Indigenous people have had minimal political voice in institutions and government and limited power to advance their perspective in environments driven by capital power. The laws governing lands and land use, locally and globally, are complex and change as treaties evolve. The diversity of legal interests needs to be considered and changes to laws and results of court cases must be continually updated in the program. Similarly, the language used in guidelines and policies is legal and complex in nature, restricting its accessibility to Indigenous people. Recent trade agreements may open more legal issues facing Indigenous people and the forestry to a global arena.
Indigenous people have a relationship to the land and are sovereign in ownership of it.
However, this point of view is not shared by government or institutions. The role of traditional or natural laws need to be addressed in the program and the handling of intellectual and cultural property rights considered. Aboriginal ownership of programs is a requirement, with teaching in the language of the people and curricula dictated by and customized to their standards and delivered in traditional manner. This represents a huge change which will require many adjustments within educational systems. Meeting the challenges The program needs champions with power to make changes, from among Indigenous people and those in institutions, corporate sectors and government.