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Abstract:
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"The forests of Northwest Ontario, Canada are common property resources with an emerging and complex governance system involving industry and local, provincial, federal and First Nations governments. Matters are further complicated by recent shifts in the regional economy away from forest products. Additionally, movements towards inclusivity and collaboration have spurred several new partnerships for collaborative decision making respecting forests. In this context, the Common Ground Research Forum is investigating collaborative, cross-cultural governance and social learning in aid of sustainability. Our research within this forum aims to understand the complex, multiparty, cross-cultural governance systems that are developing in response to economic and societal transitions. Through the use of a learning approach to understanding complex partnership arrangements our paper explores how meaningful forms of collaboration have evolved, are maintained, and potentially affect the broader society, including reconciling past conflicts and wrongdoings in the Kenora region of Northwest Ontario. We focus on interconnected case studies that represent the movement toward collaboration. The cases involve the regional Grand Council of Treaty #3 First Nations, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, a First Nations owned and operated resource management corporation, as well as a forest product company that is 49% industry owned and 51% First Nations owned. Narrative analyses of 32 interviews are used as a way of understanding learning platforms and learning outcomes for governing forest resources and enhancing cross-cultural, collaborative relationships. Results are presented as key findings about structural governance arrangements, as well as the rules, norms, and relationships that maintain them."
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