Buell Mary-Claire, Ritchie Doran, Ryan Kathleen, Metcalfe Chris D
The School of the Environment, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9L 0G2, Canada.
Saugeen Ojibway Nation Environment Office, 25 Maadookii Subdivision, Neyaashiinigmiing, Ontario, N0H 2T0, Canada.
Ecol Appl. 2020 Oct;30(7):e02146. doi: 10.1002/eap.2146. Epub 2020 May 21.
Indigenous rights, knowledge, and value systems are linked inextricably to the lands, waters, and non-human beings that form the environments of Indigenous Peoples. Across the globe, the rights of Indigenous peoples are being formally recognized and as a result, efforts are being made to include Indigenous Knowledge and value systems in environmental policy and decision making. Scientists and decision makers must not only recognize this reality, but also operationalize these efforts through meaningful changes to create space for the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous values, and sovereignty within the current methods for scientific enquiry and the development of environmental policies. Professionals in the environmental field have a responsibility to ensure that their work has a positive impact on Indigenous Peoples and their environments. In this study, we explore the concept of consultation and informed consent through the lens of the development of environmental policy and decision making. We will discuss these concepts in the context of ecological risk assessment related to a case study focused on contaminated sediment in a harbor within the Great Lakes. We will demonstrate a process that deconstructs the current protocols for risk assessments at sites with localized pollutants in sediment and rebuilds them with elements that recognize both Western and Indigenous knowledge systems. This process includes collaborative fieldwork, relationship building, and informal and formal interviews with participants and community members. By utilizing such approaches, we were able to develop a risk assessment framework that recognizes the sovereignty of Indigenous peoples and promotes effective Nation-to-Nation decision making.
原住民权利、知识和价值体系与构成原住民环境的土地、水域及非人类生物紧密相连。在全球范围内,原住民权利正得到正式承认,因此,人们正在努力将原住民知识和价值体系纳入环境政策与决策之中。科学家和决策者不仅必须认识到这一现实,还需通过有意义的变革将这些努力付诸实践,以便在当前科学探究方法和环境政策制定过程中为纳入原住民知识、原住民价值观及主权创造空间。环境领域的专业人员有责任确保其工作对原住民及其环境产生积极影响。在本研究中,我们从环境政策制定和决策发展的角度探讨协商和知情同意的概念。我们将结合与一个聚焦于五大湖某港口受污染沉积物的案例研究相关的生态风险评估来讨论这些概念。我们将展示一个过程,该过程解构当前针对沉积物中存在局部污染物地点的风险评估方案,并用认可西方和原住民知识体系的要素对其进行重建。这个过程包括合作性实地考察、关系建立以及与参与者和社区成员进行非正式和正式访谈。通过运用此类方法,我们得以制定一个承认原住民主权并促进国家间有效决策的风险评估框架。