Northern Environmental Justice: A Case Study of Place, Indigenous Peoples, and Industrial Development in Northeastern British Columbia, Canada

Abstract

This case study introduces the concepts of place-based and Indigenous environmental justice as well as the theory of Indigenous sovereignty, as articulated within a Canadian context and considers their application with respect to the Indigenous peoples with traditional territories within the borders of Canada. The specific legal and industrial contexts affecting Indigenous peoples in Canada are briefly examined to frame two cases of environmental justice issues in the northeastern corner of British Columbia. The two cases are oil and gas development and the proposed development of a new dam which will represent the largest industrial development in Canada in the last several decades. The perspectives of British Columbia Treaty 8 Indigenous Nations on the impacts of these industrial developments are presented.