Review of 'Dérivation Eastmain-Opinaca-La Grande. Premier rapport d'environnement sur les parties aval des rivières détournées,' Cultural, Social and Economic Aspects

Abstract

This review examines the James Bay Energy Corporation's report "Derivation Eastmain-Opinaca-La Grande. Premier rapport d'environnement sur les parties aval des rivieres detournees." The JBEC is the Crown corporation responsible for planning and building the James Bay hydro-electric project. This review evaluates the methodological and factual foundations of the 'aspect humain' section of the JBEC report, and it questions the logical and analytical relationship between environmental assessments and human impacts which the report authors use. Numerous methodological and factual errors are found in the ‘aspect humain’ section of the report, and each error or omission is found to be neutral or in the direction of lowering the estimate and relative importance of Cree people’s use of and dependence on the land and the living resources of the area. This gives the appearance that the author(s) have written the report from the position of defending an evaluation that there is little, or declining, use of subsistence resources. The errors and omissions are so serious that the report does not give a satisfactory analysis of the actual extent of present Cree use of and dependence on the land. Analytically there is a confusion in the report between statements of environmental changes and statements of human and social impacts. The authors write as if the human implications are apparent once the environmental changes are predicted. Without an assessment of relations of environmental conditions to social needs, interests and values it is obviously not possible to know the significance of any change in a given environment for specific people. In other settings the James Bay Energy Corporation does make such connections readily and of necessity. For example, in its assessments for developing the hydroelectric project it argues how the technological innovativeness, knowledge, manpower, economic needs, values and way of life of southern Quebecois are affected in specific ways by the project and its positive transformation of the natural environment and social milieu. The absence of such socially specific considerations when writing of Cree people is therefore especially notable. It would appear to follow from the failure of the JBDC to conduct social research with Cree. This would require it to establish working relationships with Cree, and to involve them in planning processes. Without such relationships, and the access to information they could provide, this review indicates that no credible assessments or planning have or can be done.