OHSWEKEN, November 16, 2017 – During its Indigenous Research Symposium today, Six Nations Polytechnic (SNP) announced a new website that will be used as a resource by Indigenous peoples and communities to access information on the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC).
Free Prior and Informed Consent is the inherent right Indigenous communities have to decide “yes” or “no” to mining, forestry, oil, gas, water, or other proposed external activities that would affect their lands, territories, and/or natural resources. Developed with and for Indigenous peoples, the website provides information and resources on FPIC as a tool of self-determination to assist communities in decision making.
The team that worked on the website has carefully selected articles, toolkits, videos, voice messages, and community stories about FPIC and consultation for users to view and download. The website is hosted by Deyohahá:ge - the Indigenous Knowledge Centre - at Six Nations Polytechnic in the territory of Six Nations of the Grand, Ohsweken, Ontario. Deyohahá:ge (Two Roads) is dedicated to bringing together two streams of consciousness – the ancestral Indigenous knowledge with the best of modern academic knowledge – in order to advance the overall well-being of all peoples.
The website was born from the partnership of several higher education research institutions, including Wilfrid Laurier University, Lakehead University, Université Laval, and Six Nations Polytechnic in Canada, with Universidad Austral in Chile to give access to Indigenous communities about the right to FPIC. As a result of the international and intercultural partnership, the web resources are available in English, Spanish, and French with the intention of providing Indigenous language resources in the future.
The website can be found by visiting www.fpic.info.
Quotes:
“We are excited to join Wilfrid Laurier and Lakehead University in this global-reaching project. Many communities are affected by industry expansion into their territories. We are hopeful that this resource will provide them with the information they need to empower themselves. “
- Tanis Hill, Senior Projects Coordinator, Deyohaha:ge, Six Nations Polytechnic
“We’ve developed the FPIC website with the priority of providing community friendly resources such as audio files, videos, infographics, as well as academic and legal documents on the right to Free, Prior and Informed Consent for Indigenous communities. We’re delighted that Deyohaha:ge:, as an Indigenous Knowledge Centre, will be hosting these resources for the world and look forward to an ongoing partnership with Six Nations Polytechnic.”
- Dr. Terry Mitchell, Professor, Laurier University
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