Public views Whitefeather Forest planning maps

Pikangikum's Whitefeather Forest Initiative reached another milestone by crossing into phase three of its community-based land use plan after open house sessions in Pikangikum and Red Lake.

July 15, 2004: Volume 31 #14

More than 500 people attended the sessions, held June 15 and 16, to view maps that featured the Indigenous knowledge of the the Ojibway community, including biophysical information such as the vegetation resource inventory that was developed by the Whitefeather Forest Management Corporation.

All the maps included text both in Ojibway and English, which explained the stewardship approach the community has taken, as well as the economic renewal objectives guiding the planning process.

Alex Peters, president of the Whitefeather Forest Management Corporation, explained in a prepared statement how the planning process has been guided by community Elders.

"Over the winter, our Elders undertook extensive planning deliberations. (The Elders) discussed protected areas, forestry, tourism, traditional activities like trapping, mining, non-timber forest products, and recreation. "We all worked together on this." Peters continued, "We took the statements of the Elders and created draft text statements for the open house. Four of us from the community did this with technical support from two other people."

After the statements were prepared, community Elders such as Lucy Strang reviewed the text and concluded the statements were "very good words," Peters added.

"In these sessions for different land uses, our Elders identified a strong vision of jobs for our young people and sustaining the land as a gift from the Creator as it has been handed on to us from our ancestors. These go together."

The Whitefeather president also had praise for the relationship that has been cultivated with Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources through the community's land-use planning process.

"We started to develop this relationship in 1996," he noted.

"Only a couple of decades ago, the issue of trust was difficult. Now we have a space around economic development opportunities where we can work together."

Peters attributes that economic opportunity to Ontario's Northern Boreal Initiative policy framework.

Among those in attendance at the June 15 open house held in Pikangikum was the director of Ontario Parks, Adaire Ireland-Smith.

Pikangikum and Ontario Parks have joined forces to promote a United Nations World Heritage designation for the 1.3-million hectares of land within the Whitefeather Forest planning area and beyond.

Peters said the next open house, tentatively scheduled for this coming winter, will give the public an opportunity to view the community's proposals, "showing where and how we will develop our economic opportunities and our stewardship vision."