Signing of land-use plan hits home for Cat Lake, Slate Falls

The lack of power was a minor issue to members of Cat Lake and Slate Falls, who July 11 showed up fully charged to support and watch the official signing of the community-based land-use plan (CLUP).
Storm clouds loomed over- head as the meeting began, but subsided as the day went on. Community members social- ized, waiting for provincial offi- cials to arrive.
The first signing was held in Cat Lake, and the second signing was held in Slate Falls with Chief Matthew Keewayka- pow and Chief Lorraine Crane respectively.
Most of the community had gathered in the school gym in Slate Falls due to a forest fire warning.
Ministry of Natural Resources Minister Linda Jef- frey eventually arrived with MNR officials and the cere- mony began.
Keewaykapow opened the meeting with appreciative words to all those who had helped with working towards the economic initiatives that are soon to be available to Cat Lake and Slate Falls.
“With this plan, Cat Lake and Slate Falls are setting a course to protect our water ... while moving forward with the potential of the land for new resource-based opportunities,” said Keewaykapow.
The CLUP goals include improving social and economic benefits of the communities, development of self-sustaining communities, providing new livelihood opportunities while keeping traditions alive, and conserving and protecting the ecosystem, according to an MNR handbook for the CLUP.
Keewaykapow mentioned the financial struggles that the communities dealt with in try- ing to get this plan started.
Jeffrey expressed her appre- ciation to the leadership on reaching what she called a his- toric achievement.
“The signing of this plan is a milestone for your community, for our province and for Can- ada,” Jeffrey said.
“All these years, Aboriginal communities were never recognized as anything other than a settlement,” said Wilfred Wesley, the land-use planning rep- resentative for Cat Lake.
He said now it would be rec- ognized for its economic poten- tial, self-government and sustainability.
Wesley stressed that everything the communities have worked for in the past 11 years to get the land-use plan set up was for future generations. He also said community youth were excited about the upcoming opportunities that awaited them.
“Lars Ohman and I actually started this, we were looking to make a ‘Lands for Life’ rounds table, rather than deal with consulters,” said Wesley.
The plan fell apart under the leadership of Premier Mike Har- ris, but picked up again when the McGuinty government stepped in, Wesley said.
Here, the First Nations com- munities interested in a land- use plan worked closely with MNR officials and members of the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.
Wesley says Cat Lake is look- ing at all the economic opportunities, such as tourism, mining, and water use. He emphasized on top of that there would be dedicated protected areas, enhanced management areas and general use areas.
“Mostly we want to protect the water, because that’s the key to everything. If the water dies, everything dies,” said Wesley.
He said community members were engaged and informed regarding the CLUP using com- munity radio, word of mouth and membership meetings.
Wesley stressed the CLUP was not a government program, but a working relationship of First Nations and the Canadian government. He also said the CLUP balanced the controversy surrounding the Far North Act, which many Native leaders opposed outright.
Keewaykapow said the plan had been in the works since 1996 and the Elders and chief at the time saw a need to develop a land-use plan for future generations.
He believes there is a lot of opportunity for First Nations people and that community members were skeptical of this plan. He thinks this plan goes further than using the land that First Nations would be managing their own lands and resources,Keewaykapow said the CLUP addressed some of the major difficulties that the community had before and the jobs that could potentially be created would produce youth who could grow to become experts in sustainability and management.
Crane, of Slate Falls, has been involved with community leadership for almost five years now. She said the CLUP will improve relations between First Nations and the government of Canada.
Crane said her community members were informed about the land-use plans via word of mouth, posters, town gatherings and community consultations.
She said that Slate Falls and Cat Lake would be protecting the waterway as well as traditional territories and trapping grounds from industrial development.
Crane said Slate Falls is surrounded by economic opportunities, but she is concerned about land protection.
“It’s not that we don’t want these economic opportunities, we just don’t want our land ruined,” said Crane.
She was very proud that they had signed the CLUP.
“It’s been a long process,” said Steven Winsor, community project manager for Cat Lake and Slate Falls. “It’s been very beneficial. I think the communities are realizing their economic potential.”
Winsor said he’s looking for- ward to implementing this plan, in keeping with the community’s guidance and traditional practices to ensure the CLUP is carried out in a way that respects the environment.