Shared Decision Making Working Group

The Shared Decision Making Working Group of the First Nations BC Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum (the Forum) supports Goal 5 of the Together for Wildlife Strategy; specifically Action 18: “ to advance co-management and shared decision-making with Indigenous Governments in British Columbia”.

The Forum membership criteria require experience working for, or with Indigenous governments in Natural Resource Management. This experience typically engages our participants with their respective Indigenous Government’s approach to co-management of Natural Resources with BC at their respective Nation levels. The November 2019 passage of the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Declaration Act), established key principle obligations for British Columbia, including a requirement to align laws—both existing laws and any new laws—with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Section 7 of the Declaration Act also creates the mechanism for new decision-making arrangements to be established with Indigenous governing bodies.

Prior to the Act, each Nation was already at various stages in their pursuit of self-governance, under different agreements. The respective Indigenous Governance institutions and their self determination are entities that the Forum does not degrade from or intend to interfere with, but rather remain cognizant of and support.

Ensuring that Forum participants have experiences in approaching co-management with different Nations on their path to self-determination provides the Forum with a collective knowledge and experience of the history of policy, regulatory, or legislative inconsistencies that historically have not permitted or enabled the full, meaningful participation of Indigenous Governments in resource management. Although there have been several successful agreements negotiated & implemented, it is understood that there is still work to be done in order to fully implement the Declaration Act and the Shared Decision Making and Co-Management obligations contained within, to further enable Indigenous government participation in the management of the Wildlife & Habitat, in association with historical and legally-recognized rights and title.

This collective knowledge supports the targeted work of the Forum. Our Shared Decision-Making Working Group does not intend to approach this broad subject with a paternal lens, as we sympathize with the various Nations path to Self-Determination. Rather than prescribing models to agreements, we strive to support enabling Indigenous co-management via collaboration on policy, regulatory, strategic planning, and recommendations.

Members of this working group belong to the following nations:

• Okanagan Nation Alliance
• Saulteau
• Carrier Sekani
• 3-Nations
• Northern Secwepemc te Qelmucw
• Qwelminte Secwepemc
• Nooaitch Indian Band
• West Moberly
• Gitxsan
• Syilx
• Ktunaxa