Haida Land Use Vision

HAIDA LAND USE VISION (HLUV)

The Haida Nation has recently entered into a Land Use Planning process with
the province of British Columbia. The Haida Nation and the BC government are
co-chairing the forum which will be made up of representatives from various
interested parties, including conservation, mining, tourism, forestry, and
community sustainability, among others. The planning process is expected
to take fifteen months.

A key input into this process will be the Haida Land Use Vision. The Haida
Land Use Vision (HLUV) will guide the planning process. Together with the
HLUV, information will be incorporated from two technical bodies regarding
community well-being, forest practices, ecosystem restoration, and other
fields. The final product will then be turned back to the Haida Nation
and BC for decisions.

BACKGROUND
The Haida objectives and principles which guide the Haida Land Use Vision
are based upon our Aboriginal rights and title on Haida Gwaii and the resulting
responsibilities. In 1997, the Supreme Court of BC ruled:

Lands held pursuant to Aboriginal title cannot be used in a manner that is
irreconcilable with the nature of the attachement to the land which forms the
basis of the group's claim to Aboriginal title.

We have always used the land and ocean in careful, cautious ways that
provided for present and future generations and protected the ecosystems
that sustain us. We focus on what to leave, not what to take. Below are
some objectives and principles which will be incorporated into the Haida
Land Use Vision.

OBJECTIVES OF THE LAND USE PLANNING PROCESS:
Protect and restore the land and ocean ecosystems of Haida Gwaii -
the basis for Haida culture.

Protect and maintain Haida culture for present and future generations, including
the full range of our traditional and contemporary uses of the land and ocean.

Apply an ecosystem-based approach to the development of the strategic land
use plan, and to all activities sanctioned by the plan.

Develop an ecologically sustainable, community-based economy for Haida Gwaii
that operates within the inherent natural limits of the land and ocean ecosystems
that comprise Haida Gwaii, and provides for all residents of Haida Gwaii.