Copyright © 2002 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

It is a time of change for the First Nations Environmental Network (FNEN). The FNEN is a grass roots, country wide network of First Nations people and groups who work to protect the land, the water, and the people. After years of working to create a good relationship between Native and non-natives within the Canadian Environmental Network, the group is leaving due to extreme frustration.

"We have found that we cannot maintain First Nation's cultural identity and work within the structure and system of the Canadian Environmental Network as it now stands," states Steven Lawson, National Coordinator. "We wanted to work with the non-natives as we felt working in unity would bring the best results regarding concerns for Mother Earth but time and time again, they have marginalized us."

In 1999, the CEN membership voted at an annual meeting, to restructure the Canadian Environmental Network in order to support full participation of First Nations people and Francophone. The FNEN had hoped the structure would reflect three canoes travelling down the same river: they would provide support for each other and head for the same goals but not steer each other's canoe. Both Native and non-natives were hopeful, but years of internal struggle within the CEN deterred any progress.

Environment Canada hired a consulting firm (The Institute on Governance) to propose a new structure. No FNEN recommended representatives were included in the study team and the FNEN was ignored in a process that was found to be prejudiced and biased. Where the FNEN had previously had two gender balanced representatives who shared one vote on the Steering Committee of 7, they now have one person on a council of 26 which then elect an executive that will basically run the organization. Funding for the FNEN remains at 3% of the overall budget. The CEN receives core funding of $600,000 annually from Environment Canada as well as more funding from contracts and consultations. The FNEN, which operates across the country, received the same funding as the PEI Environmental Network. These changes in restructuring were supposed to increase First Nations participation within the CEN.

"Displacing grass roots environmentalists in a governance process that isn't culturally effective is an unhealthy environment in which we don't want to continue. We have found closed doors and discrimination," Lawson concluded. "The need for First Nations to have a unique voice in CEN's processes had been supported by many of their own members, but the decisions that were made without our participation have left us no other avenue to turn within the organization."

The FNEN steering Committee, which is made up of members across the country, unanimously agreed it is time to withdraw from the Canadian Environmental Network despite ten years of effort to make it work.

"Integrating Traditional Knowledge into mainstream society is for us, an important goal and one which we had hoped the environmental community would endorse. Unfortunately, this has proved unworkable within the CEN. It has been a long and difficult relationship," reflected Lawson. "We do not know where FNEN will find funding to continue, but we are looking forward to building our network outside of CEN and the demands of another culture. It is the traditional teachings, our love for Mother Earth and our Spiritual connections to the land that will carry us forward."