Final Exam Flashcards
Political Ecology
Political ecology refers to the political conflicts between resources. It is a subfield of geography and anthropology. It examines the political dimensions of environmental issues. Ex) soil erosion- political ecology overtaxing, higher class owning increased land. Ex) natural disasters: social disasters due to different classes.
Wilderness
“A fictional idea, people are taken out of a place so it can be untouched,” wilderness refers to untouched nature, and most national parks advertise spending time in the wilderness.
Whiteshell Provincial Park
Ojibway used this area as hunting grounds. Area had a lot of important sacred sites, (Petroforms), destroyed as it turned into a tourist destination.
Ipperwash Park Occupation
Supposed to be reserved land for the Ojibway after WW2. Government took possession of some land area to create an army base. The Ojibway people occupied the land and blocked tourists and others from accessing the park. The OPP (Ontario Provincial Police) were sent in to deal with the situation, resulting in the death of Dudley George who’s walking stick was mistaken as a gun.
Protected Area Steering Committees
A committee that decides on the priorities of protected areas, and manages the general course of it’s operations. It’s a type of co-management that involves Inuit and various orders of government. Ex) Lancaster Sound Steering Committee. Makes more room for Indigenous use.
Protected Area Impact and Benefit Agreements
Negotiates ways to reduce impacts of parks, gives Indig. Employment service rights, gives Indig. Rights for hunting and fishing. IBA benefits are there to redirect wealth to Indig. Peoples. Becoming powerful tools to resolve the issues between Indig people and the protected areas.
Indigenous Protected Areas
Protected areas that Indigenous communities have established and protect themselves. Often not officially recognized by Canada, but Canada is quietly letting some of them be, and respecting them as a protected area. Fully controlled and run by Indigenous peoples.
East Coast Seal Hunt
Major hunt of seals in Novia Scotia, Newfoundland, and New Brunswick. This industry expanded in the 1800s with the industrial revolution as the demand of seal oil increased. Major seasonal economic activity, people hunt 30 to 40 thousand seals, important in the 1900s due to decline of fisheries. Harp seals are the primary species that are hunted.
Inuit Seal Hunt
Inuits rely on hunting seals to maintain their way of life. The whole seal is used for meat, skins, clothing, and to participate in the global economy. They hunt the seals in a very sustainable way. It’s part if the traditional Inuit way of life. Hunting of the seals is done off of the coast and by finding their breathing holes during winter.
United States Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)
1972-Made it illegal to hunt/sell marine mammals. Affected Alaska’s Indig peoples by making their way of life illegal. Didn’t really affect Inuit that much because they could still sell to Europe.
European Economic Community Seal Import Ban (EEC Seal Import Ban)
1983- Tried to regulate the trade laws across Europe. Banned Europe from importing seal skins. Resulted in the price of seal skins collapsing, huge blow to the seal skin economy, caused poverty/food insecurity, and hunting rates dropped. Pushed Inuit people to support oil and gas.
European Union Seal Import Ban
2009- EU passed a bill to ban seal products from being sold as a commodity. Caused price of seal skins to plummate, food insecurity, and an economic disaster. Canada, Norway, and the world trade organization tried and failed to challenge this ban. Norway ceased their seal hunting, and only Canada and Russia still seal hunt today.
The Medium is the Message
Medium by which the message is being sent is just as important as the content. TV and internet were central to anti-sealing hunt. Resource conflict that developed due to TV and internet (digital communications).
National Energy Board (NEB)
Following the pipelines debate in the 1950s, the NEB Act was created in 1959. Makes key decisions on what is better for Canada as a whole. Made to solve regional conflicts on things such as oil and pipelines. Major conflict was whether the oil should be exported or used for domestic purposes.
Berger Inquiry
Berger was a long time advocate for Indig rights. He was commissioned to investigate the environmental, political, and economic impacts that the Mackenzie valley pipeline had on the area. Took an unique approach of accessible and informal hearings of all communities along the pipeline route.
Mackenzie Valley Gas Project
Export oil and gas from Alaska and the Mackenzie delta. Pierre Trudeau saw it as nation building. It was thought that it would industrialize the north and bring jobs to Indig peoples, and also bring energy security as the OPEC crisis was scary for many Canadians. Opposition from the Dene and Inuit.
Cowboy and Indian Alliance
Alliance formed against the Keystone XL Pipelines. Farmers from Nebraska and Indig people formed an alliance to fight the project. An oil spill would ruin drinking water for farmers, and Indig people of the area.
Northern Gateway Pipeline
Controversial project to get oil out of Alberta, and sell to markets in Asia. Was supposed to go through Indig lands. Conflict resulted because Indig people did not sign a treaty to give up land. Project also put marine life at risk. Legal challenges around duty to consult and potential environmental risks to environment and marine life.
Energy East Pipeline
TransCanada argument that this will decrease reliance upon other countries’ imports. Issues of climate change, Indig rights, and safety concerns (diluted bitumen). NEB met privately with TransCanada industry. (Frowned upon).
Captured Regulator
An official or organization whose relationship with an industry is close enough that a biased opinion could be formed. Unable to objectively assess projects. NEB was in question for being a captured regulator because Steven Kelly was a former employee of the company that wants to build the pipeline.
Churchill River Diversion
Created because of the electricity potential of the northern river. The Churchill River Diversion was a MB Hydro project from the 1970s. This project diverted the Churchill River into the Nelson River. Previous to the this the Churchill river was clean and pristine. The communities in the area were upset about this major physical change.
Northern Flood Committee
Is a co-management group that represents and is composed of representatives from five Indig tribes. This co-management committee negotiated the Northern Flood Agreement. It was created due to the large amounts of flooding predicted to occur by major hydroelectric projects, which would flood reserve lands.
Northern Flood Agreement
Formed in 1977. Was supposed to eradicate unemployment and mass poverty. Promise of clean drinking water. Instead, created more poverty and unemployment and the Indig groups impacted received basically no benefits.
Master Implementation Agreement
Created so Indig groups would not take MB Hydro to court for bad NFA implementation. Agreement between the Indig peoples and the government. Government promised that they would give them a bunch of money for not taking them to court. Many communities agreed and became investors in the dam (didn’t see a lot of profits). Cross Lake refused to sign the agreement and has been fighting ever since.