This document outlines Nola Buhr's proposal to study the relationship between mining companies, Aboriginal peoples, and Impact Benefit Agreements (IBAs) in Canada. The study will focus on two uranium companies, Cameco and Cogema, and their IBAs with three First Nations communities in Saskatchewan's Athabasca Basin. The document provides background on Aboriginal peoples in Canada, the area of interest, Environmental Impact Assessments, and IBAs. It indicates the research will use a case study approach examining public documents and interviews related to Cameco's IBA with local stakeholders.

1. FILLING THE HOLE IN ENVIRONMENTAL
IMPACT ASSESSMENTS: MINING COMPANIES,
ABORIGINAL PEOPLES AND IMPACT BENEFIT
AGREEMENTS IN CANADA
Nola Buhr
Edwards School of Business
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
CSEAR St. Andrew’s 2010

2. OUTLINE
 Where I am at in the project
 Aboriginal peoples in Canada
 Area of interest
 Environmental Impact Assessments
 Impact Benefit Agreements
 Research methodology
 Where is the accounting?

3. WHERE I AM AT IN THE PROJECT
 At the proposal stage…..

4. ABORIGINAL PEOPLES IN CANADA
 3 groups of Indigenous peoples in Canada: Indian,
Métis and Inuit
 First Nations (FN) people identified with a
community; nearly all have land base
 FN Communities governed by the Indian Act with
Chief and Band Council
 615 First Nations communities in Canada with more
than 50 nations/cultural groups
 Almost two thirds of these communities have fewer
than 500 residents

5. ABORIGINAL PEOPLES IN CANADA
 Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples 1996
identifies 4 stages
 Separate worlds (prior to 1500)
 Contact and cooperation (1500 to 1812)
 Displacement and assimilation (1812 to 1969)
 Negotiation and renewal (1969 onwards)
 History has resulted in a unique relationship
between Aboriginal peoples and Canada

6. AREA OF INTEREST
 Athabasca Working group
 2 uranium companies
 Cameco and Cogema
 The 3 FN communities of the Athabasca Basin
 Black Lake Denesuline First Nation
 Fond du Lac Denesuline First Nation
 Hatchet Lake Denesuline First Nation
 Along with Camsell Portage, Wollaston Lake,
Uranium City and Stony Rapids

7. AREA OF INTEREST

8. AREA OF INTEREST

9. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
 Evaluation of the natural, social and economic
impact of major projects
 Required by environmental legislation in Canada
since the 1970s
 Meant to include:
 Community consultation
 Impact mitigation
 Monitoring of actual impacts
 A license to operate

10. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENTS
 What happens next….
 Need to compare actual impacts with hypothesized
impacts!
 Follow-up post “license granting” not done well!

11. IMPACT BENEFIT AGREEMENTS
 New institutional arrangements dealing with
environmental, social and economic outcomes
 Commitment to ensure positive socio-economic
benefits in addition to any negative impacts
 Contract a community and a company that provides
Aboriginal consent or support for a project to
proceed
 Also known as: participation agreements, benefits
agreements, supraregulatory agreements, benefits
sharing agreements

12. IMPACT BENEFIT AGREEMENTS
 Already a subject of study by the geography area
 For example: Masters thesis:
The Relationship between Environmental Agreements
and Environmental Impact Assessment Follow-up in
Saskatchewan’s Uranium Industry
by Jasmine Angie Birk

13. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
 Clearly a case study
 Focus on relationship between uranium mining
company Cameco (one of the world’s largest
uranium companies) and its stakeholders
 Use of public documents
 Open-ended interviews

14. WHERE IS THE ACCOUNTING?