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Indigenous Peoples have the Right to Decide

Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) is the inherent right Indigenous communities have to decide “yes” or “no” to mining, forestry, oil, gas, water, or other proposed external activities that would affect their lands, territories, and/or natural resources.

Knowledge is Power

Learning about international and national standards helps communities to defend their lands.

Explore:

Consultation
Rights Framework
Governance
Industry
Free, Prior and Informed Consent
Decision Making
Pimatisiwin
Indigenous Allyship
Identity

Featured:

Guidelines for applying for Free, Prior and Informed Consent
Manual

2013 - Multilingual - Practical

Guidelines for applying for Free, Prior and In…

Conservation International, Adrienne McKeehan, Theresa Buppert

Consultation | FPIC | Indigenous Governance | Business Practices | Consultation | Land Access | Monitoring | UNDRIP

Guidelines for applying for Free, Prior and Informed Consent

This guide was developed by Conservation International (CI), in order to provide clear guidelines for implementing Free, Prior and Informed Consent effectively. It clearly defines acronyms, key words, background information, benefits of following FPIC, and a description for adopting the process in each step of the process.

Towards an Indigenous-Informed Relational Approach to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)
Scientific Paper

2019 - English - Academic

Towards an Indigenous-Informed Relational Appr…

Courtney Arseneau, Darren Thomas, Peggy Smith et al.

Consultation | FPIC | Rights and Legal Framework | Inherent Rights | International Law | Land Stewardship | UNDRIP

Towards an Indigenous-Informed Relational Approach to Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)

The article, based on several years of dialogue and interviews and a two-day workshop on FPIC, offers insight into Indigenous perspectives on FPIC advancing an Indigenous-informed relational approach to consultation and consent seeking.

The Transformative Potential of Indigenous-Driven Approaches to Implementing Free, Prior and Informed Consent: Lessons from Two Canadian Cases
Scientific Paper

2020 - English - Practical

The Transformative Potential of Indigenous-Dri…

Martin Papillon, Thierry Rodon

FPIC | Indigenous Governance | Informed Decision Making | Community Engagement | Decision Making | UNDRIP

The Transformative Potential of Indigenous-Driven Approaches to Implementing Free, Prior and Informed Consent: Lessons from Two Canadian Cases

This paper addresses two case studies, a mining policy identified in the Cree Nation of James Bay and a community-driven impact assessment process identified by the Squamish Nation. The paper aims to articulate Indigenous-driven mechanisms and how these can transform how FPIC is implemented in practice.

Latest News:

The Rise of Indigenous Resource Interests – Pathway to Success
News Article

2021 - English - Simple

The Rise of Indigenous Resource Interests – Pa…

Maureen McCall

Indigenous Governance | Decision Making | Inherent Rights | Land Stewardship | Social & Cultural Impacts

The Rise of Indigenous Resource Interests – Pathway to Success

This news article discusses the factors influencing decision making by First Nations within the natural resource sector in Canada.

Uncommon Ground: The Impact of Natural Resource Corruption on Indigenous Peoples
News Article

2020 - English - Simple

Uncommon Ground: The Impact of Natural Resourc…

Carter Squires, Landau Kelsey, Robin J. Lewis

Industry | Business Practices | Decision Making | Land Access

Uncommon Ground: The Impact of Natural Resource Corruption on Indigenous Peoples

This news article discusses contextual factors that can allow for more effective resource governance on Indigenous land in Brazil, Peru, and Canada.

New Community-Driven Project Aims to Support Revitalization of Indigenous Languages for Current and Coming Generations
News Article

2022 - English - Simple

New Community-Driven Project Aims to Support R…

Bev Betkowski

Indigenous Governance | Community Engagement | Self-Determination | Social & Cultural Impacts | Traditional Knowledge

New Community-Driven Project Aims to Support Revitalization of Indigenous Languages for Current and Coming Generations

This news article presents a community-based project - Supporting Indigenous Language Revitalization (SILR). This project's goal is to incorporate community and Indigenous led efforts to preserve and strengthen Indigenous languages across Turtle Island.