The bulk of the archaeological sites registered in Ontario are pre-contact Aboriginal sites and, as such, represent a major component of First Nations heritage. First Nations people want to, and must be involved in the archaeological process that has been put into place to protect that heritage. The importance of meaningful Aboriginal participation in this process is further underlined by the planned implementation on January 1, 2010, of the Ministry of Culture's (MCL) Draft Standards and Guidelines for Consultant Archaeologists (2009) (S&G) and its companion document, the draft Technical Bulletin on Engaging Aboriginal Communities in Archaeology. The implementation of these two documents will not only significantly change the way consulting archaeology is conducted in Ontario, but they will also define the manner in which First Nations will be involved in the archaeological consulting process in the future.
In September, 2009, Jean-Luc Pilon, President of the Ontario Archaeological Society (OAS), invited the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn, a corporate member of the OAS, to lead a Task Force charged with soliciting and collating the opinions of First Nations and others on the Technical Bulletin. On behalf of Pikwàkanagàn and at the specific request of Chief Kirby Whiteduck, this Task Force is co-ordinated by Omàmiwininì Pimàdjwowin "The Algonquin Way" Cultural Centre (OP). Its primary purpose was to inform and consult First Nations about the Technical Bulletin, in order to ensure appropriate Aboriginal input in the development of this document and, by extension, the S&G. The Technical Bulletin Task Force is chaired by Ron Bernard, President, Omàmiwininì Pimàdjwowin, and its members are Aimee Bailey, Executive-Director of Omàmiwininì Pimàdjwowin, and OAS members Ian Badgley and Jean-Luc Pilon.
This final report presents the results of the Task Force concerning consultation with the First Nations in Ontario. These results include a description of the Task Force's activities, a summary of the responses to a questionnaire and recommendations. Responses to the questionnaire and detailed comments from the communities and individuals are presented in appendices. While this report focuses specifically on the First Nations responses to the questionnaire, an open invitation to OAS members that was published in the President's Message contained in the July/August 2009 Arch Notes received no responses from the general OAS membership.
| BACKGROUND | ACTIVITIES | SUMMARY |
| RESULTS | F.N.RECOMMENDATIONS | TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS |