When Ya’ thi Néné was formally established in 2016, one of its central mandates was to assist in the Duty to Consult process and ensure that the voices and concerns of the Athabasca Denesųłiné were heard and taken into account every time government and industry wanted to develop in Nuhenéné.

Since October of 2019, we’ve been doing just that. Every time the Duty to Consult process is triggered by a potential project that may threaten a First Nations’ right to hunt, trap, gather, or fish, the company or government that proposed the project must consult with the communities impacted.

That’s where we come in. When the Nation is notified, so are we— and we begin immediately to make sure Treaty rights are safeguarded. We make sure the government fulfills its crown obligations and that impacted land users are consulted. We analyze the permit, we examine our Traditional Knowledge database, develop maps, and consult chief and council, land users, Elders and other community members.