Arctic Athabaskan Council Newsletter Inside this issue IPS, DWG and SAO Meetings, Selfoss, Iceland Meetings pg. 2 Drafting Session for ACIA Policy Document, The Hauge pg. 3 AAC Strategic Consultation, Whitehorse, YT pg. 3 Sustainable Development Working Group, Whitehorse, YT pg. 4 United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues New York, NY pg. 4 Ottawa Consultations with Federal Departments pg. 5 Access & Benefit Sharing Best Practices pg. 5 Denendeh Environmental Working Group: Update Pg. 6 For more information: Arctic Athabaskan Council 11 Nisutlin Drive Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 3S4 Tel: (867)393-9215 Fax: (867)668-6577 e-mail: cdickson@cyfn.net Fall 2004 AMAP and CAFF Working Group Oslo, Norway Two AAC delegates attended the Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Programme (AMAP) and Conservation of Arctic Flora and Fauna (CAFF) Working Group meetings held consecutively in Norway April 14 17. The AMAP is developing an assessment of potential impacts of oil and gas activities in the Arctic. The scope of the Arctic Petroleum Hydrocarbon Assessment (APHA) will evaluate four types of impacts or effects associated with oil and gas activities. Based on the outcomes of the report recommendations will be developed and presented to Arctic Council Ministers as suggestions for the implementation of oil and gas activities in the Arctic and for enhancing such activities to Arctic residents. The AAC will play a prominent role in this assessment based on the implications of oil and gas development on Arctic communities and the level of hydrocarbon development already proposed in our region. As such AAC has put forward author, Mike Nuttal, to develop a chapter which will research initiatives on the social and economic consequences of oil and gas. In particular the chapter would research information needed to formulate social and economic impact assessments, local, regional, national and circumpolar policies, and response strategies by Indigenous and local communities. This chapter will compliment the chapter 3 that the US will be leading on socio-economic impacts. Discussions are ongoing regarding whether there will be a separate chapter or if the US and AAC will colead the socio-economic chapter together. Arctic Athabaskan Council Newsletter 1
IPS, SDWG and SAO Meetings May 2 5, 2004, Selfoss, Iceland Two delegates form the AAC attended the Indigenous Peoples Secretariat (IPS), Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) and Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) meetings held in Selfoss, Iceland May 2 5. The purpose of attending these meetings was to provide updates on our current activities as well as keep up to date on the activities of Arctic Council working groups and projects. The following are some of the major issues discussed at the IPS working group The IPS budget was reviewed and the issue was raised that the IPS may not receive support from the host country Denmark when it renews its contribution There has been little response to the Permanent Participant (PP) funding proposal put forward to the Arctic Countries Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) is developing a communications plan. A request was made that the PPs make recommendations to the communications plan. Mark Nuttal s overview outline tabled Arctic Indigenous and Local Community Perspectives on Arctic Oil and Gas Development was reviewed by the table. The Russian Association of Indigenous Peoples of the North (RAIPON) tabled their partnership proposal between United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Russian Federation with the table During the SDWG meeting updates were provided on all projects. Of specific importance was the Russian led Sustainable Development Action Plan (SDAP). The group decided more time was necessary in the discussions of the (SDAP) and so another SDWG meeting was scheduled for September 2004 in Whitehorse, Yukon. The SAO meeting included updates form all Arctic Council working groups. The updates were valuable and the AAC made a number of interventions to include our perspectives and support for a number of these projects. AAC delivered a presentation to the SAOs, giving an overview of our history, our members, our treaties and our activities. Icelandic Chair, Gunnar Pallison, was presented with a birch bark basket in recognition for his good work. For more information on this meeting go to www.arcticcouncil.org search word Selfoss. Arctic Athabaskan Council Newsletter 2
Drafting Session for ACIA Policy Document, The Hague August 28 31, 2004 The goal of the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment (ACIA) is to evaluate and synthesize knowledge on climate variability, climate change, increased ultraviolet radiation and their consequences. Three major volumes will be completed by November 2004 and will be released during the ACIA Symposium; they are a peerreviewed scientific volume, and overview document summarizing results, and a policy document providing recommendations for coping and adaptation measures. AAC has contributed significantly to the ACIA as well as been part of the ACIA steering group and peerreview. The scientific and overview documents have now been signed off by the leading authors as completed. The drafting sessions have become slightly contentious due to the recommendations not fitting in with national policies and actions. Therefore at The Hague a number of interventions were made to include the policy recommendations into the Senior Arctic Official report to the Ministers instead of a stand alone document. AAC continues to intervene that the policy document needs to stand alone and that specific references to the impacts of climate change to Indigenous people must be considered. The drafting was not finalized in The Hague instead two reports were tabled; a stand alone policy document and a report from the SAOs. Discussions will continue in another drafting session in Iceland in October. AAC Strategic Consultation September 13, 2004, Whitehorse, Yukon Prior to the Sustainable Development Working Group (SDWG) meetings in Whitehorse the AAC held a meeting to discuss current activities and give an update since the AAC annual general meeting (AGM) held in March 2004. AAC delegates from Alaska, NWT and Yukon were in Whitehorse to attend the SDWG meeting. The discussions proved very useful in framing AAC activities for this year and next. Updates were delivered on the ACIA, based on discussions during the previous draft session in The Hague. A verbal update was given on the Arctic Human Development Report (AHDR) based on recent reviews of draft chapters of that report. The Arctic Oil and Gas Assessment was discussed and an update was given based on the recent trip to AMAP/CAFF held at The Hague. AAC continues to assert that we will play a significant role in the socio-economic impacts chapter of that assessment. Finally AAC Alaska discussed their lack of support for a central office and the Yukon River Intertribal Watershed Council offer of giving AAC Alaska administrative support. Arctic Athabaskan Council Newsletter 3
Sustainable Development Working Group September 14 16, 2004 Whitehorse, Yukon SDWG has always taken advantage of the Senior Arctic Officials (SAO) meetings. Usually only meeting for one day. Therefore a special session was required before the Ministerial to discuss the SDAP and to prepare a report to the Ministerial regarding the projects of the SDWG including the Arctic Human Development Report (AHDR). Canada and AAC invited the SDWG to Whitehorse for an extended meeting to discuss and finalize the Sustainable Development Action Plan and draft the Ministerial report. During the meeting in the SDAP was essentially agreed to with a small committee created that would work out some of the smaller less outstanding issues before the Ministerial. THE AHDR was agreed to be presented not as a comprehensive report on human development, but an initial undertaking that would need further work during the new Russian Chairmanship who will be taking the chair from Iceland during the next Ministerial in November. AAC co-hosted the event with the government of Canada and the Yukon Government. In particular AAC hosted a dinner on September 15 with the contribution of AROP. The banquet included drumming from the Katlodeeche Drummers and fiddlers. The banquet provided an opportunity for the SDWG delegates to be a part of an AAC celebration. United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, May 10 21, 2004 New York, NY The third session of the Permanent Forum took place from May 10 21, 2004 at the United Nations Headquarters in New York. The special theme for the third session was Indigenous Women. Two AAC delegates attended the sessions. The AAC met with the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII) Secretariat and confirmed our intention to join the Arctic Region group. At the Secretariat s request, a letter has been sent to PFII and copied to Arctic Region members. A large volume of reports were tabled a the third session of the PFII by various UN agencies under the auspices of various UN agencies and affiliated bodies. Of specific interest to AAC members were papers tabled on the report of the Global Forum (World Information Society Summit): UN Interagency Working Group Report, Prior Informed Consent; and United Nations Commission on Human Rights. Canada held a side session at the PFII on Indigenous Connectivity. The session was essentially an overview of Canada s efforts to connect Aboriginal communities to the information highway and announce Canada s focus on WSIS (WISS?) in Tunisia 2005 will be Aboriginal connectivity. Arctic Athabaskan Council Newsletter 4
Ottawa Consultations with Federal Departments June 14 16,2004 Ottawa, Ontario Two AAC delegates traveled to Ottawa to meet with a number of federal government officials regarding our planned activities for this year. All our work depends on funding and thus strong relations with a number of federal departments is essential in order for our continued work. The following issues were raised with a number of officials The collaboration of a Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) workshop in Whitehorse in January, 2005 AAC/RAIPON collaboration to support our letter of understanding (LOU) to cooperate in socioeconomic areas. A national ACIA communications strategy. Developing a national impacts and adaptation strategy for climate change. Participation in the UNFCCC COP 10 meeting and holding a PP side event on the ACIA. SDWG meeting in September in Whitehorse, Yukon Access and Benefit Sharing Best Practices: Protecting Genetic Resources of Yukon First Nations The Council of Yukon First Nations (CYFN) Circumpolar Relations office will be holding a workshop in early 2005, addressing the issue of international and national Access and Benefit Sharing (ABS) best practices with regard to Intellectual Property Rights, genetic resources and traditional knowledge. Building on preliminary research by Arctic Athabaskan Council (AAC), CYFN will be presenting a synthesis report including best practices, existing and proposed policies, and guidelines, which will be presented to members of the 14 Yukon First Nations during a 2-day workshop. Increasingly global corporations and entities are developing interest in the genetic resources on Indigenous lands and the knowledge associated with those resources. This workshop aims to provide Yukon First Nations information to develop and enhance their own tools to accommodate, protect, share in and potentially benefit economically from their unique relationships with their resources and their intimate knowledge of the land. For more information on this project you can contact the research coordinator at akelly@cyfn.net or 867.393.9215. Arctic Athabaskan Council Newsletter 5
Denendeh Environmental Working Group: Update In March all five Dene regions came together in Wekweti, Denendeh, for the third Denendeh Environmental Working Group (DEWG) workshop. The last workshop in Liidllii Kue (Fort Simpson) focused on forest issues related to climate change. The third workshop brought elders, technical staff and youth together to talk about water and climate change. Water is very important to all of us. Dene are witnessing loss of permafrost in some regions and hazards where ice once was are predictable. Trees are drying out in some regions so that whole forests are dying. In other regions trees no longer freeze and are wet and soggy. Some wetlands are now choked with willows and there are species of fish in rivers and lakes where they were never seen before. The general changes in water quality and observations of parasites in fish are not easily linked to climate change. For Dene the connection is obvious, but scientists are often stubborn in refusing the linkages if they cannot be scientifically proven. There are many differences and similarities between traditional knowledge and science. Each type of knowledge takes many years to understand and acquire. There are sometimes obvious teachings as well as more subtle and nuanced understandings that require a strong mind. Each has its own internal ways of ensuring knowledge is accurate. Western sciences like ecology are very similar to traditional knowledge. There are traditional knowledge teachings that defy scientific understanding. In each body of knowledge, if we can use that term broadly, there are specialized languages. In each of the Dene languages and in the disciplines of science there is language that requires translation to be understood by laymen. Both types of knowledge are essential to improving policy and decision making. An excerpt from the Dene Nation report to our workshop funded by, Environment Canada-Northern Ecosystem Initiative, reads: "Louie Wayne, councilor and elder from Wekweti, talked about Dene role in protecting the land. "Elders teachings lead to being," as Mr. Wayne saw things, and that there are lots of changes today."i can still hear Chief Monfwi speaking," noting the lasting impacts of Dene traditional teachings and learning. The Dene way is to be on the land to travel the lakes and rivers, "I traveled all, all have names. I know from experience." There were many other excerpts from the workshop participants that speak to the lived experience. Clearly traditional knowledge has much to offer us. Along with scientific understandings DEWG has brought to bear Dene views and interests in our discussions about climate change and water. The update of activities was presented in November at the ACIA Symposium in Reykavik, Iceland. The importance of presenting at international science forums is simple: politicians listen to people, people listen to media reports and media reports on large international gatherings. In order to address climate change in Dene communities we must bring the observations and knowledge to the world. We have much we can learn from Indigenous Peoples the world over. Two motions endorsed at the meeting were: to recommend to the Dene National Assembly a Youth Gathering, with the potential theme "Cherish the Land". The second motion was to host an international climate change gathering of Indigenous Peoples. The Arctic Athabaskan Council passed a motion in Whitehorse to hold an Arctic Indigenous Leaders Summit in Denendeh. The Dene National Assembly in August passed a motion to host the Arctic Indigenous Leaders Summit in 2005 in Denendeh. Perhaps this meeting will be focused on climate change. Bringing together Indigenous Peoples would serve both recommendations from the DEWG. Arctic Athabaskan Council Newsletter 6