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An ‘Effective’ Involvement of Indigenous People in Environmental Impact Assessment: the cultural impact assessment of the Saru River Region, Japan

2008; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 39; Issue: 4 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/00049180802419179

1465-3311

Naohiro Nakamura,

Sustainable Building Design and Assessment

Abstract Abstract The Cultural Impact Assessment of the Saru River Region represents the first time that a site investigation was implemented in Japan in order to preserve an ethnic culture in relation to the construction of a dam. One of the project's basic concepts was to get local residents, especially those of Ainu ethnicity, to participate in the investigation. Existing case studies of environmental impact assessment have argued that the assessment has failed to sufficiently involve Indigenous people in its process and has largely failed to incorporate Indigenous knowledge, cultural values, and voices into its processes and outcomes. Also, intangible aspects of Indigenous cultural heritage have not been protected. In the Cultural Impact Assessment of the Saru River Region, the Final Report was released in 2006 and significantly included the 3 year investigation of input by local residents. In this sense, this assessment succeeded in effectively involving Indigenous people in its process and in reflecting their cultural values in its results. The more important issue is, however, how these results were included in the final outcomes. If Indigenous people have no power over final decision making, their involvement is not effective. This paper analyses the significance and unresolved problems involved in this overall assessment process. Keywords: Cultural heritageIndigenous peopledam constructionenvironmental impact assessmentAinuJapan Acknowledgements I would like to thank the staff of the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum, as well as the editor Dr James Forrest and the three anonymous reviewers. Notes 1. Unfamiliar Japanese and Ainu words, except place names, are italicised and I have added the English translation after each word. Macrons indicate a long vowel. The Roman spelling of Ainu words follows the Ainu-language dictionary by Shigeru Kayano (Kayano 2002 Kayano , S. 2002 Kayano Shigeru no Ainu go jiten: zoho ban [Ainu language dictionary by Kayano Shigeru], Sansei do, Tokyo . [Google Scholar]). When Ainu words are spelled out, the character C is pronounced as [ch]. 2. Hokkaido Kankyōkyoku Kankyō Seisakuka, 'Asesu Ichiran' [List of assessments], available at: http://www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ks/kss/assesshp/ankenindex.htm 3. The English translation of the act is from the website of the Foundation for Research and Promotion of Ainu Culture, available at: http://www.frpac.or.jp/eng/e_prf/profile06.html 4. According to Kayano, iwor indicates a space for hunting or one's own territory for hunting (Kayano 2002 Kayano , S. 2002 Kayano Shigeru no Ainu go jiten: zoho ban [Ainu language dictionary by Kayano Shigeru], Sansei do, Tokyo . [Google Scholar]). The state-managed park of Iwor is a national project to restore traditional Ainu life spaces in seven sites where Ainu culture is well preserved. 5. It should be noted that original Japanese statements are vague and they can interpreted in several ways. Here I demonstrate this vagueness by literal translation. 6. Interview with an investigation staff member on 24 August 2004, Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum.