Description

The practice helps indigenous hunter-gatherers draw their own maps of the lands and resources required for their subsistence. The aim is to help indigenous people communicate their need for land to government authorities through their spatial knowledge of the landscapes and ecosystems they inhabit. We encourage people to draw progressively more complex maps of the sites and areas used for their subsistence. Projects in Honduras and Paraguay are described in this report.

In Honduras, the project was co-ordinated by MOPAWI, a local NGO, and several indigenous organisations. The project aimed at developing a clearer understanding of indigenous land-use patterns so that an appropriate strategy could be designed to legally reclaim historic land rights.

The project was funded by Cultural Survival. Indian 'surveyors' designed a questionnaire, which they then administered to all villages in the eastern Honduras region (population 40,000). The data was gathered through public meetings, and included oral and graphical descriptions of the sites and areas used by villages for their subsistence. The surveyors gathered the information, and professional researchers used the information to draw up 1:50,000 scale maps of the region. Circles were drawn around the sites identified to show the approximate extent of lands used. Village-level data was grouped into zones, and the resulting map was published at a scale of 1:500,000. The researchers included a vegetation overlay on the map to highlight the relationship between land-use and the landscape�s ecology.

In Paraguay, the project focussed on helping Indians draw detailed maps to communicate their indigenous knowledge of land and resource-use. The practical purpose of the research was to shed light on the extent and quality, in ecological terms, of the lands the Indians needed for subsistence. (This is now a major issue in Paraguay, where land is being given to Indians on an externally-determined amount of 100 hectares per family).

The project began from people's own practice of sketching maps on the ground. During daily conversations, these maps were drawn to describe the location of a particular site with reference to roads and man-made features. Indians were encouraged to add more detail to these maps and to try their hand at drawing them on paper. This process took on a life of its own, as the Indians started to produce maps independently.

PERIOD: From 1994 to 1996

SOURCES OF FUNDING: The project in Honduras was funded by Cultural Survival

Andrew P. Leake
University of Hertfordshire
E-mail: andrewleake@yahoo.com

For more information, please visit:

http://www.unesco.org/most/bpik26.htm

Original Press Release from GeoConnections

On September 12 and 13, 2007, over 70 First Nations technical and political staff gathered in Dakelh Territory (Prince George, BC) to view and discuss various systems First Nations have developed to manage referrals and land use planning issues. The goals of the workshop were to share best practices in land referral processes and tracking systems and build sustainability in the land stewardship information management process.

The workshop was organized by the First Nations Technology Council and the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, with funding from GeoConnections and the New Relationship Trust Foundation.

Representatives from First Nations and federal and provincial government agencies gave presentations, and break-out sessions were held to discuss referrals and land management issues. In the end, participants agreed to work together to develop new technologies and policies to help deal with referrals. Specifically, workshop participants developed recommendations related to three critical areas:

• Technology
• Operational policy and capacity building and training
• Strategic policy

Participants also recommended eight next steps to continue the progress begun during this workshop.

Details on the workshop and the final report can be found at:
http://www.cstc.bc.ca/cstc/84/fn+referral+workshop

This toolkit was developed by the First Nations Environmental Assessment Technical Working Group (FNEATWG).

The purpose of this toolkit is to assist First Nations in British Columbia (BC) whose Aboriginal rights and title and treaty rights may be affected by a project undergoing an EA. This toolkit is designed primarily for First Nations leadership, employees and communities. It is meant to provide information and practical advice that will help First Nations participate effectively in EA processes. It is hoped that this toolkit will help your First Nation develop strategies and decision-making processes that benefit your community and result in favourable outcomes from EAs.

The document is written primarily from a First Nation perspective. However, it also provides information on the perspectives of other participants in the EA process including project proponents, government regulators and decision-makers.

The underlying theme of this toolkit is full engagement in any EA process relevant to your community. It is only through effective participation that your First Nation can influence the EA process and outcome. By understanding the EA process, legislation, participating actively and having effective strategies, you are more likely to accurately represent your First Nation‘s interests.

Please visit the FNEATWG website to download an order form for the toolkit: http://www.fneatwg.org/toolkit.html

Human activities on land and in the ocean are changing coastal and marine ecosystems and threatening their ability to provide important benefits to society, such as healthy and abundant seafood, clean beaches, and protection from storms and flooding. Ecosystem-Based Management (EBM) is an innovative management approach to address these challenges. It considers all ecosystem components, including humans and the environment, rather than managing one issue or resource in isolation. Learn more about EBM.

• Providing models of ecosystems or key ecosystem processes.
• Generating scenarios illustrating the consequences of different management decisions on natural resources and the economy.
• Facilitating stakeholder involvement in planning processes.
  Learn more about EBM tools.

The EBM Tools Network is an alliance of EBM tool developers, practitioners, and training providers to develop EBM tools and support their use in EBM implementation in coastal and marine environments. Learn more about the EBM Tools Network.

http://www.ebmtools.org/