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Walpole Island's efforts to protect and restore the natural environment are
not limited to initiatives which involve its own residents. The thirteen examples
described in this section present a profile of a First Nation that is actively
engaged in applying its own high standards of environmental management to a range
of external issues. In some cases, as in chemical spills into the St. Clair
River, court action and formal hearings have been considered necessary in order
to protect the health of Walpole Island residents. In other cases, the Island
has responded to environmentally-damaging behaviour that has no quantifiable impact
on its people, but that goes against its own fundamental beliefs about respect
for the environment. WIFN's long term goal is to gain recognition as a respected
and principled advocate for sustainable practices. As a result, it is equally
committed to building bridges with industry by engaging in continuous dialogue
and consultation on environmental issues. Over time, the First Nation hopes to
move from ad hoc responses to external threats toward collaborative efforts to
address the causes of these threats to its environment. An important part
of its work is to promote its principles and perspectives to other interested
members of society. For this reason, WIFN is committed to sharing its work with
other First Nations, and is an active participant in conferences, roundtable discussions
and presentations which bring together people from all walks of life. |
