The political ecology of Yukon forestry: managing the forest as if people mattered

Growing together: A principle-based approach to building collaborative Indigenous partnerships in Canada’s forest sector

“…Indeed, many communities contend that forest management planning must be expanded to recognize the relationships between the land and Indigenous peoples (Booth 1998), encompassing practices such as the traditional harvesting of both wild game (Booth and Muir 2013) and plants (Lewis 2008), as well as other aspects of the "bush economy" (Robinson and Ross 1997, p. 600). To illustrate this point, through household surveys of the Yukon's Little Salmon Carmacks First Nation, Natcher et al (2004) demonstrated that 100% of community households used both berries and trees for a variety of purposes and that non-timber forest products provided both nutritional and medicinal benefits, but also contributed to overall community wellbeing. Furthermore, other forms of resource-based development, such as tourism and outfitter services, may be more in line with community development values (VanSchie and Haider 2015).…”

“…Likewise, in a study of 13 New Brunswick First Nations, Wyatt et al (2015) found that current forest management frameworks are largely failing to meet community expectations for deriving forestry-related benefits. Where this ultimately becomes an issue is when communities feel that their ability to meet their needs is becoming restricted, they may opt for more short-term benefits and adopt practices that are unsustainable in the long-term (Natcher et al 2004). These examples ultimately serve to illustrate Smith's (1998) insight that indicators of sustainable forest management are relevant only when they can be measured at the local level.…”

Political ecology: where is the policy?

“…This definition is as meaningful as any put forward so far, but the range of 'explorations and 'linkages' in social/environmental systems under the label ofpolitical ecology is vast. For example, political ecology reveals the importance ofnon-timber forest products to First Nation communities in the remote Yukon (Natcher et a., 2004) as well as the interactions between molecules, organisms, and the global biotechnology industry as regulated by intellectual property regimes under the World Trade Organization (McAfee, 2003). The span of theoretical approaches is as wide as the range of subject matter: from high Marxian theoretical critiques of capitalism (O'Connor, 1998) to studies ofthe formation of social capital and sustainable livelihood strategies by indigenous rural social movements (Bebbington, 1997).…”

Rethinking Devolution: Challenges for Aboriginal Resource Management in the Yukon Territory

“…To First Nation leaders this attitude indicates an obvious lack of trust and confidence in First Nations' ability to manage the settlement regions and has further entrenched the belief in government that First Nations are ill prepared to assume control over their own affairs (Natcher et al 2004). …”