7.0 hunting - ceaa-acee.gc.ca

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HEG FRONTIER MINE PROJECT ICA PAGE 93 OF 419

7.0 Hunting

The importance of hunting to the Fort McKay Métis lifestyle and culture cannot be overstated: “Our hunting and harvesting of meat is at the very centre of the Fort McKay way of life” (FMTA 1983). As hunters and gatherers, harvesting is important economically, culturally and socially (HEG 2009). It provides food, reaffirms the continuing vitality of Aboriginal culture and strengthens the kinship links through which harvesting is organized and wild food distributed (FMTA 1983; FMFN 1994; Appendix B). “Hunting on the family trap line is synonymous with meat for the table, with stewardship of all natural resources; with extended family; sharing; with socialization of children; with the role of the Elders as carriers and teachers of traditional environmental knowledge; and with cultural sustainability” (FMFN 1994).

We've got to live! Got to ... got to go hunting for our meat, for the winter, for summer or whatever. Go fishing. A long time ago, people use to fish a lot. (FMM003-WS1)

7.1 Hunting in the 1960s

During the 1960s, as more community members began to carry out hunting and trapping from the Fort McKay settlement, family trap line areas also became the most common hunting areas (Map 2 in Section 6: Trapping). From these areas, families worked as a unit to prepare for the dry meat hunting season and the spring hunt (FMTA 1983, p. 88, 90, 91). These times spent on the land were crucial to the passing of skills, knowledge and traditions among the Fort McKay people (HEG 2009).

The area traditionally used and occupied by Fort McKay families to hunt and gather, and the trap line areas associated with Fort McKay Métis families around the 1960s, were shown on Map 2.

7.1.1 Cultural Values Linked to Hunting in the 1960s

Community members associate 1960s Hunting with the following cultural values:

• Identity;

• Self Reliance;

• Cooperation;

• Caring;

• Cohesion;

• Faith;

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• Pride;

• Happiness;

• Adaptability;

• Understanding Nature; and

• Respect.

Identity

Hunting and its fundamental role in a subsistence lifestyle is at the heart of Métis culture. The ability to hunt to provide food and survive off the land is most definitely linked to a sense of Métis identity and history. In the 1960s, it is thought that most families still hunted. In HEG 2009, one community member is noted as saying, “Hunting and fishing is addictive, you crave it. We are hunter-gatherers. It is inside of us”; “Eating traditional foods is part of who we are.”

Self Reliance

In 2008 and 2009, several workshops were held with Fort McKay Métis and First Nation members to discuss the role hunting played in Aboriginal culture. In terms of self-reliance, community participants said: “Back then hunting was to survive, feed families; there was an inherent respect in the process, for animals and for each other.” “[We] used to get everything from the land, for example moose hide for ropes, gloves… make moccasins… we didn’t waste anything; everything was used.” “[We] didn’t have to rely on anything, anyone. Providing for ourselves made us proud, spirit uplifted, self-esteemed” (HEG 2009). Focus group meetings with Métis community members in 2015 confirmed that hunting is directly linked to self-reliance.

[In the 1960s – hunting and trapping] that was a way of life. The skills that were taught to you, taught you to survive, were skills that were taught to you to live in that lifestyle. Bruce and them were raised in the bush. They were taught how to live in the bush. Right? That was the lifestyle they were taught. (FMM005-WS1)

...fish, ducks, rabbits all right there. (FMM017-WS2)

Cooperation

Although hunting was not necessarily always conducted in groups, at times it required a level of cooperation by family and community members. Families worked together transporting meat and other body parts, preparing hide, butchering and smoking meat (HEG 2009). Many community members remember working with family and friends to help process and carry back

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meat from the bush to help prepare for the winter season. These activities strengthened relationships and community networks.

People used to get together, two or three families used to get together. Men go hunting, the women make, you know, make the dry meat and stuff and look after the kids. So remember, we used to stay in a place called Lobstick Point down the river. Two or three different families used to come there, and like all the guys would help each other with the hunting and just bringing food for their families.....There is nothing social about it. We worked hard! A bunch of us used to always stay together at Fort Chip. (FMM002-WS1)

We used to live in trap line from here fifteen miles. They called it Tar Creek, ... that’s where my Dad’s trap line was. All of us [whole family] would stay at the trap line. Then my Dad would go hunting, then when he came home, we’d go and we’d get meat and then pick the blue berries. That's what we did. You need something? We used to walk from Tar Creek to McKay. (FMM001-WS1)

Caring, Cohesion, Happiness and Pride

Hunting has always brought families together weaving social relationships and memories together through a shared community experience out on the land.

Different families would go hunting together, so there'd be more, right? More people in the evenings. And, then they'd even have, like, multiple families with kids, and they'd all be playing and stuff, so... (FMM006-WS1)

The value of caring is also manifested in the actions of sharing and providing. Through the distribution and sharing of meat harvesters made sure Elders and vulnerable people had food. Sharing also helps maintain social relationships beyond those present during the actual experience and therefore, contributes to a collective sense of success and place while providing identity validation for the hunters and the community as a whole (Spyce 2009, p. 124).

Used to be if you, if you go visit someone and they killed a moose or had some wild game or whatever, I remember Glenn's dad was like that a lot. If you go up there and he'd always have something to give you if you went hunting. I mean, he wouldn't keep everything to himself and have visitors he’d say ‘I got some moose meat, would you like some?’ (FMM014-WS2)

... the young people they’d go hunting and then they feed all the Elders first and then whatever is after is for themselves. I always thought it was an admirable thing for them to do. (FMM002-WS1)

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The following quotes highlight that success in hunting and trapping help young people fulfill an economic and social role in taking care of the community.

I use to [go hunting]. But my grandpa got sick then, it kind of stopped after that. My grandpa taught me everything out in the bush. He [Grampa] said, “always got a quad ready” and that was it. We'd take some food but, you know we were out hunting (to get food). Oh it [out hunting with Grandpa] was awesome. Just learning neat stuff everyday. How to hunt and track, that's pretty wicked. I miss those days though, Yeah. Up on our trap line out on Auster Road. [We moved] all through different areas of the line. (FMM008-WS1)

… I know I had to work, like, packing meat and help skin it and stuff. But, I was kind of excited, too, yeah. Yeah [we shared the meat when we got back]. Uh, it was okay. I didn't mind doing the hard work and all that. (FMM004-WS1)

Faith

Fort McKay Métis members living on their trap lines in the 1960s had a deep belief that the bush would provide whatever was needed. This faith is reflected in the confidence Fort McKay Métis trappers showed in heading out to their trap lines with only a few supplies.

The value of faith is also part of traditional hunting practices and is expressed through the use of prayer, protocols or offerings. “In the old days people were powerful. They used their own minds, they were close to Mother Earth, they didn’t use drugs or alcohol. Being on the land brings us close to our ancestors. We are better physically, mentally [and] emotionally.” (HEG 2009)

Adaptability

In the 1960s, a good portion of Fort McKay Métis members had the skills necessary to survive in the bush. Knowledge related to tracking animals, hunting and processing meat and fur were as common as going to school. These skills enabled Fort McKay Métis members to move comfortably between subsistence lifestyles and paid work.

It's not easy to make moose hide, it’s a bunch of work. A long time ago people were good at it [making moose hide]. It was easy for them, boy, just like this and this, they’d cut it, they’d smoke it and boy the next day they have new slippers. The next day, they were going to make sure some moose hide were soft, we tied them [hide] to a tree and work it, oh man, that was lot of work. (FMM001-WS1)

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Understanding Nature

Fort McKay Tribal Administration (1983) explains extensively that the way traditional life was organized in harmony with nature (Rhythm of Nature) through the seasonal round, where hunting occupied a large part of the communities’ life in the yearly cycle. “Because we are a people who come from the land, it should not be surprising that our sense of time and our seasons should differ from those who have a different relationship to the land and a different form of economy.” (FMTA 1983, p. 78)

Respect

Fort McKay Métis hunters will not hunt on another person’s trap line as a means of showing respect.

INTERVIEWER: So what about if you were passing through? Like if, if you used the river to get up to here, if you wanted to get through would you have to ask this guy for permission to get through? Or could you just ...

FMM014-WS2: To go on the river? No. No.

INTERVIEWER: Not the river but if you were going to go overland.

FMM014-WS2: No, you could go through.

FMM011-WS: Yeah because you're, you're traveling to your line, right? And a lot of people do that. They travel from one line to, through each other's line to get to their lines.

INTERVIEWER: Okay.

FMM011-WS: Yeah. The only thing is if you're trapping, you don't bother with other people's sets and stuff like that.

FMM014-WS2: Even, even if you were going across somebody else's trap line, you have pass by their cabin and somebody's home in their cabin there's no problem, invite them in for tea and a chat or whatever.

INTERVIEWER: And if no one was home, could you still stay there for the night if you needed?

FMM014-WS2: We used to ... well actually, it was his nephew's cabin, but we used to go out to Gardiner Lakes. We'd stop at Peter's cabin and overnight there when the door was open it wasn't locked or anything. Just get up and go.

INTERVIEWER: So is there a sort of general understanding among the people?

FMM012-WS2: There’s an unwritten rule. An unwritten rule.

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Figure 7-1 shows cultural values Fort McKay Métis members associate with Hunting in the 1960s.

Figure 7-1 Cultural Values Linked to Hunting in the 1960s

7.2 Industrial Stressors Affecting Hunting

Environmental and social effects resulting from oil sand development and the affect it has had on the land surrounding the community of Fort McKay has been well documented in numerous EIAs, community reports and regional research projects (Stelfox et al. 2013; Nishi et al. 2013, Fort McKay IRC 2010a; Fort McKay IRC 2010b; HEG 2009; Tanner et al. 2001; FMFN 1994; FMTA 1983). The industrial stressors causing significant environmental and social change are introduced in Section 2. Fort McKay Métis members feel that it is some of these industrial impacts that are directly affecting their ability to maintain certain aspects of their culture.

Fort McKay Métis members feel the most significant industry stressors affecting Hunting are:

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• Loss of land;

• Changes in access to land;

• Reduced animal abundance;

• Increased pollution;

• Increased regional population; and

• Government and industry policies and approaches to compensation and distribution of benefits.

7.2.1 Loss of Land

The information on Loss of Land presented in Section 6: Trapping is applicable here, as are the indicators used to track changes to land.

This significant loss of lands throughout the traditional territory, but more importantly, within Fort McKay Métis trap lines (Map 3, 4), has significantly affected traditional harvesting patterns for Fort McKay Métis members. Because Métis harvesting rights are closely linked to place, the significant loss of quality harvesting areas around Fort McKay has significant implications in terms of Fort McKay Métis members’ actual ability to exercise their Aboriginal rights. This effect is emphasized by the effects discussed below, and confounded by the fact most Fort McKay Métis members only feel comfortable harvesting in areas that are family trap lines, or an area known through other relationships and kinship ties.

7.2.2 Increased Pollution

Industrial emissions and wastewater discharges from urban and industrial sources are a continuing concern for Fort McKay Métis members. In addition to perceived health effects, community members worry about the effect industrial pollution is having on wildlife health, and thus the quality of wild meat. This deters some individuals from hunting near the community. The perceived need to travel further distances and the related cost also discourages some individuals from hunting (HEG 2009).

You have to go way out into the mountains to hunt. I don’t eat anything from around here.

Now we have to travel to get what we need and travel costs money.

- Fort McKay Workshop (HEG 2009)

Beaver meat used to be good long time ago, but now ... But not now, because since all these companies around, now it's

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no good. Nothing good now. My time was to live good, good life. (FMM009-WS2)

Numerous EIAs, regional monitoring reports, and scientific research projects have described the link between emissions from mine upgraders, mine fleets and related infrastructure and potential health effects to humans, fish, wildlife an plants (real and perceived).

Indicators used to track changes caused by pollution on Hunting for this assessment are listed in Table 7-1.

Table 7-1 Indicators Used to Track Changes in Pollution

Increased Pollution

Results from regional monitoring work (WBEA air monitoring programs (SO2, NOx, P.M. 2.5), terrestrial effects monitoring programs for berries and wildlife health).

Community perceptions of wildlife health:

• The “look” of the animals (Fat, thick fur, gait, normal behavior);

• The “look” of the fish (lesions, mushy flesh, worms, bad smell);

• # of community reports of bad meat/fish;

• Reports of dead animals (i.e. dead ducks and ravens near tailings ponds).

7.2.3 Changes in Access to Land

Changes in access have affected the territory in two separate ways. On the one hand, access onto or through active project areas can be limited by industrial proponents for safety reasons. On the other hand, cut lines and industrial access roads through Crown land open up the remaining traditional harvesting areas to recreational hunters. This increases competition for game and can lead to conflict and property damage.

The stress that changes in access to the land places on Fort McKay described in Section 6: Trapping applies to Hunting. The indicators listed to tracked changes in access for Fort McKay Métis harvesters also apply to Hunting.

Gaining access to the areas is one of the biggest challenges. Access. Access. Access. Access. You can stick to the main roads, but you're probably one in ten chances of seeing something you can shoot. But if you get off of the main roads, you go over to side roads you probably increase your chances of seeing something. Especially something like chickens. If you wanna shoot chickens right, you have to go in where

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there's willows, and where there's trees close to the road, right. If you're driving by and your big massive Rover, all the traffics go by, you're not going to see any chickens. (FMM006-WS1) And then when you hit the gates, then that's the tough part. Right? Just beyond that gate could be three moose, four moose. But because that gate's there, industry is locking you out, you're limited in where you can go....if you get caught on the other side of that gate, trespassing also comes into effect... Well, security would obviously take your information down, and they would contact fish and wildlife more than likely, or contact a supervisor. They don't have permission to be here so, trespassing. (FMM006-WS1)

Security gates on oil sand lease areas have changed the way Fort McKay Métis members access harvesting areas, limiting the ability of Métis harvesters to move freely about their trap lines and in some cases, significantly increasing the amount of time needed to travel to harvesting areas.

7.2.4 Changes in Wildlife Abundance

The information on changes in wildlife abundance and the stress it places on the ability to harvest wildlife for food described in Section 6: Trapping also applies to Hunting. In addition to the indicators presented in Section 6 for changes in wildlife abundance, an additional indicator for Hunting is listed in Table 7-2.

Table 7-2 Indicators Used to Track Change in Wildlife Abundance

Change in wildlife abundance

• Moose Habitat Suitability Index

Since the 1960s, significant areas of high-quality moose habitat around Fort McKay and the Athabasca River have been altered by industrial development. Industry and government surveys of moose indicate the regional moose population is currently in decline and has been reduced by ~50% in the past 15 years (Stelfox et al. 2013). According to the Fort McKay Regional Cumulative Effects Study, “during the past several decades, regional-scale moose densities have generally declined from ~0.20 to less than 0.1 moose/km2. Explanations for this decline are many, but generally focus on habitat loss due to industry and elevated moose harvest rates caused by higher hunter populations, higher encounter rates between moose hunters and moose because of a ubiquitous linear edge network (roads, pipelines and

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seismic lines) and elevated moose mortalities related to collisions with vehicles along road networks that service the surface mines and in-situ well pads” (Stelfox et al. 2013). Based on this study, moose harvest demands exceed the moose population.

Moose are not the only animals that seem to have been affected by oil sands development. In the past, community members would rely on a number of wildlife species for food and fur. For example, caribou, beaver, black bear, muskrat, wolverine, mink and other small furbearers.

There are no chickens and rabbits. Very, very, very scarce. (FMM014-WS2)

…the other one [porcupines] so many years, so many years ago...My mom passed in 1958. Before that we used to eat porcupines... This is back, maybe 1950s sometime, or 1940s...Where would we see them? Any place, even down by the Athabasca River, they're out early morning, dusk and that's the time we will always see them - Athabasca River, this one here. I've never seen this one for so many years. And that, that porcupine meat is good meat. Boil it, oh. It’s like a steak. (FMM009-WS)

This has implications for the Fort McKay Métis harvesters in that they must travel further and further away from Fort McKay to hunt.

7.2.5 Increased Regional Population

The information presented in Section 6: Trapping related to increases in regional population applies here, as are the indicators used to track changes in regional population.

7.2.6 Policies and Approaches to Compensation and Distribution of Benefits

The information presented in Section 6: Trapping related to the lack of a provincial policy on consultation with Fort McKay Métis, and the lack of engagement with the Fort McKay Métis regarding regional plans and policies applies here, as do the indicators used to track change in this stressor.

Because trap lines are the most common places for families to hunt, their loss can affect multiple people and multiple families’ ability to hunt – not just that of the registered owner. When access and compensation agreements tend to focus on individuals even though an entire family and network of relations may be affected by the loss of the trap line.

See but the First Nation, they have the Moose Lake to go to, we don't have anything. We had our trap lines right, but we don't have anywhere to go now. So one thing that we're looking at doing is partnering up with

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other native communities from where the water is clean, where the game is good. And being able to go there. I mean we have nowhere to go. The Métis have nowhere to go. (FMM005-WS1)

7.3 Hunting in 2015

In 2003, the Powley case affirmed that Métis harvesting rights are protected under Section 35(1) of the Canadian Constitution Act, 1982. This case also established a set of criteria determining eligibility to exercise those rights – including the right to hunt game for subsistence purposes. These criteria became known as “the Powley Test”.

In 2004, the Alberta government and the Métis Nation of Alberta (MNA) signed an Interim Métis Harvesting Agreement that permitted individuals that could prove membership to the MNA to hunt, trap and fish for non-commercial purposes year-round. In 2007, the Alberta government unilaterally replaced this Harvesting Agreement with its own policy on Métis harvesting rights. Under this policy Fort McKay is considered an historic and contemporary Métis community for the purpose of the Powley test.

In terms of Fort McKay Métis hunters, their ability to exercise their right to hunt is not only limited by provincial policies, but also because of the industry stressors described above.

Well it [Powley Case] blew the door open for us to hunt year-round. But then the government came in and changed legislation, or changed the policy to say that we have to apply for a license. Well they can't deny you a license or the ability to hunt, you still have to apply and you're limited to a certain area. So basically in Powley, Alberta's interpretation of Powley is that we're allowed to hunt within 160 km radius of Fort McKay, because Fort McKay is seen as a traditional Métis community. Well it’s a big radius, but a lot of it is not where the community traditionally went. Because of the fact that you're - you're traveling to hunt, right? You went to where you were familiar to hunt, well for a lot of the people in this community, especially to me, to people who had a trap line, they're all taken up. It’s gone. So the area you're used to, you can't go there anymore. It’s all been wiped out by industry. So Powley for us, there's some irony there, while we're allowed to hunt there, we can't hunt there. (FMM005-WS1)

Despite all these opposing forces, Fort McKay Métis members want to assert their right to hunt to feed their families and pass on traditional knowledge. Fort McKay Métis members believe hunting is a fundamental part of their traditional way of life.

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7.3.1 Cultural Values Linked to Hunting in 2015

In November 2015, Fort McKay Métis members participated in community workshops to discuss changes in cultural aspects of key activities. Based on these discussions, it was clear that Fort McKay Métis members continue to associate Hunting in 2015 with core cultural values, although in some cases, community members feel the strength of the activity-values linkage has weakened. Values still associated with Hunting include:

• Identity;

• Self Reliance;

• Cooperation;

• Caring;

• Cohesion;

• Faith;

• Pride;

• Happiness;

• Adaptability;

• Understanding Nature; and

• Respect.

Identity

Due to the significant loss of land surrounding Fort McKay, and the shift to a wage economy, very few Fort McKay Métis members have access to hunting areas. Although fewer members hunt regularly, Fort McKay Métis members feel strongly about their right to hunt as Aboriginal people. All Fort McKay Métis members participating in this study wanted to have access to hunting grounds and wild meat to feed their families. Participants preferred wild meat to that bought at a store.

There is an inherent right for the Métis people to be able to harvest and hunt. There always has been. That's one of the reasons why fish and game will charge [Métis harvesters] but the Crown refuses to prosecute, because they know they will lose. We're not hunting for pleasure. We're not hunting to cut a deer or a moose's head off, so I can make it into a trophy. We're hunting for pure sustenance. That's the only reason, and more, to teach our children the traditional ways. I mean, if I kill a moose, if I kill a duck, if I kill a rabbit, it's for one reason: so that my family can eat. That's the only reason I would ... That's it. Bottom line. (FMM005-WS2)

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Self Reliance

There are still some Fort McKay Métis members that hunt, but no one is able to support themselves or their family with wild meat year round. Only twelve Fort McKay Métis individuals from five Fort McKay Métis families have approved access to their trap lines, and only a few of these community members regularly hunt. Many of these individuals also have full time jobs. Individuals that can hunt are able to freeze their meat and supplement their family’s diet, but it is not common for hunters to harvest a surplus of meat.

Most community participants, however, believe it is because there are fewer places to hunt, and community members must invest a significant amount of time and resources to go hunting, that fewer community members have the skills that are used to enable hunters to survive and provide for themselves in the bush.

[In the old days] Get up and go. Yeah, you had to travel I mean, as long as you had your shells, that was the most important thing, you had to have your shells right. Shells and matches. I mean, there was four things my father used to go out in the bush with: flour, sugar, matches, and shells, and your boat. Right? That's all you needed. 'Cause you could make bannock and eat until you shoot something until you kill something. Then you eat that, right? And you pick berries. But that's what they took to eat. To eat and live on... (But today could kids do that?) No, they'd all starve. (laughter) I don't know if I could, and I was raised in the bush. (FMM005-WS1)

Nowadays it’s easy with quads and everything. Long time ago, there was nothing. One dog and the person maybe, walk up (to Moose Lake). Yep, all the way. 60 miles. Couple of days it took too. That's still, um, a lot of walking (but it was the lifestyle). (FMM003-WS1)

Self Determination

Many Fort McKay Métis members feel frustrated with Alberta’s policies surrounding Métis harvesting and consultation with Métis communities.

So the crown in Alberta, recognize the Métis, our ability to harvest. However, you've got to get permits prior to harvesting all this stuff. I say to hell with you. If the First Nations were able to harvest wherever the hell they want, why shouldn't we? We're almost the exact same people. They've got a Treaty number, we don't. Bottom line, we still want to feed our family just as badly as they want to feed theirs. And they'll charge you. They will charge you. That's okay, because they won't prosecute. The Crown refuses to prosecute. (FMM006-WS2)

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Fort McKay Métis hunters also feel that their ability to decide where and when to hunt is being severely restricted by oil sands development and access limitations

Yeah, because another guy told him, just go on CNRL Road, go across the bridge, and go down those cut lines, so you actually, you know, these days, if you don't have a trap line, you need a place to go. Yeah. It's harder for the actual people that don't have trap lines. (FMM015-WS1)

Cooperation

Fort McKay Métis members continue to work together to skin, butcher and process meat when they have the opportunity, however there is simply less opportunity to do this work in a group. Only 12 Fort McKay Métis individuals have approved access to their trap lines and only a few Fort McKay Métis members actively hunt currently. Many of these individuals also have full time jobs. Individuals that can hunt are able to freeze their meat and supplement their family’s diet. However, it is no longer common for hunters to harvest a moose specifically for others in the community.

Some of the opportunities to work together to hunt or process meat that have been presented by industry don’t seem to be realized by Fort McKay Métis members. For example, the bison provided by Syncrude and transportation to Moose Lake:

And here Syncrude, sometimes, they kill like ah, what you call those buffaloes... Sometime they bring it down here, they skin it, right here. They supposed to give people, every house. I never get that meat myself, even me. ... People, they cut that buffalo, just like the way moose meat, they cut it up. Same people, I say, ‘why not other young people to cut it, to stand there, show them how to do it’. But the same people all the time, do that. That's why they don't want to give to everybody, I guess, because they're friends. (FMM009-WS2)

Moose Lake, no, I haven't been up there, but I’ve been to McClelland Lake. Yeah. I used to go hunting with, uh, Arnold’s dad and Willie’s dad, and He and, Ian and Emma used to go up there... Yeah. Used to go with my brother, George, and Glen [Faichney]. And his [Glen Faichney’s] mom and dad. We'd go up there all the time. We'd get moose, two moose. (FMM007.WS1)

Because remaining hunting areas are relatively far away, it takes time, planning and resources to transport community members so they can participate in these activities. The MMSC is hoping to create more of these opportunities and support community access to them.

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Caring

Hunting continues to be indirectly related to sharing and taking care of others in the community. The general consensus is that there is less sharing of wild meat now than there was in the 1960s. There seems to be considerable disparity among Fort McKay Métis members in terms of having access to wild meat. During focus group meetings, it was noted that several of the male participants claimed to have moose meat, bison meat, smoked whitefish, smoked jackfish and rabbits in the freezer, while women, Elders and individuals with health issues had no wild meat in the freezer. However, there are a number of Fort McKay Métis hunters in the community who hunt fairly regularly and share their harvest.

I have a friend of mine that does that all the time. Every year. He'll go up and hunt and give whatever. It makes him feel good, he said. Yeah. And just giving it to all the Elders and family and friends, yeah. (FMM015-WS1)

Yeah, and all the Elders know how much work it takes to do that. So, they really appreciate it. Because they can't do that anymore, right? And, they still enjoy the meat and stuff. But, they can't get it unless somebody goes and gets it and gives it to them. Like ducks, and anything, right? They can't [hunt themselves], so thankful ... (FMM006-WS1)

What we are going to do is a community hunt, once a year we are going to take the young men with Elders and we are going to go hunting. Whatever we kill we are going to send it to the butcher and get hamburger made, stakes, roast, everything and get it all fixed and give it to our people. (FMM005-WS1)

Cohesion

Hunting together was an important way the linkage with cohesion was supported, although as described previously not many Métis members hunt anymore. Fort McKay Métis members and leadership see a community hunting/traditional food security program as a future opportunity to increase community cohesion and build traditional skill set of their youth.

I mean, the big thing for us is, it's not necessary about the hunting necessarily. The hunt isn't just about getting the meat. It's about the experience. Taking these kids out and letting them see how the old people used to live. To show them how our Elders used to live. That's really what it's more about. It's more about the experience, and if we get a moose, awesome. These kids are going to learn how to skin a moose.

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And if we get a moose they're going to learn how to cut the moose up so they can smoke it. Because we're going to go and do all this stuff right there on site. They'll get a chance to cut the meat so they can smoke it. .... so the Elders didn't pass down the knowledge. That's what it's about. Passing down something that's so important in this community. ....Their livelihood. That's what it's about. (FMM005-WS2)

Faith

Most Fort McKay Métis members feel the land their family has used for generations is no longer capable of supporting their families. What was once boreal forest, fen and wetlands has been cleared and transformed into mine pits, tailings ponds, construction camps and vast sandy planes. Métis hunters must travel further into unknown areas to try and feed their families.

However, several Fort McKay Métis members continue to pray for a successful hunt and give thanks through an offering or prayer. While not all members do this all the time, several individuals participating in community focus groups indicated they drew on both Catholic and Cree traditions to help them prepare for hunting and to show gratitude for their harvest.

INTERVIEWER: Did you make an offering when you killed the moose?

FMM004-WS1: Oh, I used to pray … praying for giving the moose to us, and providing us with food and the trip back down. And pray before we leave ....Pray for the meat that we got and pray for the trip back home.

INTERVIEWER: So, do you pray before going hunting and then after?

FMM004-WS1: Yeah, both. And praying for, like, for giving the meat to us, and give an offering. Thanking your creator for providing meat, food.

FMM001-WS1: And usually … and usually when you kill a moose the first time in your life, like, yeah, you offer that tobacco. And then, like when you come back, your first moose is supposed to be passed to the Elders first. And, what … what's left over, it's yours.

Adaptability

Today there is less opportunity for young people to learn traditional skills and apply them out in the bush. As a result, fewer people are able to track animals, hunt or process meat and fur. These skills enabled Métis people to move comfortably between subsistence lifestyles and paid work.

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Some people are fast [at cutting up moose]. When they … even when they kill … man some of them are so fast, I mean, they do for so many years that it … Even when they cut dry meat it's because they're used to it. (FMM001-WS1)

Understanding Nature, Pride and Happiness

Many Elders attribute their knowledge of the land to hunting excursions where individuals and small groups would travel on along the rivers, by foot, dog team, horses or snow machines from Fort McKay to hunt on their family trap lines. This travel between McKay and hunting areas is how individuals came to know the landscape, local wildlife, place names, and the history of the area. Hunting is an activity that required people to become intimately familiar with waterways, the land wildlife habitat and wildlife behaviour – thus strengthening that individual’s sense of place and knowledge. This knowledge builds confidence and pride in ones self.

Respect

As described in the pre-development baseline, Fort McKay Métis members will not hunt on another person’s trap line.

Well, (you can’t go onto someone’s trap line to hunt) because it's another person's property for the most part, right? That's another person's traditional area, traditional land. I mean, for the most part if you “go for a ride” (to look for moose or deer), you're not going into somebody's trap line. You're sticking to main roads. There are a couple of back roads here and there, but you're staying, sticking to mostly of the main roads. So if you shoot something off of the side of the road, it's not that bad, you load it up and away you go right? .... But if you go to someone's actual trap line... for example for me to go to Norman’s grandpa’s trap line to go hunting there without asking permission, it's almost like taking food off of their table. Right? It's a respect thing. (FMM006-WS2)

Table 7-3 summarizes the changes in activity-value linkages for Hunting. These are the value linkages represented on Figure 7-2.

Table 7-3 Summary of 2015 Activity-Value Linkages for Hunting

Have cumulative stressors changed how, where, when or why cultural activities occur?

Line used on Cultural Model

Cultural value has been affected by changes to cultural activity

No, when performed, the cultural activity continues to instill cultural values in the same way.

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Yes, cumulative cultural stressors have changed how, where and when cultural activities occur and as a result, the extent to which the value is instilled is lessened

Yes, cumulative cultural stressors have changed how, where and when cultural activities occur and as a result severely diminished the opportunities to instill this value

Identity, Self-reliance, Self-determination, Cooperation, Caring Cohesion, Faith1, Happiness1, Adaptability1 Pride, Understanding Nature

New or improved linkages

1 this value had an indirect (weaker) link in the 1960s model. As a result of cumulative stressors, the linkage has been weakened even more in 2015

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Figure 7-2 Cultural Values Linked to Hunting in 2015

7.4 Potential Impacts to Hunting from the Frontier Mine Project

This section describes some of the potential impacts the Frontier Mine Project will have and the project’s contribution to regional cumulative effects.

7.4.1 Frontier Mine Project Stressors

Section 7.2 describes some of the stressors that are causing existing cumulative effects to the ability of Métis people from Fort McKay to hunt. Teck will contribute to the cumulative effect of the following stressors:

• Loss of land;

• Changes in access to land;

• Reduced animal abundance;

• Increased pollution;

• Increased regional population;

• Government and industry policies related to Métis.

Loss of Land

As described in Section 6: Trapping, the Frontier Mine Project is expected to take up approximately 29,300 ha within lands traditionally used by Fort McKay Métis members. A total of eighty-four subsistence values (including areas important for hunting) were recorded and mapped within the Teck LSA (FMSD 2011b, p. 40).

The TLUS that was completed for the proposed Frontier Mine Project in 2011 by the Fort McKay Sustainability Department on behalf of the Métis and First Nation described project impacts on Hunting as being significant and adverse.

A key finding of the TLUS completed in 2011 was the great importance of the (Frontier Project local study area) to a Fort McKay family for hunting. The extended Boucher family currently hunts, and historically hunted, an area that stretches from approximately the current location of the Canadian Natural Resources Limited (CNRL) Horizon lease in the south, to Teck and SilverBirch’s Frontier lease in the north. For generations this area has provided the majority of moose (and recently buffalo) meat for this large extended family. This extended family is related by blood or marriage to the current registered trap line holder of RFMA #850. The family had a network of trails and cabins that extended from the hamlet of Fort McKay up into the LSA. Family members noted cabins in this area

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as their birthplaces and remember spending much of their childhoods and young adult lives in this area before existing oil sands development removed a portion of the area from their use and made access difficult. The effect of the CNRL oil sands development has meant that there is now a greater reliance on the northern portion of this hunting area and especially on the portion within the LSA. (FMSD 2011b)

It’s our camping area and that will be lost to us. That’s where we camp all the time and we go hunting from there and we go to birch mountains and there’s a couple of lakes down over there, and then we come up this side, you know, we go over from that area, that’s the main place to camp. (FMSD 2011b)

During the TLUS (2011b), when asked if there were other areas in the traditional territory that their family could hunt if they lost access to their hunting area, they explained that all the other areas with moose that are accessible from the hamlet of Fort McKay are already in use by other Fort McKay families and were not available for their use. This sentiment was repeated during focus group meetings held for the Frontier Mine Project ICA in 2015 and 2016.

More and more, Fort McKay Métis hunters feel they have “nowhere to go”. The loss of land is particularly significant for Fort McKay Métis hunters whose rights are already limited by government policies restricting harvesting to a 160 km radius from Fort McKay. As more land gets taken up for oil sands mining around Fort McKay it becomes increasingly difficult for Métis families to exercise their constitutional rights to harvest wild meat to feed their families.

Changes in Access to Land

As section 6: Trapping describes, there are major land-based trails, originally cut by hand and travelled on by foot and dog team that extend east-west from the Athabasca River to the Birch Mountains, as well as north-south along the Athabasca River (FMSD 2011). The Fort McKay Métis believe the Frontier Mine Project will affect travel along both these important corridors that are used to reach family harvesting areas on trap lines and in the Birch Mountains.

“That used to be good area there [the southern portion of the hunting area], …that's where they all grew up, right in that area ‐ CNRL. That's why we have to, now that CNRL [is] there, we have to go almost close to the river, we have to make our own trail right across there. And now [when] they've mined this [the Frontier Project] out now, how are we gonna get to our hunting area up there now cause we're being pushed

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back already?” (FMSD 2010c)

Fort McKay Métis members believe the Frontier Mine Project will not only physically block access and remove trails, it will also change access in other ways. For example, in some areas, new access created by previous Industrial activity (forestry, seismic and drilling programs) has already created barriers to old trails. New roads and trails crossing over traditional routes have led to confusion for many community members who previously accessed the LSA on trails that date back decades, if not hundreds of years (FMSD 2011b).

Past experiences indicate that increased access to this hunting area by non‐ Aboriginal hunters is likely, and this will result in increased competition for moose. The Frontier Mine Project is likely to work in combination with the other projects to reduce the available hunting area for some Fort McKay Métis families and increase non‐Aboriginal hunting activities in the area. In reference to the proposed bridge across the Athabasca River to access the project, a community member expressed concerns over increased access to his family’s hunting area: “I’m afraid of too when they make up that bridge up there, they’re gonna open this place up like a can of worms, you know. People are gonna be all over this place” (FMSD 2010c)

Reduced Animal Abundance

During the 2011 TLUS and the community workshops in November 2015, Fort McKay Métis members confirmed the importance of the Frontier Mine Project area in terms of Hunting, and as an area valued for its wildlife habitat. Fort McKay Métis members recall hunting both moose and buffalo in the area, as well as other smaller animals such as chickens, rabbits, porcupines and squirrels.

As Section 6 describes, Fort McKay Métis members believe that the effects of the Frontier Mine Project will extend beyond the lease boundary in terms of the effects it will have on wildlife habitat quality, sensory disturbance, and wildlife movements.

Increased Pollution

Frontier Mine Project components that contribute to emissions include:

• Mines/trucks.

• Plants.

• Sulphur piles.

• Tailings ponds.

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Fort McKay Métis members have experience with the air, noise and odour effects from other open pit mines surrounding their community, and base their expectations of effects caused by the Frontier Mine Project contributions to air quality on that experience. Community members anticipate project effects on air quality will have an adverse effect on plant and animal species important to their subsistence activities “It’s where they gonna mine this. You got a big mountain right there. Wherever it blows its gonna pollute all the whole mountain right there, the whole area... and since you’re so close to the Park too, a lot of buffalo in that area too. It’s close to the Park.” (FMSD 2011b)

Teck suggests the Frontier Mine Project will not change the intensity or frequency of potential odour occurrences in Fort McKay, however Teck is committed to partner with Fort McKay to learn more and respond more effectively to air quality concerns.

Increased Regional Population

The construction workforce is estimated to be 3,500 people and the peak operations workforce is estimated to be 2,500 people. Teck will construction and operations camps located east of Oakley Lake. The location of the Frontier Mine Project on the west side of the Athabasca River opens up an area of traditional Fort McKay territory that was previously difficult to access, increasing the number of non-Aboriginal people able to access Fort McKay Métis’ traditional harvesting areas on the west side of the river.

Government and Industry Policies Related to Métis

To date, Teck has been open to involving the Fort McKay Métis community in project planning and continues to have discussions with the MMSC regarding mitigation planning and accommodation agreements.

7.4.2 Frontier Mine Project Effects on Linkages with Cultural Values

As part of the process of determining the strength of the link between the activity Hunting and the twelve cultural values portrayed in the cultural model, a list of value-based indicators was generated by Fort McKay Métis members.

The value-based indicators are discussed for each cultural value. The impact of the Frontier Mine project on the linkages is then described using the impact rating criteria described in Section 5.

Wherever data was available, HEG has considered these indicators in the Frontier Mine Project ICA. MMSC hope to start tracking more information related to cultural activities and socio-cultural conditions though a community based monitoring program in the future (see Section 16: Recommendations).

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Identity

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and identity if:

• There is a decrease in the # of Fort McKay Métis youth/adults/Elders with current experience hunting (within last 10 years), or past experience (over 10 years ago).

• If there are fewer Fort McKay Métis members with the desire to hunt.

• If there are fewer Fort McKay Métis members with the desire to eat wild meat.

The Frontier Mine Project will adversely and directly affect the ability of Fort McKay Métis families to hunt in the project area for at least two generations, and will affect the way several Fort McKay Métis hunters access other harvesting areas in the Birch Mountains or family trap lines. In addition to the Fort McKay Métis, impacts to Hunting are expected to affect a number of regional Aboriginal groups. Over time, as future generations have less access to harvesting areas and limited opportunities to hunt, their preferences for food and desire to spend time in the bush hunting can change since it is not something they are used to.

For these reasons, the potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is high; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Because the impact is on a threatened/weak link, and is likely, the effect is considered highly significant.

Self Reliance

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and self reliance if:

• There is a decrease in # of servings per person of wild meat consumed/year.

• There is a decrease in # of Fort McKay Métis members with wild meat in their freezer (spring vs. fall).

• There is an Increase in # of incidents of reported contaminated or unhealthy meat from Fort McKay Métis members.

• There is an increase in the distance travelled by Fort McKay Métis members and time spent travelling to harvest healthy moose,

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• There is an increase in Fort McKay Métis members who require motorized or special transportation to reach harvesting areas (walking, snow machines, trucks, dog sleds, boats, planes).

• There is an increase in # of trips/week to Fort McMurray to buy groceries

• There is an increase in the amount of money spent on buying groceries for Fort McKay Métis families ($ spent per month per family of 4).

The Frontier Mine Project will directly affect the ability of Fort McKay families to hunt in the project area for at least two generations and will affect the way several Fort McKay hunters access other harvesting areas in the Birch Mountains or on family trap lines. Métis community members believe the Frontier project will reduce the total amount of wild meat they will be able to harvest and distribute among community members.

Fort McKay Métis community members believe the Frontier Mine Project will change the way they can travel through the territory, in that it will take them much longer to access traditional hunting areas. Because only a few people in the community have the ability to travel long distances to remote areas, changes in access can increase the reliance on motorized transports and actually reduce the number of people hunting. Individuals that don’t own a truck or all terrain vehicle are most affected by changes in access; in Fort McKay the groups most affected by changes in access are Elders, young people and single mothers.

Fort McKay Métis hunters expect that with a bridge across the Athabasca, they will encounter more people hunting or using ATVs west of the Athabasca. In terms of Hunting, this can increase competition and potentially reduce the ability of Fort McKay Métis hunters to provide wild meat to their families.


Self-Determination and Leadership

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and self determination if:

• There is a decrease in # of Fort McKay Métis members with permits and hunting licenses.

• There is an increase in # of Fort McKay Métis members who must ask permission/be on a list to access hunting areas/trap line areas.

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• There is an Increase # of imposed seasonal or temporary harvesting restrictions due to industrial activity or government policy.

• Fort McKay Métis members report an Increase in # of Fish and Wildlife encounters/year.

• Fort McKay Métis members report an increase in # of Fish and Wildlife encounters/year resulting in charges.

• There is a decrease in # of Fort McKay Métis members participating in and/or informed about regulatory processes for new developments.

• There is a decrease in MMSC participation in regional land use planning and wildlife management initiatives where they have an influential voice in management plans.

The Frontier Mine Project will directly affect the ability of Fort McKay families to hunt in the project area for at least two generations and will affect the way several Métis hunters access other harvesting areas in the Birch Mountains or on family trap lines. As described in previous sections, Fort McKay Métis are dissatisfied with the current licensing system for Métis hunters, in that they find it unfair, inconvenient and inappropriate. Over time, as future generations find it more difficult to hunt, and moose and large game become more difficult to find close to Fort McKay, fewer Fort McKay Métis members may see the benefit of going through the process of obtaining hunting licenses. This has the potential to make it increasingly difficult for Métis hunters to exercise their rights for fear they will be “charged” for hunting in what is left of their traditional territory.

While MMSC understand Teck is not responsible for the Métis hunting policy in Alberta or in Canada, Fort McKay Métis members believe it is likely that the Frontier Mine Project will further limit access and increase potential for Métis members to be charged with “trespassing” by Fish and Wildlife.

To help mitigate this issue, Teck has committed to work with MMSC (and other Aboriginal communities) on developing an Access Management Strategy for the Frontier Mine Project. To date, Teck has been open to involving the Fort McKay Métis community in project planning. This Frontier Mine Project ICA has created an opportunity for Fort McKay Métis members to become better informed about regional oil sands development and some of the initiatives being considered by the MMSC to try and improve environmental, social and economic conditions in the community. This will help reduce stress on self-determination, but it will not eliminate the effect.

The potential impacts from the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage are expected to be negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is medium; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long

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term and therefore considered highly important. Because the impact is on a threatened/weak link, and is likely, the effect is considered highly significant.

Cooperation

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and cooperation if:

• There is a decrease in the participation in the Fort McKay Métis community hunt (including planning, preparations, leading, attending and logistical support).

• There is a decrease in the # of recent stories of working together.

• There is a decrease in Fort McKay Métis participation in the McKay Hunters and Trappers Association meetings.

• There is a decrease in meaningful Fort McKay Métis participation in environmental monitoring programs:

o Community programs.

o Industry or regional monitoring programs or studies.

o Government programs (federal and provincial).

The Frontier Mine Project will not directly affect many of the measures listed above. However, because the Frontier Mine Project will adversely affect Hunting, the Fort McKay Métis community believes that there will be a decrease in the number of opportunities for people to work together skinning, butchering and processing the meat, and sharing knowledge and skills. In this way, decreasing hunting can adversely affect how traditional knowledge is generated and transferred among the Fort McKay Métis community. Fort McKay Métis members are often asked to participate in industry or government initiatives because they hold local and traditional knowledge about the lands and rivers in the Athabasca district. If fewer Fort McKay Métis hunters are able to access the land and gain this knowledge, an unintended consequence could be decreased participation in community programs and environmental work carried out by industry and government, and decreased representation during regional planning and decision making processes.

For these reasons, the potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is moderate; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Because the impact is on a threatened/weak link, and is likely, the effect is considered highly significant.

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Caring

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and caring if:

• There is a decrease in the # of Fort McKay Métis Elders and vulnerable community members who receive wild meat from Métis hunters (perceptions of it increasing, or decreasing; actual measures of activity).

As the sections above have noted, Fort McKay Métis members believe the Frontier Mine project will reduce the total amount of wild meat they will be able to harvest and distribute among community members including Elders, single mothers and others in need.


Cohesion

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and cohesion if:

• There is a shift in the composition of hunting groups (parents, siblings, in-laws, aunts/uncles, family friends, peers, Elders).

As sections above have noted, the Frontier Mine Project will be directly impacting hunting areas and contributing to regional issues related to access. The need to travel further into remote areas has negatively affected the ability of some community members to hunt. More and more, hunting is becoming an activity that requires planning, time, and money to buy a vehicle, gas and supplies. Many of the community members that can afford to hunt are employed. Those that work have less time to travel long distances for extended periods of time and so the ability to plan multi-generational, multi-family hunting excursions has become more difficult and as such, occurs less frequently. Fort McKay Métis hunters tend to be adult males. Those most affected by access issues are Elders, young people and single mothers. This unintended consequence has affected relationships within the community and affected the way information is generated and transferred among different generations and gender groups.

For these reasons, the potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is

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high; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Because the impact is on a threatened/weak link, and is likely, the effect is considered highly significant.

Faith

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and faith if:

• There is a decrease in the belief that the bush will provide.

• There is a decrease in the # of people with knowledge of prayers, protocols for hunting or a decrease in the # of people that think this is important.

As sections above have noted, the Frontier Mine Project will be directly impacting hunting areas and contributing to the regional issues that are adversely affecting the ability for Métis people to hunt around Fort McKay.

The psychological impact of the Frontier Mine Project should not be underestimated. The addition of another open pit mine, north of the community, on the west side of the Athabasca River makes community members feel they are now completely surrounded by industrial activity. This project is being planned in areas often referred to by community members as “our food-bank”, and they strongly believe the Frontier Mine Project will diminish their ability to harvest wild foods from this area for at least two generations. Fort McKay Métis members are skeptical that reclaimed land will be productive and that future generations will be able to exercise their rights to hunt in order to feed their families once the mines close down.

As fewer multi-generational groups spend time on the land together, Métis/Cree traditions of prayer, offerings and certain protocols linking Creator, the plants and animals together are becoming less common. The Frontier Mine project is likely to exacerbate this situation, as access to healthy and productive land becomes more difficult.


Pride

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and pride if:

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• There is a decrease in the # of Fort McKay Métis members recognized for traditional skills, TEK or “knowing their history”.

• There is a decrease in the # of opportunities for Elders to share their knowledge and bush experience.

• There is a decrease in the # of community members fulfilling roles as “teachers”.

As the sections above have described, if fewer Fort McKay Métis members are hunting, there will be fewer opportunities for Elders to pass on knowledge and skills to younger generations. Many Fort McKay Métis members take great pride in their knowledge of the region, the environment and its waterways. Providing opportunities for community members to share skills and knowledge is important for maintaining a subsistence Métis lifestyle, but also for informing land use policy and governance systems.


Happiness

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and happiness if:

• Community members feel their circumstances related to hunting are getting worse.

• Hunting no longer makes community members feel “happy”.

Fort McKay Métis members feel that the Frontier Mine Project will decrease the ability of community members to hunt and spend time on the land and so they believe they will be “worse off” if the Frontier Mine Project is approved. As more barriers to hunting are imposed, the positive, “happy” feelings community members historically associated with being on the land are diminished when they are forced to travel through cleared areas, wait at security gates and compete with non-Aboriginal hunters.


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Adaptability

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and adaptability if:

• There is a decrease in # of Fort McKay Métis members able to: use a rifle, set a snare, track a moose, skin/butcher a moose/caribou/buffalo, demonstrate survival skills, harvest fish, run dogs, stretch/scrape hides, smoke meat, dry meat.

As sections above have noted, the Frontier Mine Project will be directly impacting hunting areas and contributing to regional issues related to access. The need to travel further into remote areas has negatively affected the ability of some community members to hunt. With fewer multi-generational hunting excursions taking place, the way skills and information are generated and transferred among different generations and gender groups has changed. Fort McKay Métis members believe the addition of the Frontier Mine Project will contribute to this. With fewer young people learning these skills, Elders worry that future generations will no longer be able to survive off the land when the mines close down.



Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and understanding nature if:

• Fort McKay Métis members spend less time spent in the bush.

• There is a decrease in # of Fort McKay Métis members who consider themselves knowledgeable about animal behavior, are able to track animals, and are able to survive in the bush.

The Fort McKay Métis believe the effect the Frontier Mine Project will have on hunting and access will affect the amount of time community members spend in the bush. Over time, as future generations have less access to harvesting areas and limited opportunities to hunt, many community members believe that their preferences for food and desire to spend time in the bush hunting will change since it is not something they are used to. As fewer Fort McKay Métis members spend time hunting and out on the land, they will not have the same

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knowledge of the land, rivers, forest and animals that is gained though experience.


Respect

Fort McKay Métis members feel the Frontier Mine Project will have an adverse effect on the linkage between Hunting and respect if:

• There is an increase in the waste found at kill sites or improper disposal of parts.

• There is a decrease in the number of Fort McKay Métis Elders invited to participate in camps and community initiatives.

The Frontier Mine Project will not directly influence either of these indicators, however if fewer Fort McKay Métis members are hunting, there are fewer opportunities for Elders to pass on customs related to processing meat and philosophies related to waste and respecting the gifts from Mother Earth.

For these reasons, the potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is low; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered of medium importance. Because the impact is on a threatened/weak link, and is likely, the effect is considered highly significant.

Figure 7-3 illustrates the impact that the Frontier Mine Project will have on Hunting as it is proposed in the updated application.

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Figure 7-3 Frontier Mine Project Impacts on Linkages between Hunting and Cultural Values.

7.4.3 Recommended Mitigation Measures, Protection Plans and Offset Programs for the Frontier Mine Project

In August 2015, MMSC shared their specific concerns related to the contributions the Frontier Mine Project will make to cumulative effects in Fort McKay’s territory, and the extent to which these effects continue to impact Fort McKay Métis’ current and future generations’ traditional livelihood, existence, culture and traditional economy (See: Fort McKay’s review of Teck Resources Ltd. Frontier Oil Sands Mine Project Integrated Application. Project Update June 2015 and Supplemental Information Request No. 4 (MMSC, 2015). All of the comments and recommendations for mitigation made in that document are adopted by the Frontier Mine Project ICA.

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Fort McKay Métis culture and the activity of trapping are already under a tremendous amount of stress as a result of the rapid and significant shifts in environmental, social and economic conditions that have occurred within their territory. As a way of increasing the resiliency of Fort McKay culture, so that it may better withstand the pressures industry is imposing on their way of life, the Frontier Mine Project ICA makes recommendations aimed at not only mitigating Frontier Mine Project contributions to cumulative impacts, but also for maintaining and potentially strengthening the state of current linkages through protection measures and offset strategies.

• Mitigation measures are designed to help reduce the stress that the Frontier Mine Project would place on Fort McKay Métis culture.

• Protection plans and offset strategies would help strengthen linkages between the nine activities and the twelve cultural values that would be weakened by the stressors created by the Frontier Mine Project.

Participatory monitoring and land use planning are overarching strategies supporting all recommendations. The full descriptions of MMSC recommendations related to these critical strategies are provided in Section 16: Recommendations Summary.

The MMSC believes that careful implementation of these measures will help Teck to ensure they are building and operating their project in the least impactful way possible. In addition to mitigation measures, the Fort McKay Métis believe linkages could be strengthened by protecting:

• Important traditionally used places and watersheds.

• Important skills, knowledge and traditions (such as tracking, using traditional tools, processing meat and hides, giving thanks and distributing wild foods).

Offset strategies are also recommended in Section 16 as a means of potentially strengthening the state of current linkages being affected by the Frontier Mine Project’s contribution to cumulative effects through some other initiative. Examples of recommended offsets that could help instill some of the values traditionally instilled through trapping are:

• Cultural camps.

• Traditional food security systems.

• Transportation to harvesting areas.

• Training to participate in environmental and socio-cultural monitoring programs.

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Section 6: Trapping introduced the benefits these strategies can have in terms of restoring cultural values and strengthening the cultural fabric of the community. Each strategy is described more fully in Section 16: Recommendations Summary.

Table 7-5 shows which of the value based indicators identified for Hunting will be affected in a positive way when recommendations are implemented over the life of the project.

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Table 7-5 Mitigation, Protection and Offset Contributions to Value-Base Indicators for Hunting

Value Value Based indicators for Hunting Mitigation Protection Cultural Camp

Food Security System

Transport program

Monitoring MMSC in planning

Identity There is an increase in the # of Fort McKay Métis youth/adults/Elders hunting with current experience hunting (within last 10 years), or past experience (over 10 years ago).

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Identity There is an increase in the # of Fort McKay Métis youth/adults/Elders who have a desire to hunt.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Identity There is an increase in the # of Fort McKay Métis youth/adults/Elders who have a desire to eat wild meat.

✓ ✓ ✓

Self Reliance There is an increase in # of servings per person of wild meat consumed/year.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Self Reliance There is an increase in # of Fort McKay Métis members with wild meat in their freezer (spring vs. fall).

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Self Reliance There is a decrease in # of incidents of reported contaminated or unhealthy meat.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Self Reliance There is a decrease in the distance travelled and time spent to harvest healthy moose,

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Self Reliance There is a decrease in the # of Fort McKay Métis members who require motorized or

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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Transport program


special transportation to reach harvesting areas (walking, snow machines, trucks, dog sleds, boats, planes).

Self Reliance There is a decrease in # of trips/week to Fort McMurray to buy groceries.

✓ ✓ ✓

Self Reliance There is a decrease in the amount of money spent of buying groceries for Fort McKay Métis families ($ spent per month per family of 4).

✓ ✓ ✓

Self determination/ Leadership

There is an increase in # of Fort McKay Métis community members with permits and hunting licenses.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓


There is a decrease in # of Fort McKay Métis members who must ask permission/be on a list to access hunting areas/trap line areas.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓


There is a decrease # of imposed seasonal or temporary harvesting restrictions due to industrial activity or government policy.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓


Fort McKay Métis members report a decrease in # of Fish and Wildlife encounters/year.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Self determination/

Fort McKay Métis members report a decrease in # of Fish and Wildlife encounters/year resulting in charges or a

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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Transport program


Leadership court appearance.


There is an increase in # of Fort McKay Métis members participating in and/or informed about regulatory processes for new developments.

✓ ✓ ✓


There is an increase in MMSC participation in regional land use planning and wildlife management initiatives where they have an influential voice in management plans.

✓ ✓ ✓

Cooperation There is an increase in the participation in the Fort McKay Métis community hunt (including planning, preparations, leading, attending and logistical support).

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Cooperation There is an increase in the # of recent stories of working together.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Cooperation There is increased participation in Fort McKay Métis Hunters and Trappers Association meetings.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Cooperation There is increased meaningful participation in environmental monitoring programs:

• Community programs. • Industry or regional wildlife monitoring

programs or studies, • Government programs (federal and

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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provincial).

Faith Belief the bush will provide. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Faith There is an increase in the # of people with knowledge of prayers, protocols for hunting or an increase in the # of people who think this is important.

✓ ✓ ✓

Pride Increase in # of Fort McKay Métis members recognized for traditional skills, TEK or “knowing their history”.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Pride Increase in # of opportunities for Fort McKay Métis Elders to share knowledge and bush experience with youth.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Pride Increase in # of Fort McKay Métis community members fulfilling roles as “teachers”.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Happiness Belief things getting are getting better. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Adaptability Increase in the # of Fort McKay Métis members able to use a rifle, set a snare, track a moose, skin/butcher a moose/caribou/buffalo, demonstrate survival skills, harvest fish, run dogs, stretch/scrape hides, smoke meat, dry meat.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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tore Time spent in the bush. ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓


Increase or decrease in # of Fort McKay Métis members who consider themselves knowledgeable about animal behavior, are able to track animals, or are able to survive in the bush.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Respect Less wastage seen at kill sites or improper disposal of parts.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Respect Increase in # of Fort McKay Métis Elders invited to participate in camps and community initiatives.

✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

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7.4.4 Residual Impacts from the Frontier Mine Project

Assuming the Frontier Mine Project implements all the recommendations above for mitigation, protection, offsets, monitoring and participation in planning, the linkages between Hunting and cultural values would be modified as described below.

Table 7-6 State of Value-Based Linkages for Hunting if all Mitigations, Protection Measures and Offset Strategies are applied to 2015 Model

Value State of 2015 Value Linkage State of 2015 Link with all Mitigations, Protections and Offsets Applied over the Life of the Project

Identity Weak Moderate

Self Reliance Weak Moderate

Self determination/ Leadership Weak Moderate

Cooperation Weak Moderate

Faith Weak Moderate

Pride Weak Moderate

Happiness Weak Moderate

Adaptability Weak Moderate

Understanding Nature Weak Moderate

Respect Weak Moderate

Applying the same rationale in Section 7. 5 that describes the Frontier Project’s contribution to cumulative stressors affecting Hunting, the impact criteria are applied considering the improved state of the values linkage.

Identity

The potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is high; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly

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important. Because of the magnitude and importance of this effect, even though the link has been strengthened, the incremental impact of the Frontier Mine Project is still considered highly significant.

Self Reliance

The potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is high; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Because of the magnitude and importance of this effect, even though the link has been strengthened, the incremental impact of the Frontier Mine project is still considered highly significant.

Self-Determination and Leadership

The potential impacts from the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is expected to negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is medium; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Assuming all mitigations, protection measures and offset strategies are in place, the strength of this linkage is expected to increase. Because the magnitude in considered medium, and the impact from the Frontier Mine Project will now be on a moderate link, the residual effect is considered moderately significant.

Cooperation

The potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is moderate; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Assuming all mitigations, protection measures and offset strategies are in place, the strength of this linkage is expected to increase. Because the magnitude is considered medium, and the impact from the Frontier Mine Project will now be on a moderate link, the residual effect is considered moderately significant.

Caring

The potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is high; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Because of the magnitude and importance of this effect, even though the link has been strengthened, the incremental impact of the Frontier Mine Project is still considered highly significant.

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Cohesion


Faith


Pride


Happiness


Adaptability

The potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is high; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered highly important. Because of the magnitude and importance of this effect, even

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though the link has been strengthened, the incremental impact of the Frontier Mine project is still considered highly significant.



Respect

The potential impact of the Frontier Mine Project on the linkage is negative; the societal impact is community wide; the magnitude is low; the geographic extent is regional; the duration is long term and therefore considered of medium importance. Assuming all mitigations, protection measures and offset strategies are in place, the strength of this linkage is expected to increase. Because the magnitude is considered low, and the impact from the Frontier Mine Project will now be on a moderate link, the residual effect is considered moderately significant.

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Figure 7-5 Teck Residual Impacts on Hunting in 2015

7.0 hunting - ceaa-acee.gc.ca

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