Real-Life Decision Making
Treaty negotiation documents are lengthy agreements, comprised of hundreds of pages of material that needs to be discussed. Obviously, during negotiations the documents are broken down into segments for discussion.
"If a negotiation has 20 to 25 chapters, you're going to try and talk about the better part of one chapter at a time," explains Tracy St. Claire. She works for a treaty commission.
At this particular meeting, the band is just beginning its discussions about forestry. One tribal negotiator asks: "Are we going to have rights to harvest the timber on our land, and to manage our own resources?"
Another asks: "Will this be within the government's forestry practices code, or can we set our own rules for harvesting?"
Questions and solutions begin firing around the room, disrupting the talks. As time goes on, it seems that nothing is being resolved.
Susan has a suggestion. "I think we should ask the public about all the issues on the table before we discuss anything," she says. "People in the band and people working in the forestry industry are going to be greatly affected by this part of the treaty."
Sam has a different opinion. "I think that we should at least agree on a few key issues before going to the public," he says. "That way, we'll have a framework for discussions with the public."
What, as the treaty negotiator, do you advise?