The Earth Sciences Sector (ESS) is contributing to better knowledge and understanding of northern communities and the Aboriginal peoples who live in them by providing new maps, training, technology, and procedures for changing place names. The Sector also provides rural, Aboriginal, and northern communities with the tools and training to use modern mapping technologies for informed sustainable development decisions. Reliable and consistent geospatial information and well-defined property rights are an important part of development and investment in the North and the people who live there.

The Geomatics for Aboriginal Property Rights Infrastructure (GAPRI) program of ESS provides fundamental governance support to the First Nations' devolution process and contributes to the economic and social success of Aboriginal people. The program accomplishes these results by delivering and promoting a robust, reliable, and flexible property rights infrastructure. By ensuring that the extents of rights in land are well defined and that related land information is accessible and securely managed, this program supports investment in communities and sustainable development. The infrastructure supports other land-management activities, such as land-use planning and environmental protection.

Funding to Define Property Rights on Aboriginal Lands

ESS and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) signed several interdepartmental letters of agreement related to the GAPRI program. These agreements, along with incremental funding, allocated $8.83 million to support 14 GAPRI-related projects. These projects dealt with the boundary or cadastral component of property rights on existing or proposed Aboriginal lands. GAPRI works in collaboration with INAC, Aboriginal communities, and Aboriginal institutions such as the National Aboriginal Land Managers Association, the First Nations Land Management Act, Lands Advisory Board, and Indian Oil and Gas Canada. In addition, the Association of Canada Lands Surveyors continues to be a key partner by supplying professional geomatics services.

Project to Streamline Land Ownership on First Nation Reserves

GAPRI's Capacity Building-Cadastral Reform Project is a joint venture with INAC to integrate the Canada Lands Surveys Records with the Indian Land Registry. This project will provide a more efficient land transaction process, increase integrity in the land tenure system on First Nation's Reserves, reduce liability to the Crown, support the First Nations Lands Management Initiative and other self-government initiatives, and encourage more informed decision making by improving access to data at all levels of government. Recognizing the importance of this undertaking, both ESS and INAC have added resources and advanced milestones to complete the project ahead of schedule.

Working Towards Completing Land-claim Surveys

Progress continued on land surveys pertaining to the three comprehensive land claims in the North: the Nunavut Tunngavik land claim, the Sahtu Dene Métis Comprehensive Land Claims, and the Council for Yukon First Nations Comprehensive Land Claims. In addition to these claims, a new Land Claim and Self Government Agreement-the Tlicho, or Dogrib, claim in the Northwest Territories-was recently ratified and work on this claim should start in 2005-2006. ESS also worked on a small comprehensive claim in British Columbia.

Atlantic Client Liaison Unit Participates in Innu Healing Strategy

The Atlantic Client Liaison Unit (CLU) in Amherst, Nova Scotia, was involved in the Innu Healing Strategy, which has received national and international exposure. The unit was asked by INAC to participate on a team addressing the creation of an Indian Reserve for the community of Sheshatshiu. The Innu felt that this Indian Reserve would give them the tools they need to take charge of certain aspects of their healing. Working with INAC, Newfoundland and Labrador, Justice Canada, and the Innu to transfer private and crown lands that made up the entire village of Sheshatshiu, the CLU created a number of specialized maps and legal surveys. They also provided professional advice about the extent of the current property rights interests in the village.