDERATIONS...................................................................................................................... 37

LEGACIES OF COLONIALISM ........................................................................................................................ 37

RELIANCE ON GOVERNMENT ....................................................................................................................... 39

LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................................................ 41

GOVERNMENT AGENDA................................................................................................................................. 41

LEGALITY.......................................................................................................................................................... 46

IDEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS .................................................................................................................. 51

CLASH OF IDEOLOGIES ................................................................................................................................. 52

COMMUNITY LED PARTICIPATION .............................................................................................................. 56

MOVING FORWARD......................................................................................................................................... 59

SURVEY RESULTS..................................................................................................................................................... 63

SUMMARY OF DATA................................................................................................................................................. 65

DISCUSSION ............................................................................................................................................... 66

UNLEVEL PLAYING FIELD ........................................................................................................................................ 66

DIMENSIONS TO POWER........................................................................................................................................... 67

Overt Dimension................................................................................................................................................. 68

Covert Dimension............................................................................................................................................... 68

Latent Dimension................................................................................................................................................ 69

QUESTIONING THE LEGALITY................................................................................................................................... 72

THE LARGER PICTURE.............................................................................................................................................. 74

MOVING TOWARDS SELF-DETERMINATION............................................................................................................. 78

MATAWA INFORMED PERSPECTIVE ON FPIC........................................................................................................... 79

There is No Free VI

CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................. 81

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS AND CONTRIBUTIONS ................................................................................................ 82

LIMITATIONS............................................................................................................................................................ 84

RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................................................................................ 84

APPENDIX.....................................................................................................................................................3

REFERENCES...............................................................................................................................................5

There is No Free VII

List of Tables

Table 1 Methods Linked with Research Objective....................................................................... 32

Table 2 Overview of Categories and Themes............................................................................... 35

Table 3 Survey Responses............................................................................................................ 63

There is No Free VIII

List of Figures

Figure 1 Map of Matawa First Nations and Ring of Fire ............................................................... 3

Figure 2 Matawa Homelands and Traditional Territory Map......................................................... 4

Figure 3 FPIC as an Obligation in Canada ................................................................................... 16

Figure 4 Gaventa’s Power Cube Source: John Gaventa’s (2006) power cube ............................. 28

Figure 5 Ladder of Self-Determined Participation within an Ecological Model.......................... 76

Running head: There is No Free 1

Introduction

In May 2017, I began to work with the Indigenous Rights and Resource Governance

research group (IRRG) under the supervision of Dr. Terry Mitchell where my first task was to

transcribe audio recordings of a conference on free, prior, and informed consent (FPIC) that the

IRRG group organized in 2016. Listening to these recordings, and transcribing them verbatim,

put me on the trajectory to do this research. What stood out to me at the time, and what I have

continued to replay over in my head, is the comment “there is no free” that multiple Indigenous

leaders made throughout the audio files when speaking about FPIC. The idea that “there is no

free” offers crucial insight into the critique of FPIC. The voices of these Indigenous leaders have

stuck with me, and I have been on a journey to understand the complex issues with the

implementation of FPIC ever since.

The literature review will explain the legal background for FPIC, while also outlining

complications about its support, which is ultimately tied to Indigenous Peoples’ inherent right to

self-determination. However, it is worth iterating that while there are Western legal frameworks

that uphold these rights, Indigenous Peoples' inherent rights are not granted to them through

Western legal systems but have existed since time immemorial. The right to free, prior, and

informed consent covers a wide range of concepts, but it is also intimately tied to the right to say

yes or no to development or extraction projects on Indigenous territories. Indigenous and

Western legal frameworks are clear on the fact that Indigenous Peoples have authority over their

territories and any entities wishing to engage in extraction or development in those lands must

obtain free, prior and informed consent.

Initially when I began this research, I supposed that if the Canadian government has laws

that make it necessary to obtain free, prior and informed consent when engaging with Indigenous