Consultation

The SGI Protocol outlines how community members want and need to be consulted regarding matters impacting their inherent rights and titles. It represents an exercise of Sipekne’katik’s right to self-governance and self-determination.

Historically, environmental assessment processes have failed to adequately address the concerns of rightsholders, including in the case of Alton Gas. The SGI Protocol seeks to uphold the fiduciary duties owed by the Crown to rights-holders, on the one hand, and by Sipekne’katik Chief & Council to its members, on the other.

A six-phased regulatory process has been adopted to implement Sipekne’katik’s right to Free, Prior & Informed Consent.

The SGI Protocol is intended to structure the relationship between the Crown and Sipekne’katik on a nation-to-nation basis. Industry proponents cannot currently engage under the SGI Protocol, though we encourage businesses to review the SGI Protocol to understand Sipekne’katik’s approach to consultation.

Please note that Sipekne’katik is not a party to the 2010 Mi’kmaq-Nova Scotia-Canada Consultation Terms of Reference since exiting from the Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs in 2013. To address any legal consultation correspondence, all projects go through the SGI Protocol process.

The Crown should be aware that Sipekne’katik is a centralized community whose current members and kin were forcibly removed from their traditional territories throughout Mi’kma’ki. Thus, all projects proposed in the unceded and ancestral traditional territory of the Mi’kmaq could impact the ability of Sipekne’katik Mi’kmaq to exercise their inherent rights.

The Sipekne’katik Community Committee will support the SGI department in providing community input and expert advice at the initial stages of the project assessment. They will help identify potential impacts to the Mi’kmaq rights and title to assess whether consultation is required and at what level (low, moderate, deep). Chief & Council will also review the initial impact assessment report prepared by the SGI department to assist in this determination.

This review stage will occur prior to formal legal consultations with the Crown and the boarder community consultation process with all affected rightsholders. However, the Community Committee may elect to organize a meeting to present the proposed activities to community members and obtain their input. Technical experts and industry proponents may also participate in such meetings if invited by Sipekne’katik.

The Community Committee consists of eight members, four community knowledge holders, such as elders, youth, harvesters, and others, and four with experts in fields such as life sciences, geology, archaeology, law, history, and other relevant fields. Meetings will be held every four to six weeks.

If you are interested in participating in the Community Committee, please get in touch with the SGI Department.

• SGI Protocol

• Overview of the SGI six-phase approach to consultation

• SGI Protocol Consultation Guidebook

• SHI Application for Crown Proponents