@article {24991,
	title = {Determining significance of environmental effects: An Aboriginal perspective},
	year = {2003},
	note = {Research funded by the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency{\textquoteright}s Research and Development Program for their Research and Development Monograph Series},
	abstract = {The authors of this report note at the outset that it is clear from the many submissions regarding Comprehensive Study Reports, Panel Reviews, and the Five Year Review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, "that Aboriginal peoples consider the current process of determining significance [in Environmental Assessments] to be inadequate." Thus, the goal of the report, broadly, was to address this inadequacy. The key objectives were "to develop draft criteria for consideration when determining the significance of environmental effects," and "to recommend "better practices{\textquoteright} for evaluating the significance of environmental effects when the interests and rights of Aboriginal peoples are involved." More specifically, the authors examined the current Environmental Assessment process, recorded the concerns of Aboriginal peoples with the current process of significance determination and their suggestions for embitterment, and finally to develop recommendations towards improving the process for determining significance.  The research design included the examination of three case studies: Voisey{\textquoteright}s Bay Mine and Mill project; BHP Diamonds project; and Diavik Diamonds project. A literature review, focusing on documents that described Aboriginal perspectives on environmental assessments, was conducted. Though 29 interviews with Aboriginal representatives were planned, only 4 interviews had been held at the time of writing. The key messages that arose out of the authors{\textquoteright} research include: Aboriginal peoples need to be involved in every stage of the Environmental Assessment leading up to the determination of significance; Aboriginal peoples need to fully understand the Environmental Assessment legislation, guidelines, and practices in order to be meaningfully involved; government and proponents need to fully understand Treaty and Aboriginal rights; and all parties involved in environmental assessments{\textemdash}Aboriginal peoples, government, and proponents{\textemdash}"need to clearly communicate their assumptions, needs and expectations at the outset of the EA."},
	keywords = {Aboriginal and Treaty Rights, environmental impact assessments, significance criteria}
}
