Eleventh International Conference on The Constructed Environment

Abstract

Planning and design that involves intercultural engagement and communication should be undertaken with a commitment to respect the cultural perspectives, needs and values of all participants. Recently, a recognized international principle for mine reclamation and closure is to engage the local host communities affected by the planning decisions. Currently, there is a lack of planning tools to support this endeavour. We therefore offer a ‘Co-Reclamation’ framework and associated tools collaboratively under development and evaluation with a First Nation and an oil sands company in the Fort McKay Traditional Territory, north-east Alberta, Canada. The landscape outcomes proposed by the framework and tools will be assessed for their acceptability to both the First Nation and company, and the impact it has on their relationship and trust. This presentation reviews an emerging co-created tool, called ‘the Cycle of Respect’, that guides co-researchers’ (i.e. First Nation, industry and academic participants) actions in support of the braiding of Cree, Dene and scientific knowledges and perspectives into planning decisions which affect the host community’s ability to sustainably use their traditional territory after reclamation and closure of oil sands projects are complete. This work demonstrates how an appropriate starting point for Indigenous engagement in planning and design is the establishment of ethical principles guided by traditional Indigenous decision-making processes for intercultural dialogue, knowledge exchange and application to occur.