Land & Resources
Under the guidance from Beaver First Nation Chief and Council, the Beaver First Nation Land and Resources Department will help ensure the protection of our land, culture and way of life, while implementing the true spirit and intent of Treaty #8.
The Beaver First Nation Land and Resources Department will protect the environment through ensuring our Treaty and Aboriginal rights and other interests are acknowledged and respected by the Federal and Provincial governments and industry.
The goals of the Beaver First Nation Land and Resources Department include:
Gathering, managing, and ground-truthing information provided by Elders and Land Users in relation to traditional land use;
Negotiating with industry and government on land and resource related agreements;
Reviewing dispositions and responding to industry and government on potential impacts to the exercise of our Treaty and Aboriginal rights and other interests;
Participating in land use planning processes in Treaty 8 territory;
Facilitating Land and Resource related training and employment opportunities for Beaver First Nation membership; and
Assessing and managing for cumulative impacts on the exercise of our Treaty and Aboriginal rights and other interests.
Our Land and Resources Department works with the community to conduct Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE) and Traditional Land Use (TLU) research in order that traditional and current use can be better understood and better documented. This research is integral to establish a consultative territory that can be used in negotiations and partnerships with government, industry, and other external organizations.
Land research has also been integral to understanding BFN history and the history of our members. By using church and government documents, for example, we can track genealogy within the community.
Land Use Planning
In considering potential use of reserve land, the department maps land to determine acreage size while also working with legal land descriptions. Building a better understanding of the legal, traditional, and scientific properties of this land will help Chief and Council determine how our land and resources can best benefit the community.
The department also responds to and engages with government and industry exploring or operating in our traditional territory. By negotiating agreements, we aim to protect Treaty and Aboriginal rights and interests while also developing training and employment opportunities for BFN members where appropriate.
Beaver First Nation signed Treaty 8 in 1899, and by 1912 our reserve lands were selected and surveyed. They would be confirmed by Canada in 1916 and 1922.
The borders for Child Lake 164A have shifted since its initial selection and survey, as can be seen from comparing the original and current boundaries below. We expect that this will not be the only change in our reserve land: we are currently in Treaty Land Entitlement negotiations with Canada and Alberta.
As our Elders and land users continue to share their knowledge with us, we gain a greater understanding of the land that was used-- and has continued to be used--for hunting, medicinal, and ceremonial purposes. Evidence still exists of funerary areas, old housing and cabin sites, and battlegrounds, all of which are noted in detail on traditional land use maps. This knowledge remains under the ownership and control of BFN members, and is collected in confidence.
As we explore old and new interviews and visit traditional sites, this collective knowledge grows, and with it our traditional territory boundaries expand. This traditional territory is important in working with government and industry as we strive to protect our Treaty and Aboriginal rights and interests.
We are currently in the process of updating the boundaries of our consulatative territory. We are happy to talk to any interested parties in the meantime, and will post a map here when it is fully updated and approved.