First Nation links vital to growth in mining.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: Special Report: Aboriginal Business - Nishnawbe Aski Nation

Improving the living standards of Aboriginal people without affecting their traditional way of life can be a complex give-and-take process.

With new diamond discoveries in Ontario's Far North and greater global demand for mineral commodities, exploration companies are probing deeper into remote areas and into the traditional lands of First Nations people.

Across Canada, mining companies are striking development agreements with Aboriginal bands in outlining how exploration projects will be carried out in an environmentally sound manner, while ensuring land-based rights are protected and lasting benefits are delivered to the community.

"It's a question of the way business is being done increasingly in the North," says David Peerla, the mining co-ordinator of Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN), a Thunder Baybased socio-economic organization representing 49 First Nations in Northern Ontario.

Peerla acts as educator, advisor and facilitator in assisting tribal members in understanding how the process works. These days, his services are in great demand.

"There could be five of me," says Peerla, whose position was created at NAN about a year ago.

"No doubt, we're in the best mining cycle seen in five years. That means more people are active in the territory and that means more demand comes from the community for advice," says Peerla.

All eyes on Victor diamond project

Many eyes are watching the high profile negotiations to reach an Impact and Benefit Agreement (IBA) between diamond giant De Beers and the Attawapiskat First Nation.

The development of the $820-million Victor project near James Bay, potentially Ontario's first diamond mine, could be delayed up to a year while the federal government's public consultation period is extended through the summer.

Questions remain over how fuel will be transported to the site and whether an access road should be driven north from Constance Lake, near Hearst, to the mine 100 kilometres away, instead of using a James Bay coastal road.

The massive influx of investment and development can sometimes be overwhelming for Aboriginal locals.

"Geology isn't the issue; it's communication," says Peerla, who holds a PhD in political economy and natural resources. "The problem is not geological, but sociological.

"These are people problems and it's difficult for industry sometimes to understand that. There are cross-cultural communication problems."

Though the terms of many development agreements are kept confidential, Peerla...