A press release from the GeoConnections website:
August 20 2008
GeoConnections is helping fund a project to assess the Web-mapping needs of the Maiyoo Keyoh Society of British Columbia. Situated near the headwaters of the Salmon River, Maiyoo Keyoh comprises 22,000 hectares of land rich in fish, wildlife, timber and other resources. The Society wants to look into using simple Web-based tools to capitalize on cultural data and to better evaluate development proposals. The assessment will target application users, data suppliers and developers.
The Supreme Court of Canada’s recent Haida and Taku River decisions established "the duty to consult" and accommodate First Nations before Aboriginal title or rights claims have been fully determined. As a result of these decisions, small communities are being inundated with hundreds of development approvals each year but lack the capacity to respond in a timely manner. This lack of capacity often relates to information management tools and experience.
The Maiyoo Keyoh Society sees real potential in applying simple Web-based tools to respond more efficiently to the demands for approvals. This project will be used to assess how the Society could use Web mapping to achieve this objective. These tools may also help other First Nations that face similar development challenges.
See also the Maiyoo Keyoh Society website: http://www.maiyookeyoh.ca/