Metlakatla First Nation Cumulative Effects Management Program Building

Metlakatla First Nation’s Cumulative Effects Management Program (CEM) is a cutting-edge, community-based approach to cumulative effects management.  Metlakatla’s program recognizes that everything is connected. Metlakatla’s values require a holistic, interdependent, and long-range management perspective. The Metlakatla CEM Program uniquely focuses on five value pillars: environment, economic prosperity, social/health, cultural identity, and governance. You can read more about the innovative program here: https://metlakatlacem.ca/.

In 2013-2014, Compass supported the initial design of Metlakatla’s CEM framework. The emphasis was on the process for identifying and prioritizing values, developing innovative approaches to socio-economic values and indicators, and developing benchmarks and a tiered set of management triggers. The Program, now nationally recognized, has a strong 6 year + track-record of success, implementing CEM for multiple Metlakatla values. In 2021-2022, we supported Metlakatla in building a strategy for the Metlakatla CEM Program. The strategy strengthens CEM’s link to decision-making across all Metlakatla departments. With direction and involvement of Metlakatla staff, leadership, and members, we assisted in clarifying the CEM Program mandate, objectives, activities, and structure.

With recent legal impetus and provincial commitments to address cumulative effects in partnership with Indigenous communities, we anticipate that the Province as well as other communities will have lots to learn from Metlakatla’s rich experience and thoughtful approach. We are tremendously excited to see what the future holds for this innovative program!

Photo from Metlakatla First Nation website