ID: 1831
Presenting Author: Connor Pritty
Session: 582 - Implementing Indigenous Free, Prior, Informed Consent in Impact Assessments
Status: pending
Tahltan representatives trace their journey implementing the trail-blazing Consent Decision Making Agreements between the Tahltan Central Government and the Province of British Columbia.
Confirmed by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, the Tahltan Nation asserts that their free, prior, and informed consent is required for any major project decisions in their Territory. In 2022 and 2023, the Province of British Columbia signed two “Consent Decision Making Agreements” with the Tahltan Central Government under BC’s Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People’s Act. Both agreements were for Environmental Assessments of major mines: one a redevelopment of a brownfield site, one an amendment to an existing, operating mine. For both decisions, the legally binding agreements explicitly stated that the projects could not proceed without Tahltan Consent, which could come with terms and conditions attached. Thus launched Tahltan’s journey into becoming an equal and parallel regulator to the province of British Columbia for Environmental Assessments. In this presentation, we will trace the Tahltan path from agreement to decision and summarize what it took to implement the Consent Agreements. Like the many trails in Tahltan Territory, this journey is full of twists, turns, peaks, and valleys. Tahltan Central Government representatives will reflect on their journey in an honest and open account, ending with some words of advice for other parties considering entering into legally-binding agreements, where they, too, are co-decision makers on Environmental Assessments.
As the Tahltan Land’s Director, Connor Pritty has navigated the complexity of implementing precedent-setting Consent Agreements for IAs amid the rush for critical minerals and regulatory efficiencies.
Coauthor 1: Anna Usborne