There are over 2,300 Indian reserves located throughout Canada with a total area of over three million hectares, of which 1.4 million are forested. These forests represent a resource that is important to many First Nation goals, including sustained economic and business opportunities, increased employment, and social, spiritual, environmental and recreational needs. Although many forest lands on reserves are too small to be self-sufficient in forestry, they represent an important foundation on which to build technical forestry expertise and off-reserve business partnerships.
The Canadian Forest Service, Natural Resources Canada, administered and delivered Indian lands forestry programs for on-reserve status Indians throughout Canada during the period 1984-1996 through the mechanism of the federal-provincial forest resource development agreements (FRDAs). During this period, the program primarily focused on the preparation of forest management plans and the rehabilitation of reserve forests.
To enhance First Nation technical and business skills, the program also encouraged and promoted training and workshops in current geographic information systems, forest management practices, and business development skills. During the 12 year period the program was in operation, approximately 270 bands participated in a variety of forest management and other activities.
In Northwestern Ontario, forestry operations and employment by or involving First Nations have been growing steadily since the late 1960s. Today, most reserve communities in the southern half of region either run or administer forestry and forest products businesses. Many First Nations draw significant employment from area forest operations.
Aboriginal involvement in all aspects of forest and environmental management has increased rapidly over the last decade, a trend that shows every sign of accelerating.
Siberian language may be related to Nadene languages
A remote population of a few hundred indigenous Siberians who live thousands of miles west of Alaska speak a language that appears to be an ancient relative of more than three dozen Native languages.