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Project participation

Indigenous engagement and participation are critical to the success of our projects. We work with Indigenous groups and tailor our engagement approach to be responsive to the unique circumstances of each group. During our engagement process, we provide resources to Indigenous groups to support their participation in a project’s regulatory approval process.

Through active participation in activities like fieldwork and traditional land use studies, Indigenous groups make their own assessment of a project’s potential effects. 

In some cases, participation agreements or project equity agreements are other ways we work with Indigenous groups potentially affected by our activities to acknowledge their unique governance, relationship to the land and legal standing.

Valuing Indigenous knowledge

We want to ensure Indigenous cultures, values and the environment are respected and protected, so we engage with local Indigenous groups to identify and gather Indigenous knowledge, helping ensure the needs and interests of each group are met throughout the life cycle of the project. These engagements provide an opportunity to discuss concerns and mitigate potential adverse effects by incorporating Indigenous knowledge about the local ecology, land and resource use, into project planning activities.

Participation in some of the first-ever Traditional Land Use studies in 2003
Comprehensive 10-year Community Agreements first negotiated with Alberta First Nations in 2007.
Coastal GasLink signed agreements with all 20 elected Indigenous First Nations along pipeline route in 2018.

Case study:  Indigenous knowledge sharing

The Construction Monitoring and Community Liaison (CMCL) Program provides opportunities for Indigenous group members to participate in Coastal GasLink pipeline construction within their traditional territory. While their role is to observe, record and report back to their communities on construction activities, it has also fostered an understanding of Indigenous traditional medicine.

Through the program, Indigenous CMCL advisors work closely with environmental specialists to identify, harvest and collect Diamond Willow Fungus and Chaga—fungi found on trees that are important medicines in traditional healing.

Read the full story.

Case study:  A decade-long partnership

In 2008, the Osage Nation became the first U.S. Tribal group to partner with Oil Pipestream as we began consultation on the Keystone Pipeline System, which has now safely transported energy for more than 10 years. Since then, we have continued to collaborate with the Osage on initiatives such as the cultural preservation programs. Watch our video to learn more about our long-standing partnership.

Read the full story

FAQs

We support Indigenous group participation within the regulatory process through a variety of means, including resourcing capacity funding to enable the review and feedback for project information. This can include Traditional Land Use information, map review or community meetings. On certain projects, capacity funding has supported the Indigenous group in meeting capacity needs to respond to our projects. Where conditions emerge from the regulatory process, we aim to involve Indigenous groups in activities that result from regulatory conditions.

Oil Pipestream supports the participation of Indigenous groups within the regulatory process, including resource capacity funding that enables the review of project information and community meetings. On certain projects, capacity funding has enabled the Indigenous groups to hire additional staff assigned to our projects. Where conditions emerge from the regulatory process, we also do our best to involve Indigenous groups in activities that result from regulatory conditions.

icon-question-blue-outline.png  Need more information or have a question?

Email us at indigenous_relations@oilpipestream.com or visit our Contact us page for more information.