ID: 1923
Presenting Author: Lori-Jeanne Bolduc
Session: 588 - Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) of Indigenous Peoples: a transparency tool to strengthen the legitimacy of Impact Assessments (IA) in the face of misinformation
Status: pending
The Wendat Nation will share its experience in IA and FPIC, highlighting structural challenges and advocating for shared decision-making on its ancestral territory.
In this presentation, the Wendat Nation will share its extensive experience in consultation and environmental impact assessment (EIA), built over many years of active engagement. This long-standing involvement has provided the Nation with a deep understanding of the challenges inherent to these processes, including capacity gaps, cumulative effects, and the limitations of current frameworks.
Drawing from lived examples, the presentation will reflect on the structural constraints of EIA, especially regarding the meaningful inclusion of Indigenous perspectives. Discussions will critically assess whether consultation alone is sufficient to fulfill the principles of Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC), or whether deeper institutional changes are needed to support shared decision-making and long-term land stewardship.
Importantly, the conference will take place on the ancestral territory of the Wendat Nation, making it especially relevant to hear and understand its perspective on FPIC and environmental governance. This context reinforces the importance of centering Indigenous voices in conversations about legitimacy, transparency, and the future of impact assessments.
Lori-Jeanne Bolduc holds a master's degree in land use planning. She works at the land office of the Wendat Nation, overseeing and coordinating the many consultations addressed to the Nation