This presentation will focus on Marten Falls First Nation's (MFFN) experience as a proponent of the Marten Falls Community Access Road project in Ontario. The assessment of Aboriginal and/or Treaty Rights and Interests (ATRI) was undertaken while balancing responsibilities as a proponent, cultural sensitivity, and advancing self-determination. The panel will examine the complexities of conducting ATRI assessments as an Indigenous proponent for other Indigenous communities and organizations. The discussion would touch on questions such as “how can Indigenous proponents get comfortable assessing ATRI?” Panelists would share important perspectives on how MFFN's work contributes to shaping a future where Indigenous communities lead in the environmental sector as proponents, while upholding their own ATRI and the ATRI of others.
