Eco-Journal, v.17.3 May/June 2007Eco-Journal, v.17.3 May/June 2007
Sophia Bittern Rabliauskas. Photo by Tom Dusenbery
Submitted by Gaile Whelan Enns, Manitoba Wildlands
“We have quite a history—our people have survived off that land—so it´s important to us, there´s a very strong spiritual connection to the boreal forest. It´s quite alive, that´s how I see it, with the trees and the river and the animals and the fish that live in the river. It´s very vibrant.’ These are the words of Sophia Bittern Rabliauskas describing her home. Her efforts with her community, to secure permanent protection from development for the traditional lands of her people, have resulted in international recognition—in the form of a $125,000 award.
The Goldman Environmental Prize is awarded annually to six grassroots environmental heroes—one from each continent—and is the largest award of its kind in the world. This year, the North American prize was awarded to Sophia Rabliauskas, of Poplar River First Nation.
Recognition for her whole community
Sophia views the award as being recognition for her whole community, “It means a lot to our community. Our community is just 1,200 people—no one has ever heard of Poplar River—but I think we´ve put it on the map, because we´ve stood firm and strong in our commitment to get permanent protection for our traditional territory. It´s a great honour, and I´m really proud to accept it on behalf of my community and my people.’
The traditional territory of the Poplar River First Nation is located on the eastern side of Lake Winnipeg in Manitoba, and forms a significant part of Canada´s boreal forest.
Sophia is the only Manitoban to ever win the award; only four other Canadians have won the award in its 18-year history. Former Assembly of First Nations grand chief Matthew Coon-Come won in 1994 for a campaign to protect the Cree wilderness in Quebec from a hydroelectric mega project. Norma Kassi of the Gwich´in (2002), Bernard Martin (1999) and Colleen McCrory (1992) were the other recipients.
The story of Sophia´s involvement in grassroots protection efforts and Poplar River´s journey as a community to protect and manage their traditional lands can be traced back over two decades and is still in progress today.
The Elders of Poplar River told their sons and daughters that the Aboriginal wisdom wasn´t enough to protect the land and their way of life anymore. They worried loggers would come to cut down the trees and governments would dam the rivers without consulting them. They were strong in their belief that returning to the forest is the key to a healthier future.
“Our elders told us if we want to heal, we have to go back to the land. When we do, when you listen to the land, that is what you will find, that healing,’ Rabliauskas said.
In 1998, the community requested that their lands be protected through provincial regulation. Protection—on an interim basis—has been in place since 1999. Poplar River First Nation has formally requested that the Manitoba government take steps to make the protected status of their traditional lands permanent.
A say in the future of their traditional lands
At the same time, the community took direction from the Elders and began work to confirm that the land had a purpose beyond the bottom line, and to support the assertion that the people of Poplar River had a right to demand a say in the future of their traditional lands. This eventually evolved into the development of a comprehensive land protection and management plan—the Asatiwisipe Aki Lands Management Plan—a precedent-setting effort among First Nations in the world´s boreal region.
As Sophia puts it, “We wanted to have control of what happens in our territory—we didn´t want any development that would destroy our land. Over the years the whole community has been involved in developing the land-management plan, and it´s finally completed.’
Once Sophia Bittern Rabliauskas and Poplar River´s current efforts to secure permanent protection of their land from the Manitoba government are realized, they will focus their energy on another goal—achieving UNESCO World Heritage listing for a large boreal forest region in Manitoba and Ontario that encompasses Poplar River´s lands.