Type | Non Profit |
---|---|
Industry | Development |
Founded | Six Nations of the Grand River Territory, Canada (2007 ) |
Founder(s) | Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council |
Headquarters | 16 Sunrise Court, Suite 417, Ohsweken, Ontario, Canada |
Area served | Ontario |
Key people | Ron Thomas (Board Member) Brian Doolittle (Board Member) Aaron Detlor (Board Member) Hazel Hill (Interim Director) |
Services | Land Use, Land Tenure and Environmental Planning |
Employees | Varies according to projects |
Haudenosaunee Development Institute, HDI is the formal organization created by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council (HCCC) in September 2007 to grant permission to third parties to undertake development upon lands where the HCCC exercise jurisdiction including that area of land considered by the Haldimand Proclamation of 1784 and the Nanfan Treaty of 1701.
Haudenosaunee is the proper word used for the Six Nations Native people which is more commonly known as Iroquois by non-Haudenosaunee people.
Haundenosaunee Development Institute objectives are consistent with long standing Haudenosaunee principles regarding land use, land tenure and environmental planning.
Recent efforts to translate these principles have included the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council policy statement referred to as the Eight Points of Jurisdiction, which was formally adopted by the HCCC on February 3, 2001.
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Under the Eight Points of Jurisdiction, the HCCC have sole jurisdiction over matters pertaining to land. Any dealings involving land must also be governed by the following principles therefore according to the HCCC rules,
Further to its inherent jurisdiction to address matters dealing with the land, the HCCC have set out a specific Land Rights Statement to further articulate, in English, principles that are required when considering land. The HCCC lands rights statement states the following:
While the HCCC areas of jurisdiction over land are not limited by the drawing of lines on a map the HDI has attempted to provide an initial indication as to areas of immediate Haudenosauee concern.
In consultation with the people of the Six Nations of Grand River, the Tseh Niyoht Dwayadowhsra Ogwahweja (Haundenosaunee Green Plan) was created to set out areas of concern which are identified in progression of interest from:
The Tseh Niyoht Dwayadowhsra Ogwahweja (Haundenosaunee Green Plan) was expressly undertaken so as not to create the impression that the Haudenosaunee areas of jurisdiction are limited to that area of land contemplated by the Haldimand Proclamation.
Consistent with the importance of water to the Haudenosaunee people, the Tseh Niyoht Dwayadowhsra Ogwahweja (Haundenosaunee Green Plan) requires a 500 metre buffer zone to be established upon the banks of the Grand River.
HDP is the protocol developed by the Haudenosaunee Confederacy Chiefs Council, which in part, covers the following categories;
HDI states that it may take such actions as necessary to provide for the implementation of this the protocol, which may include the delegation of such activities as required. HDI also states it may make such regulations under the protocol as are necessary to further the objectives of the protocol and without limiting the foregoing, HDI may make regulation pertaining to.
An HDI development permit is required by the HDI and one is obtained by providing an application to the HDI with the prescribed application fee.
The HDI does not require any specifics for an application given the various forms of development however the minimum amount of information required to begin to process an application is set out in the Haudenosaunee Development Institute Engagement Application. An application to proceed with development will be considered consistent with Haudenosaunee principles as well as general and development policies, which have been adopted by the HDI.
The goal of the engagement process is to come to an understanding and legal agreement which will allow development to proceed.
Haudenosaunee Land Use Agreements focuses on three strategic themes:
HDI seeks to protect Haudenosaunee heritage sites. HDI's ability to access sacred sites, culturally-significant sites, traditional places for hunting, fishing, trapping and gathering must not be infringed by any development. They want to work with developers and regional associations to identify such places well in advance of proposals.
HDI will seek to protect threatened species and ecological communities with their status in the landscape affected to the extent their population viability is at risk. Specifically, they are concerned about nationally endangered or vulnerable species and ecological communities.
HDI will seek to protect migratory species and wetlands. Migratory species are recognized within international conventions to which Canada is a signatory. Wetlands, which help to clean the waters, are also important and they seek to protect the entire watershed that feeds into those wetlands. HDI is less inclined to consider 1 to 1 substitutions to wetlands and prefer to avoid any disturbance.
Those proposals that provide a realistic and measurable "green" agenda associated with the nature of the project will be viewed most favorably. HDI is willing to work with developers on defining those green standards, strategies and approaches. While these may require additional expenditures on the part of the developer, it will be considered one of the "benefits" of the project to overall well-being.