Indigenous people 'losing their voice in the oilsands,' says stakeholder group

Hours after the provincial government announced it was giving Indigenous Albertans a bigger advisory role in environmental policy, a group representing Indigenous, local government and businessinterests in the oilsands complained the government has been doing the opposite.

The Cumulative Environmental Management Association (CEMA), a group comprised of more than 50 oilsands stakeholdersin industry, education and governmentsaid in a press release Wednesday that "Aboriginal people are losing their voice in the oilsands."

• Alberta launches Indigenous environment advisory panel

CEMAconducts environmental research and issues management plans that recommend ways oil companies can better adaptto soften their impacts on the environment and Aboriginal communities.

On Wednesday, Alberta Environment Minister Shannon Phillips formally introduced the Indigenous Wisdom Advisory Panel (IWAP).

The seven-member panel intends to offer a voice to Indigenous communities around the province when it comes to wide range of environmental monitoring, including in theoilsandsregion.

• Leaders vow to tackle Fort McKay air quality, odour complaints

Phillips said at the announcement the government has moved "many" ofthe former CEMA research initiatives in-house and no longer relies on the organization.

She also said the province is re-negotiating the Joint Oilsands Monitoring Program with the federal government, and a new agreement will offer a "substantive commitment" to community monitoring.

The ministry also said it would provide more detailsonwhy it pulled out of CEMA on Friday.

Unfinished work

CEMApresident Dan Stucklesssays he doesn't believethe government no longerrequires its services. Hesaid the province requested access to CEMA'sdatajust two months ago.

Stuckless said if the province was still a part of CEMA and provided a reliable source of funding, the organization could providehighly valuable research.

"There's this empty black hole or black box of unfinished work that doesn't seem to be getting done," Stuckless said. "And it doesn't seem to be a priority to anybody except for the greenhouse gas question."

CEMA vice-president Ann Dort-MacLean said First Nations and Mtis groups are particularly concerned about industry's water usage.

Communities such as Fort Chipewyan have complained for years about low water levels and poor water quality in the Peace-Athabasca Deltadownstream from the oilsands developments.

"People need to have confidence in their water," Dort-McLean said. "And with First Nations, they need to feel comfortable they can continue with their traditional lifestyle; that they can fish and that they can eat the fish."

CEMAlaid off seven workers when the government ended its fundingbut the organization still operates with a volunteer board.

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