In the deep waters of Nipissing lives an ancient species of fish whose ancestors shared these same waters with the dinosaurs. Like the Anishinaabe, N’me, or freshwater lake sturgeon, have been affected by many changes caused by colonization, habitat or environmental destruction and resource extraction.
Nikki Commanda, a biologist in Nipissing First Nation's Department of Natural Resources, has taken on the responsibility of protecting these fish who she feels a special connection to. She described that connection in this way:
"I love the way they look, they're so docile. There's something about them that I feel connected to. I have to look after them, I have to be the person to speak for them because they don't have the words and they can't speak for themselves."
Nikki knew that the story of these ancient fish had to be told. In an effort to harness the attention of her community, fishers in the area, and the broader public, Nikki engaged Shared Value Solutions to assist in developing a communication and community outreach plan. In year 2 of the project, SVS worked along with Nikki to develop a 5-minute video detailing sturgeon status in Lake Nipissing and the Department’s plan for conservation and monitoring.
Nipissing First Nation also engaged us to help enhance its understanding of Indigenous Knowledge (IK) documentation and management, specifically as it relates to Species at Risk. As part of its work with Nipissing, SVS helped the Nation develop a methodology and toolkit to collect IK for Species at Risk and deliver training to Nipissing and Magnetawan staff.
All the deliverables that we created together, including the Community Outreach Plan (COP), IK training, and the Lake Nipissing Lake Sturgeon video, assisted the Department of Natural Resources in meeting its goals for the Lake Nipissing Lake Sturgeon Project.
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We are an Canadian B Corp, and we assist Indigenous communities with support throughout regulatory processes surrounding major development projects like mines, hydroelectric facilities, transmission lines, highway expansions, oil and gas pipelines, natural resource transport applications and nuclear power.
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