Cold Lake First Nations Lands and Resources Department is responsible for protecting Denesuline Indigenous, Treaty, and Aboriginal Rights, to preserve Denesuline Culture, Land Use and Traditional Ways. We ensure stewardship by engaging members in consultation and land use planning, improving relationships and understanding with stakeholders, and upholding CLFN’ “A livelihood for a livelihood” philosophy. In so doing, the Department actively facilitates relationships with the Crown, Industry proponents, the Nation and other parties on matters related to resource management and decision-making within Denne Ni Nenne.  The Department’s work involves carrying out due diligence in regulatory and Crown consultation processes; ensuring that Denesuline knowledge is respected and considered in land and resource management; upholding and negotiating impact benefit agreements with Industry; supporting economic and business development; and supporting the increased capacity of the Nation and community members to participate in land and resource management, decision-making and development.

The Lands and Resources Department was recently restructured from the Consultation Department in order broaden its scope from just consultation. Lands and resources still handles all of the formal consultation processes that the nation engages on with both industry and government. In these processes, the department often works with members who are directly impacted by development and with land users to ensure that it is able to effectively communicate the impacts that decisions may have on people.

Lands and resources also contains the 4 Wing Liaison role where we work closely with DND on issues related to the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. Our records management office keeps copies of all correspondence with industry and government as well as manages all of the Traditional Land Use information collected over time by CLFN. With it’s new broader focus, the department is looking at new strategies such as forest management plans to achieve the Nation’s goals. In addition, it works proactively on issues such as Climate change to maximize benefit for the nation through grants and programs available from outside entities.