Increasing the capacity of land stewards
Demand driving development of new First Nation software
Increasing the capacity of land stewards
By Malcolm McColl
Secwepemc communities near Chase, B.C., are designing state-of-the-art land management software for universal use. Information access and retrieval systems are of paramount importance to bands for territorial claims, says Chief Judy Wilson, Neskonlith Indian Band, one of the innovators in the land referral software.
Neskonlith Indian Band, Adams Lake Indian Band, and Little Shuswap Indian Band share closely connected histories and knowledge about traditional territory. To manage this shared knowledge is the purpose of new media to manage data. "Replies to crown referrals can be delivered immediately," in fact, have to be, Wilson said.
The bands developed a network database to share forestry and land use data that is able to demonstrate bioclimatic zones in the territory, plus forestry data and referral data. The network was realized through funding from the BC Capacity Initiative.
"Court decisions in north western B.C. place a huge burden on First Nations to respond to referrals." Replies become tougher to make with inaccurate or incorrect maps and no standards of reference in attachments to submissions. Wilson decided software will do the job, and a partnership was formed developing it together.
"How can the crown indicate the level of Aboriginal interest in land-use referral," she asks, "or set a proper baseline of data inputs from heritage, environmental, or community based interests? The determination of the level of Aboriginal interest must come from First Nations."
Neskonlith Indian Band joined Adams Lake Band and D.R. systems inc. to design an automated Referral Tracking System (RTS) from community input. Wilson said, "The intention is to provide forestry and land use management processes that provide for multiple levels of response to referrals."
The RTS will be on the market in less than six months."We will distribute RTS software under pre-release licenses to both First Nations and land proponents," she said, "workshop demonstrations will also be offered to Bands, Tribal Councils, or Nations."
Secwepemc communities are innovators and leaders in many areas where key concerns are land management in traditional territories. "It works because our own land use programs focus on community growth and planning for the future with a continuous reflection on past stewardship as the ancestors expect."
Wilson knows, "We have the ability to monitor land encroachment on every stand of trees in the nation. After decades of isolation and fragmentation, reunited communities can evaluate development according to their own criteria, including community indexes for researching and calculating compensation."
A Comprehensive Community Planning Process will assist in preparing strategies of stewardship in traditional territories. "We feel a connection to the land, water, and environment that has shaped our identity," said Wilson.
"We turn to Elders for teaching, and they instruct us to advance in learning." She noted, "We have Dr. Mary Thomas (age 84) urging us to complete mapping of place-names. We no longer have the land base we used to and it cut us off from spiritually knowing our territory."
Data management will add the capacity for First Nation to govern, a concern in growing communities. "We seek enhancement of stewardship over natural resources, our own health, and technical capacity to remain stewards of these lands."
Neighbouring Adams Lake Band conducts GIS mapping services, species-at-risk studies, and forestry operations among other activities. "Our natural resources department is run by a Registered Professional Forester," said Steve Murphy, GIS/Natural Resources Manager, "and the department is hiring another RPF in March."
Adams Lake performs the region's visibility analysis to design timber harvest cutblocks with tourist views in mind. "Our activity on the industrial side of forestry is seasonal," said Murphy, "therefore the community has this professional capacity for further development in land management."
First Nations have distinctive ideas about land use planning in traditional territories and their knowledge has increasing value. "It's taking information and supplying it to people who pay for these services," which includes a myriad of interests entering communities with specific proposals.
First Nations get asked questions everyday that require on-time technological, mapping, legal, and economic answers. Mapping is fulltime at Adams Lake Band, and, "the other two Bands involved have personnel ready to join the partnership."
Murphy said, "The project fits our Internet Mapping Service," and the base software, Pheonix Pro, which has legs in the industry. "D.R. systems inc. is open to capacity building in First Nation communities."
He noted that Adams Lake Band offered expertise in Predictive Plant Modeling, "which evolved into the Internet Mapping Service, and Vegetative Analysis." Today mapping expertise of Adams Lake can pinpoint canoe logs from Cottonwood stands in their territory.
The assessment of the forestry software was made possible through the First Nations Forestry Program. They started IMS this year, and active operations are a month away from providing pinpoint details, "every conceivable visual portal of human use on the land is recorded, traditional use or contemporary dollars and cents use," weighing the impact of past, present, and future developments.
Demand driving development of new First Nation software
By Malcolm McColl
Economic developments are reaching new dimensions in First Nations with a software partnership to increase the capacity for dealing with referrals. Referrals are demands that economic developers make when they act in good faith to consult; can the affected First Nation respond in time?
The answer becomes affirmative with an announcement regarding D.R. systems inc., Neskonlith Indian Band, and Adams Lake Indian Band forming a software business partnership last month. "These two communities were customers who bought our 'PhoenixPro' software to manage forests," said Lori Jacobson, Product Manager, D.R. systems inc..
"They asked if we could solve problems coming from different agencies of government, industry, and non-governmental organizations." Referrals arrive in a constant flow. "All these are seeking data First Nations have collected." Secwepemc Nations recorded archeological, mineral, and forestry analyses over the years, including cultural and other matters related to traditional territories.
Industry and NGOs want access to this information, and First Nation communities like Neskonlith and Adams Lake want to reply. "Our team includes extensive Neskonlith and Adams Lake input and ownership of 2/3 of the software product," said Jacobson. "D.R. supplies software development by making keyboard and screen agree on things."
"The partners are anxious to obtain skills in marketing and support." Secwepemc communities are contributing their strength in forestry and cultural data. Phase One will be available in six months. "We are designing data components consistent with what proponents submit to First Nations," when making de facto consultations over traditional territories.
Logging, pipelining, mining, tourism or any land-based developments request instructions about First Nation sites; notification is received from affected Tribal Authorities within Designated Time periods. Deadlines are missed, only to allow developments to infringe on Aboriginal Rights and Title.
Further, developmental monetary values will be traced in the software, "We are designing revenue tracking," to follow the paths of development in traditional territories, "and of course tracking archeological sites, environmental protection zones, burial grounds, traditional use areas, and sacred sites."
Jacobson said, "Data factors are instantly accessible, printable, professionally managed," and billable. "We bring First Nation tools to the table, input their land-base designs," with data from the aforementioned land and culture studies, for example, plus industrial activities: oil company pipelines, forestry cuts, mining roadways, community infrastructure, fisheries, and parks.
Jacobson said the 'RTS' will be sold in PC-based software as the First Nation RTS (Referral Tracking System), employable even by communities as remotely situated as those off the internet. "Forestry contracts include a 15-20 year obligation and record-keeping commitments. Mining reclamations take even longer. This software will track it all."