NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area

Tags: social sciences, self-government, politics, land use

Objective(s): To provide practical guidance to local leaders in which decision-making incorporates valuable local knowledge.

Project Description: This project builds upon doctoral research with the Déline Land Corporation and Déline Renewable Resource Council (DRRC) on the Great Bear Lake Watershed Management Plan (GBLMP) and protection of the Saoyú/?ehdacho Aboriginal cultural landscape. More broadly, this research is also a continuation of a collaborative, community-based management and research. Through a process of preliminary field-work (Caine et al., 2009) this proposal was initiated and developed based on the two meetings in Déline in 2009 with DRRC leaders and Déline Self-Government leadership. Through the examination of historical and contemporary challenges that the DRRC has faced, and is facing, this collaborative research seeks to understand local level natural resource management and governance issues as northern communities transition to Aboriginal self-government amidst industrial resource development and caribou population decline concerns. A key objective of the research is to provide practical guidance to local leaders in which decision-making incorporates valuable local knowledge. This research is in collaboration with the Déline Renewable Resource Council (President, Council Members and Manager). Through consultation with the DRRC a qualitative case study approach will be undertaken. The case study is an empirical inquiry that explores a phenomenon within a real-life context, especially when the boundaries between phenomenon and context are not clearly evident. As a case study the DRRC’s governance role in the context of caribou population decline will be examined in order to provide practical insight into the challenges of reconciling a perceived divide between western scientific knowledge and traditional (Dene) knowledge. The study entails in-depth data collection involving multiple sources of information rich in context. Prior to fieldwork, the resource co-management history of the Sahtu region will be examined using existing documents and research to provide socio-cultural and political context of the transition from Hunters and Trappers Association (HTA) to DRRC. Focus groups will be used to explore DRRC and HTA members’ current and past experiences of land use as a form of management. Key members will be identified and semi-structured interviews will be conducted with current and key previous DRRC presidents and members to build upon and supplement focus group outcomes. Focus group and interviews will be audio-recorded and transcribed. An expected outcome is to contribute to a long-term strategy for the DRRC to take into account Elders’ well-established concern that new generations are not using the land and hence are not practicing Dene land stewardship. The results of this research will be communicated through a DRRC meeting / presentation to discuss findings and applications of findings. Academic publication of research findings will be collaborative authorship with the DRRC. A joint meeting will also be arranged with the Déline First Nation, Déline Land Corporation, and Déline Self-Government Office to discuss findings and assess further opportunities for its practical application. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 6, 2010 to July 31, 2010.