"Of late, environmental initiatives are increasingly acknowledging the legal obligation to consult
with Canada's Aboriginal peoples, including Metis, and are actively soliciting their input and
knowledges. Initiatives include both strategic/planning and project-specific undertakings such
as the dialogues associated with the long-term management of Canada's nuclear fuel waste, the
five year review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act and a plethora of others (see
Appendix 1, Table 1 for examples). In these initiatives the Crown has a duty to consult with
Canada's three Aboriginal peoples, First Nations, Inuit, and Metis about the potential effects on
Aboriginal environments, territories and well-being. Further, Isaac and Knox argue that
governments lose little by consulting broadly and thoroughly with Aboriginal people....[since]
with or without proven Aboriginal title or treaties, the Crown's duty to consult Aboriginal people
remains. Additionally, consultation is relatively inexpensive when compared to the costs of
litigation....In short, consultation is not only the legally correct action to take, but it is the wise
action to take.1