Some lessons for the future can be drawn from these experiences
in community-based initiatives.
Without an adequate land
base and sufficient powers to manage its environment, the community's knowledge
of traditional approaches has been eroded but not lost. Through its research,
land claims, and community education projects, WIFN is bringing traditional knowledge
and values to bear on current day problems. At the same time, however, it is using
the best of modern science and technology as inputs to its decision making. The
Heritage Centre has been instrumental in bridging the gap between traditional
and modern methods. The Centre's approach has always been community-based, which
is the key to developing an integrated approach consistent with Walpole Island's
values.
A major handicap has been the lack of long-term
(or even annual) funding for environmental management. Other First Nation programs
have annual funding, either from Council or the federal government. This causes
the environmental program to be reactive rather than proactive, and makes long-term
planning virtually impossible. In the area of environmental management, WIFN must
respond to the current priorities and funding mechanisms of DIAND and Environment
Canada in order to capture funds for a specific initiative.
There
is insufficient attention to regulation and control. As shown in the examples,
management plans are unpopular and rarely successful because of the difficulties
of reaching consensus. The community prefers consensus to the application of mandatory
regulations. However, if WIFN is to have an effective environmental management
system, some degree of regulation and control will be essential and will have
to be developed with community input.
In many areas, responsibilities
are inadequately defined. For example, it is not clear who will follow-up on the
recycling initiative because it does not fall within any department's mandate.
Further, responsibilities for monitoring are scattered between Public Works, the
Heritage Centre, the Resource Protection Group, and others. The formulation and
approval of an environmental management framework would help to resolve this problem.
The
most successful initiatives were those that were relatively small and closely
involved segments of the community, especially the youth. These projects were
realized with little funding and are likely to have a lasting impact. Also important
is the degree to which an initiative addresses tangible community issues such
as employment and health.
