McKillop's main focus is on the inefficiencies of current environmental impact assessments with regards to traditional land use. She argues that using the entire traditional territory of a community dilutes the true impact to "areas most valued by the community for resource harvesting and other traditional pursuits," and that what is required to address this inefficiency is "a shift toward a geographic focus for EIA that is culturally appropriate for Aboriginal peoples … [i.e.,] the delineation of a study area that is smaller and more meaningful." To this end, McKillop proposes the Culturally Significant Ecosystem approach. This approach quantitatively defines the land-use patterns of "resource interdependence and geographic locations" as provided by the community. The land-use patterns can be expressed as "geographically coherent units" according to the community's intensity of use. More accurate impact assessments, both project-specific and cumulative, can be gained by identifying high-intensity areas of use. McKillop also outlines the current state of government policies and legislation regarding Aboriginal rights and consultation, and presents an alternative framework for environmental impact assessments that reflects the different set of rights Aboriginals are entitled to and allows for greater participation from Aboriginal communities. This framework includes documenting traditional knowledge, developing a community-based environmental management strategy, and allowing for greater community participation in the environmental impact assessment process.