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UBC Theses and Dissertations
Ancient values, new technology : emerging methods for integrating cultural values in forest management Lewis, John Llewellyn
Abstract
Although the planning techniques employed by foresters have grown increasingly sophisticated in recent years, the task of accommodating cultural values in resource management plans has become more, rather than less, problematic. This problem is particularly evident in resource management issues involving First Nation cultural values. In recent years, disputes over places such as Gustafsen Lake, Ipperwash, and Meares Island have found their way into the Canadian public's consciousness. At the heart of these controversies, there have been complaints involving not only unceded territory, but also the greater issue of culturally significant lands. Conflicts over culturally significant lands are so pervasive because resource management processes ignore cultural values often due to the fact that they are so difficult to incorporate within conventional modes of land management. This thesis reports on an initiative with the Cheam First Nation to explore their cultural perceptions of the land, and to identify the ways in which cultural uses of place are affected by resource management. In addition to documenting the land-based cultural values that involve identity in social groups, modes of material sustenance and spiritual activities, I have found that resource development activities contribute directly to the undermining of Native cultural values because they are so directly tied to the land and concepts of place. Moreover, I have made the unprecedented finding that effective cross-cultural communication between First Nations and resource managers can be impaired by placing land-use information in standard cartographic format. Three-dimensional visual models of the landscape are the most effective means of eliciting community reactions to management plans across several dimensions including cultural uses, aesthetics and spiritual values. In the concluding chapter, I have formulated a set of recommendations which posit that, if resource planning is to be functional in the realm of forest management and cultural preservation, then aboriginal communities that are affected by forestry decisions should possess an opportunity to participate in resource decision-making. However, to be effective, shared decision-making in forest management requires new and relatively untested tools for cross-cultural communication - e.g. a socio-cultural planning framework, landscape visualisation, etc. - that can facilitate the incorporation of cultural values into standard forest management methodologies.
Item Metadata
Title |
Ancient values, new technology : emerging methods for integrating cultural values in forest management
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Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
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Date Issued |
2000
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Description |
Although the planning techniques employed by foresters have grown increasingly
sophisticated in recent years, the task of accommodating cultural values in resource management
plans has become more, rather than less, problematic. This problem is particularly evident in
resource management issues involving First Nation cultural values. In recent years, disputes over
places such as Gustafsen Lake, Ipperwash, and Meares Island have found their way into the
Canadian public's consciousness. At the heart of these controversies, there have been
complaints involving not only unceded territory, but also the greater issue of culturally significant
lands.
Conflicts over culturally significant lands are so pervasive because resource management
processes ignore cultural values often due to the fact that they are so difficult to incorporate within
conventional modes of land management. This thesis reports on an initiative with the Cheam
First Nation to explore their cultural perceptions of the land, and to identify the ways in which
cultural uses of place are affected by resource management. In addition to documenting the land-based
cultural values that involve identity in social groups, modes of material sustenance and
spiritual activities, I have found that resource development activities contribute directly to the
undermining of Native cultural values because they are so directly tied to the land and concepts of
place. Moreover, I have made the unprecedented finding that effective cross-cultural
communication between First Nations and resource managers can be impaired by placing land-use
information in standard cartographic format. Three-dimensional visual models of the
landscape are the most effective means of eliciting community reactions to management plans
across several dimensions including cultural uses, aesthetics and spiritual values. In the
concluding chapter, I have formulated a set of recommendations which posit that, if resource
planning is to be functional in the realm of forest management and cultural preservation, then
aboriginal communities that are affected by forestry decisions should possess an opportunity to
participate in resource decision-making. However, to be effective, shared decision-making in
forest management requires new and relatively untested tools for cross-cultural communication -
e.g. a socio-cultural planning framework, landscape visualisation, etc. - that can facilitate the
incorporation of cultural values into standard forest management methodologies.
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Extent |
18888729 bytes
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Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
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Language |
eng
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Date Available |
2009-07-28
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Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
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Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
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DOI |
10.14288/1.0099543
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URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
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Graduation Date |
2001-11
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Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
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Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
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Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.