The Athabasca oil sands, more commonly known as the Alberta tar sands, are large deposits of heavy crude oil in the North Easterly reaches of Alberta. According to Alberta Energy, the oil sands are the third largest crude oil reserves in the world. Only two countries, Saudi Arabia and Venezuela, possess reserves greater than Canada (Alberta Energy, 2012). Arguably, the capital gained from exporting Athabasca bitumen or crude oil (a form of petroleum) promotes job and economic growth, and also contributes royalties toward Albertan education and healthcare. On the other hand, the growing reliance on the Athabasca oil sands makes the Canadian economy incredibly susceptible to collapses in global oil prices. Furthermore, the region immediately
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For example, 31 different species of fish and a variety of animal habitats exist around the river. Because of water contamination, these species are now at risk (Greenpeace, 1). Normally, indigenous populations would use the animals as a natural food source. Instead, water contamination depletes the local ecosystem. As discussed in lecture, land and resources are more than just marketable commodities (Latulippe, 2015). The Canadian government justifies the contamination of the Athabasca River by citing federal legislation like The Northwest Irrigation Act of 1894, or land transfers like the Natural Resources Transfer Act of 1930 (Passelac-Ross & Buss, 2011). However, it is most likely that indigenous populations did not agree with the terms and/or were not comfortable with western customs.
Unfortunately, the legal and political structures in place “justify” the continuation of the Alberta tar sands, despite the contamination of the Athabasca River. It is this dichotomy between legal justification and indigenous exploitation that will frame the upcoming paper. In other words, the upcoming paper will question the ways in which Canadian (federal and provincial) governments systematically disadvantage indigenous populations along the Athabasca River through water …show more content…
Because this paper will focus heavily on public policy and law, I do not want my thesis to get lost in heavy terminology. By using McCreary’s article, my thesis can bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary practices of the Athabasca indigenous populations. By combining indigenous culture with Canadian law, McCreary provides an important narrative to indigenous affairs in Alberta. It is with this narrative that my thesis can provide a culturally sensitive approach to the serious issue of water contamination and
For example, 31 different species of fish and a variety of animal habitats exist around the river. Because of water contamination, these species are now at risk (Greenpeace, 1). Normally, indigenous populations would use the animals as a natural food source. Instead, water contamination depletes the local ecosystem. As discussed in lecture, land and resources are more than just marketable commodities (Latulippe, 2015). The Canadian government justifies the contamination of the Athabasca River by citing federal legislation like The Northwest Irrigation Act of 1894, or land transfers like the Natural Resources Transfer Act of 1930 (Passelac-Ross & Buss, 2011). However, it is most likely that indigenous populations did not agree with the terms and/or were not comfortable with western customs.
Unfortunately, the legal and political structures in place “justify” the continuation of the Alberta tar sands, despite the contamination of the Athabasca River. It is this dichotomy between legal justification and indigenous exploitation that will frame the upcoming paper. In other words, the upcoming paper will question the ways in which Canadian (federal and provincial) governments systematically disadvantage indigenous populations along the Athabasca River through water …show more content…
Because this paper will focus heavily on public policy and law, I do not want my thesis to get lost in heavy terminology. By using McCreary’s article, my thesis can bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary practices of the Athabasca indigenous populations. By combining indigenous culture with Canadian law, McCreary provides an important narrative to indigenous affairs in Alberta. It is with this narrative that my thesis can provide a culturally sensitive approach to the serious issue of water contamination and