Colombian indigenous delegation visits NWT
Group meets with territorial government, Tlicho Government and K'atlodeeche First Nation
Emelie Peacock
Northern News Services
Friday, June 9, 2017
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Indigenous leaders from Colombia toured Yellowknife and surrounding communities this week to learn how NWT indigenous groups manage resources and government relations.
Antonio Lopez, left, Martha Peralta and Higinio Obispo enjoy the last day of their visits with NWT indigenous leaders for discussions on resource development and relationships with business and government. This is the second phase of the Indigenous to Indigenous Business and Legal Knowledge Exchange, the first phase saw leaders from the NWT visit Colombia. - Emelie Peacock/NNSL photo |
The visit was the second phase of a project that saw NWT leaders tour Colombia in 2015, including Yellowknives Dene First Nation Chief Ernest Betsina.
The Indigenous to Indigenous Business and Legal Knowledge Exchange brought the Colombian delegation north to meet with the territorial government, K'atlodeeche First Nation and Tlicho government.
"It really revitalized us to go out into the territories," said Higinio Obispo, secretary general of the National Indigenous Organization of Colombia (ONIC).
"All the cultural history and the traditions and their own history that they told us about - we've experienced similar situations."
Obispo found the spiritual connection was strong, despite the physical distance.
The group learned about how indigenous groups in the NWT govern and manage their resources.
Obispo said he plans to take home to Colombia what he's learned about the management, training and education processes the First Nations groups have established, their relations with other sectors and the creation of indigenous-owned companies.
ONIC lawyer and liaison officer Martha Peralta found her delegation shared many concerns with the First Nations groups they met with.
"Here they have the same world view of protecting nature and our relationship with Mother Earth," she said.
Antonio Lopez is an anthropologist who assists communities in Colombia in designing their development, social and environmental projects.
He said the visit showed him how indigenous groups in the NWT have developed relationships with resource extraction companies and also with the federal government.
"[The goal] is to find a balance and equitable relationship with the mining and extraction industries," he said. "In Colombia, 65 per cent of mining investment comes from Canada, and here we've found important experiences in the changing relationships between those communities and those companies."
The Indigenous to Indigenous Business and Legal Knowledge Exchange organizers developed the project to study negotiations between Northern Canadian First Nations and mining companies in order to bring ideas back to Colombia.
The delegation returned home to South America yesterday.
