Stoney Nakoda residents made their voices heard again last week when they, for the second time, voted against a proposal to designate 3,000 hectares of land that could potentially open it to commercial development. The results were similar to the previous plebiscite with around 56 per cent of voters rejecting the notion of designating the land. Last week, prior to the vote, Morley residents marched to defend their land from potential development, and comments from those marching reflect the issue might be more about trust than development. Bree Hunter, a young woman living in Morley, said she was concerned about outside interests infringing on traditional lands. She like others also expressed confusion over the government's push – resulting in two plebiscites – to have the land designated for development purposes.Hunter says there is land available where other businesses have been shuttered and she believes there are Nation members who will soon have the qualifications to take a fresh stab at economic development on reserve lands. Economic development is a delicate balance on Indigenous lands, the need for jobs is usually offset by the need to protect the land. There is also a strong desire for self-determination and to see development driven by Indigenous people. Then there is a matter of trust. The vote shows a close split between those in favour of the designation and those opposed. The no side are expressing a certain level of trepidation and that comes down to faith that the land will be managed responsibly. Many have said the information coming from the Stoney Nakoda Nation has been lacking in terms of explaining why the designation is needed, who will benefit and the type of development that might be seen. Aside from a proposed solar power park, little is known about what might possibly be developed on the remaining hectares of land. Little has also been said about how development or potential leasers might be selected. So while taking control of power distribution in Morley and bringing potential jobs to the Nation might bring many positives, many are expressing deep-seated mistrust with how the land might be handled after the designation. Winning the public's trust is the battle the Stoney Nakoda First Nation government must wage first. Those demonstrating and speaking in opposition to the land designation are doing so because they believe the Stoney people will lose control over the land and benefits will be reaped by outside interests. If that is not the case, the government must do a better job explaining how it will benefit the Nation and perhaps present clear policies and guidelines illustrating how the Nation will approve development. Developing a public hearing process that gives Nation members a voice into each proposed development would be one such policy. Holding plebiscite after plebiscite is not going to sway voters to suddenly vote the way the government hopes. It is only going to make the people more wary.
