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DEAN

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DATE

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This course will cover a wide array of topics relating to First Nations and land use. These include:

• A concept of Aboriginal rights and title;
• Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK);
• Land use;
• Forest Management Planning and Environmental Assessments;
• Aboriginal, provincial and federal governments, as well as forest industry, will be looked at.

LEARNING OUTCOMES AND ELEMENTS OF THE PERFORMANCE:

Recognize the values of Aboriginal and Western/European cultures.

Elements of the Performance:

• Identify several key differences between Aboriginal and Western/European philosophies/values.
• Explain the link between land and Aboriginal people.
• Discuss the concept of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK).

Recognize what other Aboriginal communities (outside of their own) are doing in terms of managing their land and resources.

Elements of the Performance:

• Identify the management philosophies of the Menominee.
• Identify the importance of the Waswanipi Cree in the Waswanipi Cree Model Forest.
• Identify the management philosophies of the Mohawk and Algonquin Nations in the Eastern Ontario Model Forest.
• Explain why the Inuit are involved in all management aspects in Nunavut, especially when it comes to the land.
• Discuss the importance that Aboriginals place on the land and its resources today.
• Discuss how this importance is reflected in their management of the land and resources.
• Describe various methods the government uses to engage the public.
• Identify several ways to engage your community in making their voices heard.

Identify what federal and provincial government programs exist that affect Aboriginal land and resources.

Elements of the Performance:

• Identify programs that assist Aboriginal people in becoming involved with forest management.
• Explain how Aboriginal people's participation in forest management is due in part to the Criteria and Indicator Framework.
• Describe the First Nations Land Management Act and be aware that some First Nations have greater control over their lands and resources.
• Identify programs that the Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) uses to engage greater Aboriginal participation in planning and management.
• Describe the purpose of the MNR.
• Recognize the structure of a forest management plan.
• Describe the five stages of the Public Consultation Process.
• Identify three forest companies of Northern Ontario.
• Identify ways the forest companies are involved with Aboriginals.

Prepare a land use / forest management plan.

Elements of the Performance:

• Recognize why land use planning is important.
• List questions to be asked when conducting forest land management planning.

Describe environmental assessments, both provincial and federal.

Elements of the Performance:

• Describe the purpose of the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR).
• Identify the various types of environmental assessments processes.
• Describe a federal environmental assessment.
• Identify the four types of assessments (specific, comprehensive, review panel, mediation).

1.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Land Use
Definitions

Menominee Tribal Enterprises
Waswanipi Cree Model Forest
Nunavut
Isaak Forest Products
National Aboriginal Forestry Association

OMNR
Native Background Information Report (Forest Management Plans)
Forest Management Guidelines
Forest Industry (Domtar, Weyerhauser, Tembec)

Natural Resources Canada - Canadian Forest Service
Model Forest Program
First Nation Forestry Program
State of Canada's Forests Reports

Ministry of Environment
Environmental Assessments
Environmental Assessments Acts
Class Timber EA
EBR - Environmental Bill of Rights

REQUIRED RESOURCES/TEXTS/MATERIALS:

Adobe Acrobat Reader and Macromedia Flash
(Downloads are free)

EVALUATION PROCESS/GRADING SYSTEM:

• Your final grade will be assigned as a percentage. Your home college will determine the letter grade.
• A passing grade at Sault College is 50%.

Discussions:
There will be three discussions. The first will be to introduce yourself to others in the class. One will be on current events in your home location. The other will be on the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR).

Assignments:
There will be one assignment that will involve OMNR Forest Management Plans, specifically the Native Background Information Report.

Major Assignments:
This assignment will consist of each individual student creating their own Land Use/Forest Management Plan. This assignment must be typed and must include a map, a table of contents and a bibliography of all the resources used (websites, any other books used outside this class). There are no constraints on anything (you can do anything) as long as you have followed everything done in this course. Written work must be between 4 and 10 pages.

Exam:
There will be one Mid-Term and one Final Exam for this course, which will encompass the key concepts of the learning outcomes.

These exams cannot be rewritten for a higher grade. Students who miss an exam, without making prior arrangements with the instructor, will be given a zero for the exam. This policy also holds true for the assignments in this course.

SPECIAL NOTES:

Special Needs:
If you are a student with special needs (e.g. physical limitations, visual impairments, hearing impairments, or learning disabilities), you are encouraged to discuss required accommodations with your instructor and/or the Special Needs office. Visit Room E1204 or call Extension 493, 717, or 491 so that support services can be arranged for you.

Retention of Course Outlines:
It is the responsibility of the student to retain all course outlines for possible future use in acquiring advanced standing at Student's Rights and Responsibilities other postsecondary institutions.

Plagiarism:
Students should refer to the definition of "academic dishonesty" in . Students who engage in "academic dishonesty" will receive an automatic failure for that submission and/or such other penalty, up to and including expulsion from the course/program, as may be decided by the professor/dean. In order to protect students from inadvertent plagiarism, to protect the copyright of the material referenced, and to credit the author of the material, it is the policy of the department to employ a documentation format for referencing source material.

Course Outline Amendments:
The Professor reserves the right to change the information contained in this course outline depending on the needs of the learner and the availability of resources.

PRIOR LEARNING ASSESSMENT:

Students who wish to apply for advanced credit in the course should consult the professor. Credit for prior learning will be given upon successful completion of a challenge exam or portfolio.