With field season approaching in a few short months, we are revisiting our Environmental Monitoring Guide as a source of inspiration!  

Today in our blog, we talk about the benefits of placing your community’s Indigenous Knowledge at the heart of your environmental monitoring plan by highlighting a recent project we did with Wunnumin Lake First Nation.

"To our community, looking after the lands and waters

is a joint responsibility of all nations, races and kinds of people."

— Elder, Wunnumin Lake First Nation (translated)

For more inspiring stories from the field, wisdom from Knowledge Holders, and tips to help you get started with your plans, download our free Environmental Monitoring eBook here.

Placing Indigenous Knowledge at the Heart of Environmental Monitoring

Over the past two years, we have supported Wunnumin Lake First Nation in partnership with Shibogama First Nations Council (SFNC) to develop and implement a community-led Source Water Protection Plan (SWPP). We worked closely with community members and elders by spending time out on the land and learning from them, to ensure that the plan would reflect their unique needs and values. 

The SWPP will allow Wunnumin Lake First Nation to monitor the overall state of their community’s water sources and evaluate potential risks to community members’ health and well-being related to the availability and quality of water sources over time. This project also allowed for community capacity building and awareness around safe drinking water and source water protection. 

Phase 1: Doing the Groundwork for the Plan

Phase 1 of the Wunnumin Lake Source Water Protection Project included an Elders meeting to gather stories and messaging which were then woven into a Nipi (water) declaration. We also developed a source water protection framework and inventoried and mapped the threats, including those identified by community members. When completing the risk assessment calculations, we considered the potential risks to Aboriginal rights, interests, and the environment, informed by what we heard from community members, Elders, leadership, and land users.

To complete this phase, we worked with the community to develop recommendations and next steps around source water protection, and assisted with a workplan and cost estimates for future phases of planning and implementation.  

Throughout this project, we focused on weaving Indigenous Knowledge with western science,

ensuring the community's priorities, language and culture were reflected throughout

the project and engagement materials.

One of the educational materials created, which will be used in the community to inform members about the Plan.

Phase 2: Fieldwork, Training and Outreach

Phase 2 of the project included the completion of a baseline water sampling program that informed and built on Phase 1 work. Phase 2 also included a training program for source water sampling. 

As part of the second phase of the project, we also developed educational community outreach materials, in English and Anishininiimowin. These materials will be used around the community and their water sources to promote awareness of water protection.

Signs created which will be displayed near water sources in the community

Next Steps

Future phases of the project will include the implementation stage as Wunnumin Lake First Nation works towards realistic positive changes to protect source water and improve conditions for safe drinking water of the community.   

Are You Looking for Help With Your Environmental Monitoring Program?

To give us a shout, get in touch here. Our team would love to chat through all your options. We are a self-declared group of science nerds who always have time for everything from bats and turtles to caribou and eels and all the systems that nurture and sustain what matters on our planet!

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ADVISORY SERVICES at SVS include: