Metis land uses and Boreal Forest management in Northwest Saskatchewan: Contextualizing perception, culture and conflict.

摘要

This research describes Metis involvement in, and Metis perceptions of Boreal Forest management in Northwest Saskatchewan province, Canada. The study uses a total of 74 qualitative interviews to describe findings relevant to Metis traditional land uses, Metis involvement as stakeholders in forest policy and perceptions of forest policy outcomes. Using sociological theory frameworks that attend to the role of traditions, agency, power structures and social values I interpret the concerns highlighted by Metis research participants as well as underlying structures that form a basis for these concerns and local land-use conflicts. Local concerns over industrial degradation of the forest are found to be both literal and representative of other issues that address cultural continuity, socio-economic well-being and ethnic differences. Furthermore, the creation of social values as artifacts of both culture and environment are shown to have a strong influence on land use conflicts and as determinants of social power relations.