A recent column in this space argued that the stance of First Nations on Enbridge's Northern Gateway pipeline is misguided, to put it politely.
I will not pursue the entire content of the column but I would like to quote one small portion: "it is you [First Nations]... who have forgotten the basis of our relationship with the Canadian people: trade."
Perhaps this speaks to the heart of the response to Enbridge's pipeline. The basis of any relationship is not trade or economics or money.
It can never be.
The basis of a relationship is mutual respect and trust. Think about it. From a very simple transaction in a store to multinational treaties, our relationships are all about trusting the other parties involved.
For example, if I go into a store to purchase a jug of milk, I pay for it with a piece of paper. Implicit in this transaction is the retailer's trust that the promissory note I am handing him or her is worth something. We call these notes money and we exchange them freely with each other.
But money only works because we all trust that the money we are paid for our labours or the goods that we sell will, in turn, allow us to purchase the goods and services that we need. When faith in money falls apart, the whole economic system collapses.
This has happened many, many times throughout history and as recently as this year in some parts of the world.
Even if you take money out of the equation, any relationship must be built on mutual respect and trust.
If I offer you my car in exchange for, say, your boat, you might or might not think that it is a good deal. Whether or not you accept the deal will likely depend on whether or not you think that I am trustworthy - that I am acting as an honest broker.
Is my car worth as much as your boat? Is there something wrong with my car that I am willing to trade it? Am I trying to pull a fast one? Is there some hidden value in your boat that you do not recognize?
In the end, if you respect me and trust that I am being honest, we may have a deal. But it is the relationship between us that must come first. Trade is possible because of a relationship of mutual respect and trust.
If we then cast the relationship between First Nations and Canada in this light, the question becomes do we have a relationship that is built on mutual respect and trust?
I am not aboriginal. I have no idea what the answer would be. I even suspect that the answer would be different for different groups and may even be different for each individual person.
However, for a relationship to be sustainable, it cannot simply be about money. No amount of money will truly buy someone's trust. Mutual respect is earned by informed and engage interactions.
In effect, this is what I see the duty to consult being all about. Developing a lasting, respectful relationship. Yes it should be mutually beneficial, but it is the relationship that is important.
When the Europeans moved into the Americas, there were many instances where trust was abused. At the time, European society held that anyone that wasn't European was somehow inferior or a lesser human. It is a blemish on our history but not one that we can afford to ignore.
Europeans, for the most part, took what they needed. However, in British Columbia, through the efforts of both First Nations and Europeans, some relationships did develop in which mutual respect and trust existed. It was these relationships that opened the possibility of trade.
Each treaty that was signed was negotiated in good faith, with the belief that both parties would uphold the terms and conditions. Each agreement depended on believing that the other side would honour their commitments.
Over the past 300 or so years, we have developed relationships between various groups - among them, First Nations people and Canada.
But that doesn't mean that those relationships are a done deal. Like any good relationship, they require constant care and attention. They require maintenance. And they are not transferrable.
If the resource community wants to develop the untapped potential that is in northern British Columbia, then they must first establish their own relationship with all of the First Nations. And that relationship must be built on mutual respect and trust.
Enbridge's Northern Gateway Pipeline project might have seemed like a good idea at the time, but having a good idea is not enough. Getting others to believe in the idea is equally important.
For that to occur, you first need to build a relationship based on mutual respect and trust.
