National Indigenous Peoples Day 2022

Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day. We hope to learn from the multi-generational relationships that Indigenous peoples have with the waterways and species they have coexisted with for millennia.

Living Lakes Canada has partnered with B.C.’s Upper Nicola Band to update federal foreshore surveying protocols to better inweave Indigenous knowledge of foreshore regions. Last week as part of a field work session at Nicola Lake, our Foreshore Integrated Management Planning (FIMP) Program Director and Applied Reconciliation Coordinator met with Upper Nicola Band’s Brian Holmes and Sustainability Scholars from UBC who together are working on a FIMP-Traditional Knowledge and Values Framework.

We are grateful to partner with Brian Holmes, a lifelong water steward to the region. The goal is to implement this Indigenous-focused framework at Nicola Lake next year and examine it as a model for assessing the foreshore region of lakes across B.C. This is an example of relationship building with Indigenous partners so that we may develop trust and build future project collaborations and build our capacity to engage in meaningful work together to build better climate adaptation options for our communities. 

On this day we are also highlighting the Elders Engagements that took place over the weekend. This event was attended by the Shuswap Band and Akisqnuk First Nation over two separate days. Led by Diana Cote of the British Columbia Wildlife Federation and Living Lakes Canada’s Applied Reconciliation Program Coordinator, Emily Mask, the intention of the event was to hear the concerns of Indigenous Elders regarding the health of the waterways on their lands. Their knowledge will help guide the installation of a new water monitoring network this summer as part of Living Lakes Canada’s Columbia Basin Water Monitoring Framework project. 

This project intends to ensure water monitoring concerns that local Indigenous communities suggest be considered a priority. We wish to align with their  knowledge and concerns and take action accordingly.