Peel oral submissions missing in action

The Yukon government has completely ignored the oral submissions it received during its recent consultations on the Peel watershed land use plan, says the Na-cho Nyak Dun First Nation.

Oral comments are nowhere to be found in the raw data now posted to the government's Peel website.

And they get no mention in the government's What We Heard report.

Mayo residents brave -35 to attend Peel meeting.

Until that changes, the Mayo-based First Nation says in a news release that it can't accept either the on-line feedback or the report until the views of its community are properly reflected.

Although the government held meetings in eight communities this past winter, its officials didn't record or transcribe any of the presentations or comments people made at these events like it did in 2010.

The only feedback that made it into the public record was in some written form - letters, sticky notes, questionaires - except for voice mails called into its number which were transcribed.

 

The Na-cho Nyak Dun said the government has to put all comments on the record for consideration.

“This is of great concern to our First Nation,” says Na-cho Nyak Dun Chief Ed Champion.

“Chapter 11 of our Final Agreement requires that the knowledge and experience of First Nations be used to achieve effective land use planning.

"We come from an oral tradition and when our elders made their way to the community open house in December, in -35 temperatures, they expected that their oral input would be included. So did many other NND citizens who got up to speak that evening."

The government's open house was not set up to accommodate oral submissions. It took place in a small room with maps and displays, but there were no chairs for the elders or others. There was no opportunity for people to share their views except in writing.

“When we were told about the open house set-up, we knew it would be an obstacle to meaningful participation by our citizens and especially our elders,” said NND's Barb Buyck.

“So we made sure that they had a space to sit and listen and contribute orally, which is the way they are accustomed to participating.”

The First Nation rented the hall next door so there'd be enough room.

The Na-cho Nyak Dun also feel the What We Heard report shows additional bias against oral submissions.

It says only 37 people visited the Mayo event.

“There were more than 60 people in attendance between the two rooms that day, all there to give input about the land use plan for the Peel. That’s almost double the number of people documented in the report,” said Champion. 

“We were not happy with the way the public consultation was conducted and I feel that our citizens did their best to participate in this important process.

"It’s a huge disappointment for our people to see those efforts overlooked, and I am quite concerned about the cavalier manner in which the inter-governmental consultations will approached in the near future.”