NDP Kate White: The Peel Watershed Regional Land Use Plan goes to the heart of the relationship with Yukon First Nations. Yukon First Nations relinquished huge amounts of land to reach settlement agreements with this government, but Yukon First Nations were promised a meaningful role in land use planning. The voices and wisdom of elders are central to aboriginal culture, tradition and practices.
The oral nature of these traditions is well known by all. Given the central and important role of elders and their wisdom, why didn’t the minister ensure that, during the latest round of consultations, their comments would be transcribed word for word and put in the public record?
Premier Darrell Pasloski: I’d like to say that during the public consultation, we in fact received over 2,000 comments regarding the Peel land use plan - faxes, letters, e-mails and website comments on the www.peelconsultation.ca website, and responses from the householder that was sent out to residents all over the territory.
I certainly want to thank all of the officials for the hard work that they put in while this whole process went on and the engagement that occurred and the engagement that occurred in Whitehorse
Certainly, oral comments helped to form the general comments in the What We Heard document that was out there. Certainly, people were encouraged to provide written comments, in light of the fact that there always can be some interpretation around oral comments that are made.
Certainly over and above the public consultation, there was targeted consultation with the affected First Nations prior to the public consultation and, in fact, going on as we speak right now before the conclusion of this. Of course, the First Nations themselves will be listening to their elders and helping form their response as a result of the comments they heard from their elders.
Kate White: Last week, we heard from the government of the First Nation of Na-cho Nyak Dun about comments their elders made on the proposed Peel watershed land use plan. According to chief [Ed] Champion, the elders’ comments and the comments of others who gave oral testimony at a government open house were not adequately reflected in the Yukon
This is one more example of this government’s inability to properly consult with Yukoners.
What action will the premier take to ensure that the oral comments made by elders and citizens of Yukon First Nations regarding the Peel land use plan are properly recorded and included in the public record?
Darrell Pasloski: As I’ve mentioned, certainly, while rural comments helped form the basis of the What We Heard document, the officials were there tasked with providing information and gathering information and that certainly helped form that document.
We encouraged people to provide written comments, simply because oral comments can be interpreted. Two people, three people could listen to a comment and may find different meaning to that comment or take it in a different context, so I think from one perspective that is important.
As I mentioned, certainly the affected First Nations have their own specific consultation with regard to the Peel land use plan. Certainly, I will assume that the First Nations will be listening to the elders as part of gathering their information and putting forward their thoughts on this when they come back for that specific consultation with the government and then to move forward with this plan.
Kate White: The premier’s handling of this whole land use planning process has gone from bad to worse. First the government did not allow staff to engage in any substantive way while the recommended plan was being developed. Second, the government unilaterally revealed this new set of principles. Third, the government tried to go around the First Nation final agreements and trotted out a new set of plans for the public to comment on. Last, but not least, the government is now deciding whose comments are more valid than others. Now the words of the elders are being left out.
The premier has yet again failed the process and the people. Will the premier recognize his fault and ensure all the comments made by elders and citizens of Yukon First Nations are included in the public record?
Brad Cathers: Once again the member is wrong. I know the NDP like to rely on their carefully written rhetoric rather than reflect the facts. I would point out first of all, as the member knows, that what the government has done is consistent with the commitments and statements the premier made at the leaders forum on the environment during the 2011 election campaign.
Secondly, as far as the consultations that went on, our staff went the extra mile in trying to hear from Yukoners. In this situation, Na-cho Nyak Dun, at the request of the chief, went into a room where others were meeting to hear directly from people at the chief’s request.
As the premier noted, comments that were included and posted in specific comments online have not been transcribed from what was heard orally at meetings. But what was heard orally at meetings does form part of the What We Heard document.
As the premier noted, elders of First Nations also have the opportunity to speak directly to the First Nation government and we have an obligation, which we have followed and will continue to follow, to consult directly with the First Nation government.
So their comments do form part of what government has done in the public record and undoubtedly will be a major part of what the Na-cho Nyak Dun First Nation puts forward in their comments and input to government in the remaining stages of the consultation process. We’re certain that that First Nation will undoubtedly take steps to address their comments.
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