#93-An Indigenous Perspective with Fabian Grey

We all want healthy forest ecosystems, clean water, and vibrant communities. We can achieve these goals through sustainable forest management (SFM). However, we need to continue to push the boundaries of what SFM is in order to ensure we don’t miss something. This means constant research, consultation and not being afraid to change how we do things in order to protect all values for all people, forever. SFM means managing all values equally. It means thoughtful and comprehensive decision making, asking “what is the best use of this land”. Unfortunately, some values have been missed. Indigenous values have not been truly accounted for, until they have, we are not truly sustainable. We need to find a way to help indigenous communities feel heard and respected, so they can feel safe to share and help us all move towards a better system of forest management. Decades of poor communication and distrust have made seeing eye to eye difficult. It is time we fixed this relationship.

Resources

Indigenous consultation in Alberta

Sponsors

West Fraser

GreenLink Forestry Inc.

Damaged Timber

Giveaway

Enter YourForest10 at checkout at the Damaged Timber store for a 10% discount!

Quotes

26.28 - 26.49: “I think First Nations should share more information with western science so they’ll have a better understanding of how we look at things, what we prize, what motivates us to… protect these plants and why.”

40.29 - 40.36: “We value the land… [The] western way of thinking values what’s on the land.”

Takeaways

Growing up in the bush (05.53)

Fabian grew up in the bush and recognizes that it is measured differently today than it was back then. Although Indigenous peoples used the forests for medicinal purposes, not all First Nations have access to certain types of plants. He has worked in different roles in the forestry industry and also in the oil and gas industry. He realized there was a big gap in western science and cultural, traditional ideas, which aren’t recognized in forest management.

Community resource (10.05)

Fabian took an environmental monitoring course and began doing assessments for First Nations. The government then mandated Indigenous consultation, so he got involved in that so he could use his expertise to back his opinions. He even took training in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) so he could be a subject matter expert for his community. He uses his knowledge to ask the right questions and help many other First Nations too.

Healthy forests, healthy people (15.03)

Fabian recalls that he would drink water straight from the river but can’t anymore. The health of the people is determined by the health of the forests, which have been ill for a while now. Fruits and medicines aren’t as abundant. When people eat an animal that has eaten medicinal plants, they are made healthy. But with forestry practices, that has changed. However, he works to ensure there are enough medicines in the same area that is being clear-cut.

Spiritual land connections (20.05)

Fabian notes that everything in the forest is connected, including us. Taking any component out is going to make the picture incomplete and not function. When Indigenous peoples know an area is not healthy, they won’t do any activities there and wait for nature to heal itself. You can track how the landscape has changed, what needs to be left alone, and what needs work. He says they live within the boundaries of their spiritual connections to the land.

Everything has its place (24.46)

Fabian notes that every herb, plant, and tree has medicines, but there are some rare medicinal plants that are local, seasonal and prized. When he does a land assessment, he checks to see the direction of the water, the slope and the plants in the area. He believes Indigenous knowledge needs to be shared to improve forest health so future generations can enjoy the environment.

Indigenous consultation (32.09)

Fabian believes addressing the concerns of Indigenous peoples and implementing them into the forest management plan is the way to include them in the process and move things along. Trust can be built by implementing a few ideas of the community into the forest management agreements and leaving some areas protected. Present consultation is about simply informing the community, but Fabian believes the community has so much more to offer. 

Protecting the land (37.04)

Fabian provides assessments of Indigenous lands to determine if they used to be traditional grave sites. He registers any gravesites he comes across with Alberta Heritage so that they can be protected. He believes that since all humans use the forest, we need to find a way that values the health of the forest alongside the products we value. Indigenous sustainability lies in the forest, and it needs to be healthy for the people.

Environmental monitoring (45.53)

Fabian describes the tools and processes he uses in his work in environmental monitoring. He speaks about how Indigenous peoples hunt, trap and pick medicines to ensure an area is not overused and the populations are restored. With forest fires getting bigger and more intense, animals will need more forest. He explains the tools that can be used to predict and prepare for fires.

“Reconciliation is an overused word” (56.00)

Fabian shares that Indigenous peoples believe in the power of the forest to regenerate itself and don’t believe in spraying. He laments that much forest management is driven by money. Regional forest plans need to be assessed to ensure the health of the forest and incorporate all the values of the community that it sustains. He uses his monitoring data to inform other parties of the ways to achieve better results for the land and community.

Valuing the land (1.04.35)

Fabian has a deep knowledge of the medicinal plants of his land. He speaks about how Indigenous peoples value those medicines and how that knowledge is guarded. Every nation has its own rules, traditions and ways of working. He shares the medicinal properties of some plants on his land, and how to truly get their benefits, in a physical and spiritual sense. He believes communication, inclusion and consultation are the paths to the future.

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