--when we ask aboriginal groups to state their views. The agency itself works as the crown consultation coordinator for the whole of government. Instead of having a process that is very distributed--having somebody at DFO and somebody at Transport and somebody at NRCan, each individually going out and consulting with aboriginal groups--CEAA plays a coordinating role so that we can listen to what the aboriginal people are saying about the environmental effects. We don't ask them only how it is affecting them right now; we ask them about their traditional knowledge and how best to mitigate the potential effects. We see them as experts in areas that are going to help us get to a better environmental outcome.
We also work very closely with the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development to ensure that on any project we are reaching out to all the aboriginal groups that could be affected by that project, whether they have a land claim that is asserted or is final.