In 2020, Four Rivers worked closely with Long Lake #58 First Nation’s Lands & Resource Department to compile a document highlighting the innovative and comprehensive Cultural Impact Assessment process that they had undertaken from 2011-2013. The CIA was prompted by a provincial regulatory process surrounding mining development on ‘crown’ land. It did not trigger a federal environmental assessment, nor were federal permits required prior to the mining company advancing their advanced exploration activities. This setting is precisely the reason that this holistic, grassroots project was able to be envisioned, pursued, and completed. It was within a climate absent of ‘large-scale’ stakes and complex government regulations; everyone was able to take the time to create and support something unique, and it remains our single greatest example of an effective process with the potential to address the ongoing gaps between government, First Nations, and industry for resource development projects.
