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Six Nations council offers letter of support for Living Labs on territory

Purple lines running diagonally. A purple circle is centered on the lines with a purple tree in the middle of it. The text Six Nations of the Grand River is spelled out surrounding the purple circle.
Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC) heard a presentation from Paul Robertson of the Ontarion Woodlot Association. SNEC offered a letter of support to Robertson with his hopes of bringing living labs to the Six Nations Territory. Photo courtesy of SNEC.
Andrew Dow - CJKS - Ohsweken • ON | 21-10-2022
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The Ontario Woodlot Association (OWA) is seeking the support of Six Nations Elected Council (SNEC). Paul Robertson, president of OWA presented, to SNEC his hope to bring an opportunity through Agriculture Canada to develop Living Labs on the Six Nations Territory. 

Robertson said the Living Labs will be focused on agriculture and forestry as well as look to bring more carbon sequestration to forested lands on the Six Nations territory and, ultimately, help combat climate change. He said the OWA and Agriculture Canada are in the application process for this program for Living Labs and stated that the labs they hope to bring to Six Nations include; silvopasturing with livestock instead of using herbicide to combat invasive species; turning extracted wood from thinning trees into wood chips; and the reintroduction on the American chestnut tree and other nut producing trees. 

At could, Robertson asked for a letter of support, stating there is interest from the territory but stressed it would not be seen as a commitment from Six Nations. Robertson said that this program would allow Six Nations as a territory and Six Nations residents to benefit from the program by offering training, employment and biodiversity to the community. 

The next deadline will be in Dec. 16, and over the next two months, SNEC and the OWA will be able to figure more details and discuss them with potential woodlot owners and other community organizations including Kayanase, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation, and other individuals within the community. 

A number of councilors expressed concern of issuing a letter of support for the project given the timeframe of it and the lack of communication thus far between the Ontario Woodlot Association and certain environmental organizations within the community. 

Robertson suggested to council that the letter of support could include that these further discussions could be included in the letter of support and would have to be met before council fully chooses to participate in the project. 

Coun. Nathan Wright, the environmental task force lead for Six Nations, said he would support a letter, saying due diligence is being done to further communication between the community and the project. SNEC passed the motion to offer a letter of support to the OWA and Robertson regarding the project.

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