Situated within the most environmentally destructive oil extraction project in the world, the Alberta OilSands, the First Nations reserve Fort McKay has transitioned from a traditional life of hunting, fishing and trapping to a life dependant on industry. Having tapped into the wealth and jobs of the region, McKay enjoys a standard of living most Canadian reserves can only dream of. But as the land they have lived on since time immemorial deteriorates, their health, culture and future hang in the balance.
For thousands of years the Cree and Dene people of the Athabasca River in Northern Alberta have watched as the tarry sands along their banks oozed into the river and stuck to their feet. At that time the Reserve of Fort McKay situated 63 km north of Fort McMurray had no roads connecting it to the rest of Canada. They lived from a traditional lifestyle of hunting and trapping, but as 83-year-old elder Zackary Powder says, “Its not like it used to be, everything has changed.†Today the world’s largest and most environmentally destructive oil extraction project, the Alberta Oil Sands, surround them. Where trappers cabins once stood are now toxic lakes of mine tailings, and endless moonscapes that have been stripped of their bitumen-laced sand with electric shovels five stories high.
Aware to the futility of resistance the people of Fort McKay decided to partner with industry in 1986. Entrepreneurial endeavors, employment and industry compensations have provided economic prosperity the likes of which few Canadian First Nations have experienced. It is said to be the richest reserve in Canada, but the people here know their prosperity is not without consequence. As elder and former Syncrude electrician Norman Simpson says, “sometimes you have to sleep with the Devil.â€
Stories of moose hunts and life in the bush are told with enthusiasm and pride, but as industry grows the land succumbs to environmental degradation. The rivers and fish are poisoned, their water is no longer potable, the animals are keeping their distance, and the quality of wild meat is in question. Cancer, respiratory disease, miscarriage, drug addiction and other illnesses plague the community. In a country where the norm for reserves is high poverty, unemployment and dismal housing, Fort McKay is marketed as a success story but the people know the truth is much more complicated.
In McKay an inner conflict exists as they struggle to maintain their cultural values, land and traditions while simultaneously living off their destruction. On the Athabasca they are facing a dilemma similar to the modern world, Mother Earth or economic prosperity and as importantly, the question, who makes the choice?