Preparing for Negotiations

When preparing for negotiations, the following four steps are essential for First Nations communities to ensure their economic, cultural and environmental health:

1. INFORMATION
   Before negotiations, gather all information possible, including the background of the proponent and the potential environmental effects of the mining activities.
2. STRATEGY
   Prepare an internal negotiation strategy that outlines leverage and minimum financial and environmental requirements, and important benefits that the First Nation can offer. Appoint capable and accountable representatives from the community.
3. SET PROTOCOLS WITH THE MINING COMPANY
   Identify who will be negotiating, timelines for the process and a dispute resolution process.
4. OUTLINE MINIMUM CONTENT
   Clearly outline the issues that are most important to the community so that nothing is missed or skipped during negotiation.

The final content of any agreement will be unique to the needs and desires of the affected First Nation. The following links to several provisions a community may wish to include.

Studying mining proposals can be very expensive, as third parties often need to be consulted. Remember that it’s possible to secure this funding as part of your negotiation strategy.