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Title: Expanding the mine, killing a lake: A case study of First Nations' environmental values, perceptions of risk and health.
Contributors: Jessica Place (author), Neil Hanlon (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: In recent years, uncertainty concerning the long term future of British Columbia's forest industry has led to renewed interest in the mining sector as a means of generating economic growth. However, the development of new operations has raised concerns around the impacts of mining activities on the environment, health and traditional ways of life of First Nations peoples. Using the proposed expansion of the Kemess mine in northern British Columbia as a case study, my research examines two First Nations' perspectives regarding the regulatory process through which environmental values may be validated and protected, and seeks to understand how First Nations' environmental values and perceptions of risk are connected to health and well-being. This case study finds that the environmental values of local populations and the perceived risks associated with resource development are neither well understood nor are they felt to be adequately addressed in environmental impact assessment (EIA) or consultative processes. As a result, health and well-being are undermined. --P.i.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2007

Title: The Changing Governance of Rural Regional Development: A case study of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition.
Contributors: Chelan Zirul (author), Greg Halseth (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Traditional approaches to rural regional development in Canada and in British Columbia have been dominated by senior government involvement through program and policy development, initiation, and support. However, as governments have come under neoliberal influence since the 1980s, such programs, policies, and supports are actively being broken down. This has resulted in changes to the scale and structure of rural regional development governing in BC. This case study of the Cariboo-Chilcotin Beetle Action Coalition (C-CBAC) examines one regional governance organization. Two research questions are central to this thesis. First, given the devolution of rural regional development governance to local levels, to what extent is C-CBAC representative of dominant trends in Canadian rural regional development? Second, against the background of a history of regional activity in the Cariboo-Chilcotin, a transition towards neoliberal policies, and the emergence of the MPB epidemic, what factors have assisted or impeded the formation of C-CBAC? This research determines that C-CBAC was devolved the responsibility of rural regional development planning in the Cariboo-Chilcotin and this is representative of dominant trends in Canadian rural regional development. The research also determines that the mountain pine beetle was the chief factor in C-CBAC's formation, but that the region's history of working together and transition towards neoliberal policies supported their formation. However, this thesis also determines that the same factors which facilitated C-CBAC's formation also hindered it formation. First, the mountain pine beetle as a crisis situation was not able to sustain interest on behalf of regional stakeholders or senior governments. Second, the region's history of working together resulted in one group of repetitive regional leaders and excluding others. Finally, the transition towards neoliberal policies resulted in C-CBAC not having the financial or policy control required to implement their development plans. Th
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2011

Title: Historical migration patterns in the Upper Fraser region, British Columbia.
Contributors: Kyle Kusch (author), Greg Halseth (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Between 1920 and 1990, the Upper Fraser region of British Columbia experienced a period of rapid socio-economic change in which numerous small communities developed, boomed, busted, and faded away. The fortunes of these towns largely revolved around the existence of sawmills, which began to close in the 1960s as the lumber industry consolidated. Many different types of migration to and from the region occurred during this period, affected by various social, economic, and geographic factors. This thesis examines the factors that affected migration in the region. In 2000 and 2005, two sets of oral history interviews were conducted with current and former residents who lived in the Upper Fraser region during the 1945 and 1975 period (the peak years of sawmill operations in the region). Many of the questions posed revolved around issues of migration, including why residents migrated to the area, where they came from, and reasons for their departure. This research compares the results of the two sets of interviews and displays the results using data-intensive descriptive mapping techniques. Results indicate that most residents arrived from the Prairie provinces and Nordic Europe in search of employment, and were prompted to leave because of forest industry consolidation, lack of employment opportunity outside the lumber industry, and lack of educational facilities in the region. Rather than declining directly with sawmill closures, populations often sank in advance of mill closures when people perceived that there was no economic or social viability left in the community, and could not see a future for these places. The improvement of transportation in the 1960s also expedited this process. While this thesis does not provide exact statistics on demographics and migration volume, it contributes to a better understanding of the migration dynamics as well as the social conditions in the region, and demonstrates both the similarities and differences between the Upper Fraser region and other resource hinterlands.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2009

Title: Networks and partnerships in a resource town: A case study of adapting to an aging population in Mackenzie, B.C.
Contributors: Rachael Clasby (author), Neil Hanlon (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Adapting to an aging population has become a priority for communities in Canada's resource hinterland, as seniors require specific infrastructure and services to allow them to age-in-place. The ways in which each community responds to these emerging needs is unique and place-specific. In an atmosphere of economic and welfare restructuring, the perceptions of population aging and its implications from those involved in local governance are explored in a case study of Mackenzie, a remote forestry-based community in Northern BC. This study analyzed qualitative data from 33 key informant interviews across the public, private and voluntary sectors between May and June 2005. These data provided valuable insights into three research questions guiding the thesis: how local leaders frame issues of population aging, their perceptions of the allocation of responsibilities for meeting seniors' needs, and experiences and impressions of working together to accomplish collective action. Overall, the interview results suggested that adapting to an aging population in Mackenzie will take time as local leaders are operating in a context of change influenced by economic and social restructuring. What is apparent from this study is that local leaders are well situated to address community issues through their networks and partnerships that draw on social capital and social cohesion when working together.--P.ii.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2008

Title: Narratives of negotiation: Transnational marriage migration in northern British Columbia.
Contributors: Courtney LeBourdais (author), Catherine Nolin (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: In this thesis, I examine the everyday and particular experiences of seven foreign brides residing in three resource-based communities in northern British Columbia (Prince George, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek), during 2009 and 2010. The intent of my research is to understand how foreign brides' experiences of marriage, migration, settlement and integration influence their reestablishment of sense of self, belonging, place and identity in new and complex environments. Globalization and advancements in communication technologies have shifted the scope and scale of marriage migration to include new players and encompass new landscapes however, the frequency of this practice and the experiences of foreign bridges are often unknown or misunderstood given that no formal monitoring system exists. As such, it is necessary to examine the hidden avenue' (Nolin 2011) of migration to rural and remote communities within northern British Columbia (BC), as this setting poses limited access to services and cultural networks which can exacerbate foreign bride's already vulnerable sponsorship status and expose increased opportunities for mistreatment and abuse. Thus, to explore foreign brides' experiences in this landscape, I utilize Abu-Lughod's ethnographies of the particular' (1991) and Nolin's transnational ethnographies' (2006) as methodological approaches to inform the use of in-depth interviews, Photovoice, and photo elicitation techniques. Findings presented include the identification of four central points of negotiation: i) Marital Relationships ii) Family Dynamics iii) Reestablishment of Independence and Agency and iv) Cultural Refueling Opportunities and Transnational Connections. By identifying how public and private negotiations shape individual motivations, agency, self-determination, and reinvention, I illustrate how multi-sited and multi-scaled power dynamics influence the reestablishment of foreign brides' sense of place and identi
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2014

Title: Devolution and post-secondary education: Challenging First Nations geo-legal spatiality.
Contributors: Melissa Louise Baxter (author), Gail Fondahl (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: No abstract available.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2006

Title: Little boats and big concerns? Seeking a balance between ecotourism and motorboat use in Tortuguero, Costa Rica.
Contributors: Nicholas R. Ehlers (author), Zoe A. Meletis (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Motorboat use in ecotourism is not a typical tourism-related research focus. This interdisciplinary study addresses local concerns about ecotourism-related motorboat use in Tortuguero, Costa Rica, a popular and relatively isolated ecotourism destination. My study contemplates related impacts and management suggestions by incorporating social and physical science methods, tools, and techniques including: a custom Boat Observations and Traffic Evaluations (BOTEs) protocol, semi-structured interviews, and erosion-related measures of Total Suspended Solids (TSS). My results highlight respondent concerns regarding high levels of motorboat use, captains traveling at fast speeds, and increased erosion. From the results, I derived eight management-oriented suggestions, including local respondents' most frequent recommendation: the introduction of local motorboat speed limits. To address these recommendations in the future, management should prioritize reducing negative social and environmental boat use-related impacts--an essential undertaking in seeking a balance between ecotourism and motorboat use in Tortuguero. --Leaf i.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2012

Title: "Overlap": Causes and implications of contested indigenous claims to territory in the context of the BC treaty process.
Contributors: R. G. Christopher Turner (author), Gail Fondahl (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The BC treaty process employs a model of claims negotiation new in the Canadian experience. Contrary to long-standing federal claims policy, treaties are being settled in areas where multiple indigenous groups lay claim to the same territory. Drawing on theories of human territoriality, critical legal geography, and indigenous geography, this thesis examines the indigenous socio-spatial identities at work within (and beyond) the BC treaty process, the spatial dimensions of aboriginal rights as articulated by Canadian courts, and BC Supreme Court actions that have arisen because of overlapping claims. Two overarching goals of the BC treaty process are to achieve certainty of jurisdiction and to avoid aboriginal rights litigation. This thesis concludes that insufficient Crown and judicial engagement with the issue of overlapping claims undermines both of these goals. --P. ii.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2012

Title: Mercury, sulfur-metabolizing bacteria and organic matter in the sediments of subarctic Kusawa Lake, Yukon.
Contributors: Jocelyn Anne Joe-Strack (author), Ellen L. Petticrew (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Recent studies of Arctic and Subarctic environments have detected rising levels of natural and anthropogenic mercury (Hg), putting northern residents at risk for Hg exposure. Within lake sediments, Hg can be methylated by certain species of Sulfate-Reducing Bacteria (SRB), a subset of Sulfur-Metabolizing Bacteria (SMB). This research assessed the controls of Subarctic SRB Hg-methylation in proglacial Kusawa Lake, Yukon, Canada. Kusawa was found to be oligotrophic, with very low primary productivity and an orthograde oxygen profile, conditions that inhibit Hg-methylation. In addition, the SMB proportion of total bacteria was small (1.9x10⁻³ %), no known SRB Hg-methylators were detected, the total Hg sediment concentration was 0.022 ± 0.0009 μgg⁻¹ (±SE) and methylmercury was undetectable. The results support previous research that suggests the factors influencing SRB Hg-methylation in Kusawa Lake are: (i) the rate of algal-derived Hg-scavenging, (ii) the sediment concentration of total Hg and (iii) the diversity of sediment SRB.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2015

Title: Locally defined measures of successful forest co-management: A case study of Tl'azt'en Nation and the John Prince Research Forest.
Contributors: Sarah E. Quinn (author), Gail Fondahl (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: In Canada, First Nations rights and title to lands and resources have been recognized however, reconciliation of land use conflicts has proven difficult. Co-management is emerging as a potential process for sharing authority between First Nations and others, though evaluative tools are required. This thesis builds on research by UNBC and Tl'azt'en Nation on adaptive forest co-management of the John Prince Research Forest. Through a case study, it presents a method for working with local First Nations to develop measures of co-management success. The method engages 'local experts' through a modified Nominal Group Technique, with an iterative, participatory approach. Results include a set of locally-defined measures on cultural revitalization, characteristics of effective Tl'azt'en measures, and a method evaluation. The method successfully engaged participants in generating effective measures, and constructive participant feedback was received. Implementation of a monitoring program by the John Prince Research Forest is required prior to complete evaluation.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2008

Title: Teaching through toponymy: Using indigenous place-names in outdoor science camps.
Contributors: Karen Ann Heikkila (author), Gail Fondahl (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This study examines the potential of Dakelh place-names as a tool for educating Tl'azt'en children and youth about the Tl'azt'en ancestral past, the Dakelh language and places on the land that have sustained Tl'azt'enne for generations. --P.i.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2007

Title: The influence of glacier change on sediment yield, Peyto Basin, Alberta, Canada.
Contributors: Theodore John Mlynowski (author), Brian Menounos (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The relation between sediment yield and glacier fluctuations at timescales less than a century remains uncertain. The primary goal of this study was to assess the influence of glacier activity on sediment yield within the Peyto Lake watershed. The research focused on a small alpine watershed in the Rocky Mountains of Alberta containing Peyto Glacier and the proglacial Peyto Lake. Using photogrammetric methods I determined changes in length, area, and volume of Peyto Glacier from a topographic survey map (1917) and 18 sets of aerial photographs (1947-2005). I also collected 18 sediment cores from Peyto Lake that consists of laminated, silt-clay couplets which can be shown through ¹³⁷Cs activity to be clastic varves. Varve thickness and sediment properties were combined to produce an annual record (1917-2010) of specific sediment yield (SSY) for the watershed. I then compared the SSY record to dimensional changes of Peyto Glacier as well as available mass balance records, hydrometric records, and climate records over the study period (1917-2010). Over the period 1917-2005, Peyto Glacier retreated 2198 ± 18 m, shrank 4.0 ± 0.9 km², thinned 44 ± 31 m, and lost 581 ± 404 x 10⁶ m³ water equivalent (w.e.). I measured an additional 85 ± 4 x 10⁶ m³ w.e. of ice loss from thinning ice-cored moraines adjacent to the glacier. Over the period 1917-2005 SSY averaged 446 ± 176 Mg km²yr⁻¹, which is among the highest measured yields in the Canadian Cordillera; however, this value is relatively low for glaciated basins worldwide. The SSY record has a poor relation to short-term dimensional changes of Peyto Glacier, likely due to the complexity of sediment transfers in proglacial environments. Long-term trends in SSY are hypothesized to arise from increasing (1870-1940) and decreasing (1970-2010) glacier contribution to streamflow over the past century.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2014

Title: Modelling the distribution of advance regeneration in lodgepole pine stands in the Central Interior of British Columbia.
Contributors: Darin Warren Brooks (author), Phil Burton (Thesis advisor), Roger Wheate (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: The recent mountain-pine beetle outbreak in the Central Interior of British Columbia is leaving unsalvaged stands with minimal silvicultural treatment, raising questions about their ability to regenerate and the implications of this uncertainty to future timber supply and habitat values. No system currently exists to predict, on a landscape level, which pine stands will have adequate stocking of advance regeneration suitable for release upon canopy death. My research takes a ground-truthed, landscape-level approach to modelling, predicting, mapping, and prioritizing stands for salvage or rehabilitation. The resulting model, derived from recursive partitioning of data from 964 sample plots, created a landscape level output with a predictive accuracy of 78%. Across the Sub-Boreal Spruce study area, I estimate that 58% of mature pine-leading stands (approximately 840,000 ha) are likely or very likely to be stocked with at least 600 stems/ha of living understory trees. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2013

Title: Entropy debt: A link to sustainability?
Contributors: Caroline von Schilling (author), Darwyn Coxson (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Despite popular awareness of our human impact on the natural environment, anthropogenic environmental degradation continues today. Yet, a science of sustainability is emerging that seeks to better understand the relationships between humans and the natural environment. Some of this research views municipalities, cities, and nations through the conceptual lens of open systems thermodynamics, and specifically, the theory of dissipative structures. The theory of dissipative structures holds that the 'structure' of open systems, i.e. complexity, requires a constant throughput of energy, which 'dissipates' energy gradients in the environment external to the system. This is the 'entropy debt' of system complexity, which is necessitated by the Second Law of Thermodynamics. The theory of dissipative structures provided this research with a conceptual opportunity to highlight and, using surrogate measure, analyse the relationship between municipal 'structure', the energy drawn from the natural environment required to maintain the structure, and the resulting cost to the natural environment of doing so. Examples of surrogate measures included, population characteristics (i.e. structure), fossil fuel consumption (i.e. energy throughput), and air contaminants (i.e. entropy debt). Five similarly constrained British Columbia municipalities with similar population sizes were investigated to determine a) how the theory of dissipative structures could effectively be operationalized, and b) if doing so could elucidate systemic drivers of anthropogenic environmental degradation. An analysis of the surrogate data revealed that some structural characteristics, such as population density and infrastructure type, appeared to correspond with higher or lower surrogate measure of entropy debt. The findings encourage researchers to further develop the analogical model of this research into an applied model capable of measuring progress toward or away from sustainability.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2010

Title: Planning for resilience: A case study of Kitimat, BC.
Contributors: Jennifer Herkes (author), Greg Halseth (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Kitimat, British Columbia was the first comprehensively planned town in the province. Built in 1954 to house the workers of Alcan, it was planned to be a town with strong social cohesion, a high quality of life, and resilient to change over time. The physical plan intended to encourage interaction while the social plan was meant to solidify those bonds, thereby developing social cohesion and community capacity supports for the town to potentially remain resilient. A triangulated research approach combines an historical analysis of Statistics Canada data, mapping techniques, as well as focus group and key informant interviews. Information obtained through the focus group and interviews is reviewed to understand the affects of the physical plan on the people and the community, and the data are further explored to determine what, if any, other factors influenced the development of social cohesion and resilience in Kitimat. With a better understanding of what encourages and prohibits interaction and the development of a sense of community, policies and plans can be developed to allow for the development of structures that encourage interaction and minimize those that inhibit it. The findings suggest that the physical organization of Kitimat encourages interaction and serves to support the development of social cohesion. Social cohesion is further developed through relationships based on factors such as ethnicity, job-type, length of residence, and interests. --P. ii.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2010

Title: Housing, health, and social inclusion of older people on low income in Prince George, BC.
Contributors: Anne Hogan (author), Greg Halseth (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Many older people with low incomes live in rental housing because they cannot afford to own a home. They often pay more for rental housing than they can afford. Older women and people with disabilities or chronic health conditions face additional difficulties in finding affordable rental housing. Older people with low incomes often have insufficient funds for food, transportation, and other necessities after they have paid their rent and utilities. Without transportation, they many become socially isolated. Incomes, housing, and social inclusion are all determinants of population health. For my thesis, I used ethnographic in-depth interviews and interviews with key informants to examine the impact of rental housing on the self-perceived health status, and social inclusion of older people living on low incomes in Prince George. Results show that incomes, housing, and social inclusion are inter-related. Low incomes were the primary cause of stress among participants. Low incomes, combined with rental housing costs, led to inadequate nutrition, lack of dental care, and potential social isolation. Participants felt their health was affected as a consequence.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2009

Title: La Voz del Pueblo: Maya Consultas and the Challenge of Self-Determination for Socially Responsible Investment in the Mining Sector.
Contributors: John-Paul Laplante (author), Catherine Nolin (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: In Guatemala, the consulta comunitaria recently emerged as a process for local communities to resist mining and other extractive industries in the absence of government consultation. Approximately one million people in more than 76 of these plebiscites said no' to mining or other extractive projects since 2005. This case study examines the perspectives of consulta organizers from three Maya communities in Guatemala's western highlands who rejected the presence of Canada's Goldcorp, Inc. Interviews between May and November 2010 asked the organizers about the movement and the role of Goldcorp's socially responsible investor (SRI), the Ethical Funs, to promote indigenous rights. Employing a critical geographic approach to examine the consultas as an exercise of power and indigenous self-determination, the analysis found that consulta organizers were motivated by the historic and ongoing exclusion of their communities from the priorities of government, the proximity of the mineral licenses to their communities and the potential negative environmental and social impacts from mining. The organizers had no knowledge of SRIs and the lack of knowledge reveals a corporate social responsibility (CSR) gap that is the product of asymmetrical information distribution between investors and affected communities. I conclude that the consultas challenge the discourse of CSR by demanding explicit respect for the right to free, prior and informed consent, and represent a boundary condition for CSR where a local action creates geographic limits on where CSR, as practiced by the mining industry, is welcome. --Leaf ii.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2015

Title: Negotiating the production of space in Tl'azt'en Territory, 1969-1984
Contributors: Philip Kluane Morris (author), Gail Fondahl (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: Henri Lefebvre has suggested that through social practices which visualize, administer, and use lands and resources, a society produces the space in which it operates. He emphasized the heterogeneity of social space and argued that it is a group's political power which determines its ability to influence the production of space. Historical geographers have described the means by which Europeans created new geographies in British Columbia, but little attention has been paid to the role Native people may have played in the production of space. There is a need to recognize pre- and post-contact Native spatiality and its influence on the legal and social spaces of British Columbia. Prior to the arrival of Europeans in central British Columbia, the territory of the Tl'azt'en people was a social and political landscape. Gradually Euro-Canadian visualization, administration and uses of land and resources were superimposed on Tl'azt'en space. Yet Tl'azt'en spatiality was never totally erased. As a result, Tl'azt'en territory can neither be viewed as a space which reflects purely the Tl' azt'en, nor purely the EuroCanadian, production of space. Instead the territory is made up of shared spaces and hybrid spaces which resulted from the interaction of Tl' azt' en and Euro-Canadian societies. The Tl'azt'en's ability to influence the production of space varied with their political power but never completely disappeared. The potential continued to exist for Tl ' azt' en spatiality to influence the production of space in their territory if they gained more political power. The social processes involved in the production of space are perhaps most visible when two parties are negotiating the allocation and management of lands and resources. In the 1970s the Tl' azt'en were engaged in negotiations with the Pacific Great Eastern/British Columbia Railway and the Provincial Government over the construction of a railway through their traditional territory. The Tl' azt'en used their Indian Reserve rights and threats of blockades to create a political space in which they could engage the Government in negotiations over the administration of lands and resources in their territory. The parties reached an agreement by which the Tl'azt'en acquired thirty-five new reserves and a Tree Farm License. Through these negotiations Tl'azt'en social and economic goals were inscribed to a significant degree within the spatial organization of the territory. Like current treaty negotiations, the negotiations between the Provincial Government and the Tl' azt' en in the 1970s involved compromises by both parties, and resulted in the creation of new hybrid social spaces which reflected the goals and strategies of both groups.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 1999

Title: The Tahltan Nation and our consultation process with mining industry: How a land use plan might improve the process.
Contributors: Christine Amber Creyke (author), Gail Fondahl (Thesis advisor), Greg Halseth (Thesis advisor), University of Northern British Columbia (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: First Nations' participation in resource development projects is continuously changing. Some would argue that it is improving the situation for First Nations and their communities, while others would argue that First Nations still lack meaningful decision-making regarding the land on which we live. This thesis focuses on ways in which First Nations, more specifically the Tahltan First Nation, might improve consultation processes with government, industry, as well as internal consultation between leadership and membership. In undertaking this research, I show the Tahltan how a completed First Nation (Heiltsuk Nation) land use plan might raise and address the kinds of issues being discussed in Tahltan communities. My hope is that this research will better inform the Tahltan, and potentially other First Nations, on the role and the potential benefits of a land use plan. --P. 2.
Discipline: Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2011

Title: Conservation and consumption : conflicted bedfellows in sea turtle conservation
Contributors: Cherise Anne Chrispen (author), Zoe Meletis (thesis advisor), Tracy Summerville (committee member), Philip Mullins (committee member), University of Northern British Columbia College of Science and Management (Degree granting institution)
Abstract: This thesis explores relationships between consumption and conservation, via a case study of North American conservationists. I conducted an online survey (n=24), and examined respondent statements about their own consumption and that of others. Here, I consider these within contexts of community messaging, and related literatures (political ecology; consumption studies; social marketing). Four key themes emerge: 1) a primarily negative association with the term consumption, which influences and limits engagements with consumption; 2) mixed messaging about some encouraged consumption (e.g. sustainable seafood is promoted within this community, but is debated by respondents and researchers); 3) over-confidence in information provision as key to changing consumer behaviour, despite evidence to the contrary; and 4) limited recognition of ISTCC community success and power with respect to promoting and benefitting from “consuming to conserve” activities. This thesis ends with academic and applied recommendations for more comprehensive engagements with intersections between consumption and conservation.
Discipline: NRES-Geography
Content Model: info:fedora/ir:thesisCModel
Date added: 2018