One River
Many RELATIONS
Summer 2013: Issue 2
Environment, Health and Indigenous Communities in Alberta and the Northwest Territories
Comparing Water Policy in Northern Alberta and NWT Bruce Maclean & Tim Heron bruce.maclean@mcfngir.ca
ers to the Slave River and beyond. Bruce Maclean and Tim Heron discuss differences in official water related policies between Alberta and NWT. Bruce Maclean is a consultant for Mikisew Cree First Nation and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta. He lives in Winnipeg, MB.
Bruce Maclean Winter 2012. Photo courtesy of Andrew Miller.
Northern Alberta and NWT share more than just a border on a map. Weather moves across the invisible line on the landscape, and water flows downstream from the Peace and Athasbasca Riv-
Tim Heron is the NWTMN Interim Measures Agreement (IMA) Coordinator, and also sits as the Aboriginal Steering Committee Member, on the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy. He lives in Fort Smith, NWT.
Bruce Maclean
“From the First Nation perspective, we would say that the Lower Athabasca Regional Plan [in Northern Alberta] is pretty flawed. Any protected area or any of that just fits in around exist-
Paul Jones Associate Professor, University of Saskatchewan pdj055@mail.usask.ca
Research Project
Stephane McLachlan and Andrew Miller Environmental Conservation Lab, University of Manitoba mclachla@cc.umanitoba.ca
Hello, my name is Paul Jones. I’m an Associate Professor in the School of Environment and Sustainability and the Toxicology Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.
Phase 1: Changes in environment due to upstream development (Spring 2011 – Spring 2012)
Stef McLachlan has been conducting research on environmental health and justice in partnership with Indigenous communities across western Canada. He is especially interested in how western science can better serve the needs of these communities. Andy Miller now teaches at University of Winnipeg and has a research program that links ecological science with Traditional Knowledge.
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Comparing Water Policy in AB and NWT
Bruce Maclean & Tim Heron
“The government’s own scientists are showing impacts from the level of development in the region. Yet there doesn’t appear to be a process that then looks at how that will impact treaty rights.”
Fish Sampling: Paul Jones
One River, Many Relations
Stef McLachlan grows a new set of antlers. Photo courtesy of Sloan Whiteknife (MCFN), Fort Chipewyan.
ing mining leases. The same for First Nations’ treaty rights. NWT has a government that is very pro-water. Very forward thinking in terms of managing for water quality and quantity. And I think that you’re going to see that butt heads with Alberta, who really have a mandate to develop the economic resources in the oil sands.”
The overall goal of this project is to document any impacts of the Oil Sands and other industrial development on environment and human health over the next five "Outcomes of years on the this participatory Athabasca, research Peace and are shaped and Slave Rivcontrolled ers. The throughout by all project was those communities started by that are involved." the Mikisew Cree First Nation and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation. It now also involves researchers from University of Manitoba and University of Saskatchewan and is extending to Fort Smith and Fort Resolution and beyond.
Over the past year, we have been sampling fish on the Athabasca and Slave Rivers, looking at general indicators of the health of the fish, and looking at the potential from exposure to chemical contaminants from the oil sands operations. We have been looking at five species of fish: Walleye/Pickerel, Whitefish, Jackfish/Pike,
“First Nations h a v e been advocating and trying to get off the ground a larger land use plans known as the Traditional Land and Resource Use Management Plans. And those would be based on the First Nations doing a lot more of the traditional knowledge work that needs to be done, and right now is only done when there’s a proposed project. So really they’re only focusing on areas that are then Continued on page 4
Goldeye, and Burbot/Loche Mariah. At this point, after four samplings over the past year, it doesn’t look like that there is really much impact of chemical contaminants on the fish, as a whole, up and down the river. If there were major effects we would expect to see them in all species at all sampling times. We only see effects in some species at some times. But we still think this Continued on page 2
Outcomes of this participatory research are shaped and controlled throughout by all those communities that are involved. Continued on page 2
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Students Speak Out
Deninu School students
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Paul Jones explains to community members what toxicologists like him look for as indicators of fish health. Dog Camp, Summer 2012, Fort Chipewyan. Photo courtesy of Andrew Miller.
Pine Point Mine
Llyod Norn & Tom Unka
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PADEMP Update
Stuart MacMillan
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Monitoring Pollution in Wildlife Phil Thomas
One River Many Relations Research Project Continued from page 1
From Spring 2011 to Spring 2012, university researchers made three visits to Fort Chipewyan. At these times, we visited with many community members in town and out on the land. These visits allowed us to hang with folks and to begin understanding community concerns. Through these discussions, we learned that much environmental change is taking place. Elders and other community members are worried about contaminants released by the Oil Sands. People are noticing changes in the smell and colour of the water and snow. But this pollution is made worse by changes in water levels and flooding caused by the W.A.C. Bennett Dam. Together, these changes are negatively affecting wildlife, especially muskrats and fish. The low water levels affect the ability of muskrats to survive winters. Young muskrats are seen as particularly sensitive to contaminants. We were told that bird migration is also being affected. This is due to lights and noise of the mining as well as the toxic retention ponds. They are also affected by the drying of wetlands, where birds would normally stop to rest and feed as they migrate and when they would nest and breed. This, in turn, is affecting the success of spring and fall hunting.
Fish Study Continued from page 1
should be kept an eye on. What we do when we collect and do the health analysis of the fish is we look for a lot of those things that are of concern to people, like lesions and deformities. Some of these deformities occur naturally, spontaneously in a fish population. What we need to determine is if there are activities that are causing an increase in that rate of deformities in the fish. What we’ve found with mercury is well within the bounds of what other people have found and what those advisories are based on. Mercury in this part of the world is
Community members were also very worried about increases in cancer rates in Fort Chipewyan. Cancer is much more common than in the past. Cancers no longer just affect the elderly but are also observed in young people and even babies. Locals have been told that many of these cancers are very rare, and seldom occur in the rest of the Canadian population. Many saw changes in cancer as being caused by increased levels of contaminants in water and in wild-caught country food. Community members still hunt and fish, and collect medicines across their traditional territories. These animals and plants are used for food and for cultural purposes. But some people have stopped eating wild foods because of these changes. As a result community members have been demanding a comprehensive health study – without any success. It is our hope that this work and similar scientific studies conducted by other researchers will help provide communities with information that can be used to better understand these changes. In this first phase of this project, it was important to assess if contaminants exist in country foods. And if so, what contaminants are occurring and in what amounts do they occur. Harvesters from MCFN and ACFN collected ducks and geese, muskrats, and moose that they normally would
relatively high, and what we are finding is within normal bounds for the region. So far, there doesn’t seem to be any location-specific effect that’s causing greater degrees of deformities or unhealthy fish up and down the river. We’re doing some follow-up analysis on the Slave River to see if we can pinpoint some possible sources. At this stage, I have not seen anything that would deter me from eating the fish. My diet preferences would probably be different than a lot of people up here, and perhaps I wouldn’t normally consume as much fish as some people up here. However, I have seen nothing that would deter me from eating those fish.
Gabby Lafferty and his grandaughter TJ (Fort Resolution) check their nets. Fort Chipewyan, 2012. Photos courtesy of Andrew Miller.
Box 1: Results of Our Study... • Eating the meat (muscle) of moose, muskrat, and duck is safe. • In contrast, caution should be shown when eating the kidneys and livers of moose and ducks. • Adults can safely eat almost 3 1/2 lb of duck kidney, 1 lb of moose kidney, or 7 lb of moose liver per week. • Women who may still be pregnant can safely eat up to 3 1/2 lb of duck kidney, 1 lb of moose kidney, or 6 lb of moose liver per week. Moose hunting and sampling near Fort Chipewyan. Photos courtesy of Andrew Miller.
have eaten. These were sent to the wildlife veterinary labs at the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Veterinarians looked at the animals and assessed whether they were healthy or not. Generally speaking, they were seen as healthy according to western scientific standards. We were told later by community members that this is likely because harvesters had chosen healthy animals for food. They would have rejected any animals that looked abnormal. The next step was for the veterinarians to prepare samples from the all the wildlife. Samples of kidneys, livers, and the muscle tissue (meat) were then sent to a commercial lab in Edmonton. The samples were tested for heavy metals, in particular mercury, arsenic, cadmium, and selenium. They were also tested for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHS). Heavy metals and PAHS are known to cause health problems in humans. We thought it would be most useful to present these results as “consumption limits” for the country food. This translates into the amount of any given organ of each species that a community member is safe to eat each week. This amount changes with the weight of the community member, so results differ depending on whether the person is a young child, an older child, a woman, or a man. The results are mixed. Generally speaking, it is safe to eat the meat (muscle) of moose, muskrats, and ducks. In contrast, people should be more cautious when eating the kidneys and livers of moose and ducks. On one hand adults can eat more, almost 3 1/2
lbs of duck kidney or 1 lb of moose kidney per week. On the other hand, young children can only eat 1 1/3 lbs of duck kidney or 1/5 lb of moose kidney per week (See Box 1). In contrast, muskrats were seen as safe to eat. But this may represent another bias. We were told that the few muskrats that remain only occur in water that is much cleaner, such as that coming down from the Birch Mountains. Muskrats no longer occur in water that is seen as affected by industry such as the Athabasca. So we are switching our focus to beaver, which are found in both contaminated and healthy waters. Some Elders have also told us that they no longer eat beavers, because they contain toxic water. So it will be interesting if the lab tests turn out to be different. We were also told that we should be more careful about where we harvest animals for later testing. And that we should continue searching for sick animals to send away. Something we are now doing
• Children (aged 5 – 11) can safely eat 1 1/3 lbs of duck kidney, 1/5 lb of moose kidney, or 2 1/2 lb of moose liver per week.
in the second phase of this research (See Box 2). From beginning to end, we have gotten much useful feedback while conducting this work. Much of the feedback we had at a community meeting in Sept 2012. It was a noisy meeting for sure. Some folks were upset that the scientific data did not support the changes that local people know is happening. Importantly, there were many suggestions that will help make the science stronger. And it is our hope that the science conducted in the next phase of research will be more sensitive to the changes that are clearly taking place in the region. That is how good science works – as we build the puzzle piece by piece. Or at least that is how good science works when it is accountable to local communities.
Box 2: Phase Two: Contaminants and Human Health... In the second phase of the research, we will continue testing for wildlife as described in Phase One. But we will now also test for beaver. We will also collect animals from affected and clean areas. Importantly, we will try and link these changes in wildlife and environment to changes in human health and wellbeing.
The new parts of the study will be as follows: • The first part is a diet study. This will describe how much country food is eaten and used by community members. It will identify which animals and plants (and which parts) are eaten. It will also show how these results change among the different seasons. • The second part is a health visioning exercise. Community members who participate can discuss some of the health concerns they have and what they would like this research and future research to focus on. • The third part will look at environmental contaminants in humans. We will test human hair and urine for heavy metals, particularly mercury. As always, we will continue to report back on the results of this work – directly to community members, in community meetings, to the leadership and through this newsletter.
Horse tails fill in a channel that hasn’t been scoured by spring flooding. Photo courtesy of Andy Miller.
Recipe: Bear Grease Marlene Evans Fort Resolution
Word around Fort Resolution is that Marlene Evans makes some tasty bear grease. She was kind enough to share her recipe with us for this issue. First of all you gotta get the bear, right? We only like to get the fall bears when they’re really fat. We try not to kill any bears close to town in case they’ve eaten garbage or whatever. We like a fat bear, because we like to eat the meat too.
Once you get that bear, then cut all the fat. Some pieces we’ll leave a bit of meat on it, and some will have no meat on it whatsoever. If you have no meat on it, when you make the bear grease it’ll be pure white. If it has a bit of meat on it the grease will be brown. It’ll have a nice flavour to it, but it’s kind of a light brown colour. I like to make both of them. After we’ve done taking the fat off, I’ll wash it and I’ll cube it all up. I’ll cut it into probably 1 inch cubes. Then I’ll put it in a roasting pan and
Students Speak out about the Slave Deninu School, Fort Resolution
Andrew Miller & Stephane McLachlan Environmental Conservation Lab, University of Manitoba mclachla@cc.umanitoba.ca
In winter 2012 we visited the Deninu School in Fort Resolution to talk with teenagers about our work with Elders and scientists documenting environmental changes on the Slave River and Delta and the Great Slave Lake. We shared our first issue of One River Many Relations and asked them to tell us a little about what the rivers and healthy environments mean to them. How do you know that healthy rivers, lakes and animals are important to your family? “It’s important because my family really likes wild meat, fish, moose meat etc and would be tragic to lose that. It’s a part of our culture.” – Tiana, age 15 “Water is important to everyone. You cannot live without water.” - Nicole, age 16 “We need water to be healthy and to live, and most of your body is made up of water. – Breanna, age 15 “In this community everyone uses the water and eats the
fish in the water. This lake right here is very important to me and my family. I eat the fish here and I feed it to my dogs and knowing that it’s not healthy is very bad for me.” - T.J., age 18
I’ll roast it for probably 3 or 4 hours at 350 degrees. Then when that’s done, I’ll take it off and then cool it and strain it through cheese cloth and put it in jars. I made 10 jars this year. 10 quart jars. I guess you could get a lot more from a big bear, but I don’t like to eat the big bears. I’ll make pies with it. We use it, we eat it just plain like that with our dry meat. I always use it in my bannock. We fry eggs in it a lot. Andy Miller enjoys dried caribou meat with bear fat in Marlene and Earl’s kitchen. Spring 2012. Photos courtesy of Andrew Miller.
Tell us about a time that stands out in your mind where your family used fish or game. “I run dogs and fish is one of the main foods I feed to them. I love eating fish too.” – T.J., age 18 “We always fish in Buffalo River. It’s also where we go camping and picnics.” – Ryley, age 16
“Because in our culture our animals have been important to us and without animals and fish we have no culture to learn.” – Lloyd, age 16
“My family has used fish for a long time but it seems like we can’t use fish or animals to eat anymore because of contaminants.” – Lloyd, age 16
“I know they are important because my family drinks the water, my daughter eats wild meat off the land her father brings home. The animals drink this water. Water is something we use everyday. I depend on this water to keep my household clean and the people in it healthy.” – Elizabeth, age 20
“My family eats wild game one or more times a week. Whether it’s moose or ducks it still comes from our land and these animals live off the water. We don’t usually eat much fish.” – Elizabeth, age 20
“We live by the water. We don’t want this water to be contaminated. Water is life. I always travel on the water. I’ve seen some changes and I’m young. That’s not even long.” – Paul, age 16
massive pound trout.” – Gulten, age 20 What does living by the water mean to you? “It means that we’re lucky to have such an awesome resource.” – Tiana, age 15 “We’re so close to the water we can access the water whenever we want.” – Breanna, age 15 “Water is the most important thing around. Everything uses water.” – T.J., age 18 “It is efficient to have all that water near us. We won’t run out for a long time.” – Ryley, age 16 “Living by the water means learning everyday but with-
out fish we don’t really have much to learn and not much to eat because of contaminants in the water.” – Lloyd, age 16 “It means my daughter can grow up the same way I do. To swim in the lake take trips on it, to learn to hunt in these areas and have a water supply close.” – Elizabeth, age 20 “It means everything – water means life. Living by the water is quite incredible. Especially when you travel on it. I’d hate to see this water basin being harmed. “ – Paul, age16 “Traveling on the water when the water is calm is one of the most beautiful things you can experience.” – Gulten, age 20
“We eat and fish and game. It’s our traditional food. It is also better than processed food we get at the store.” – Paul, age 16 “When me and my dad went to Simpson Islands on a boat. We went for caribou and got a few on the cliffs of the Rick Islands. I remember this because it was the first time I was trolling and caught a
Students at Deninu School or Deninu Kue School reflect on the importance of a healthy environment. Photos courtesy of Andrew Miller
Former bay in front of Fort Chipewyan is growing grass where once Lake Athabasca lay. Summer 2012. Photo courtesy of Andrew Miller.
First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study in Alberta for 2013
expected to participate in the FNFNES across Canada.
Andrew Black ablack@afn.ca
The FNFNES is a national scope study on the benefits and risks of food and water in First Nations communities that is jointly led by researchers at the Assembly of First Nations, University of Ottawa and University of Montréal with funding and support provided by Health Canada. The study aims to assess the safety of eating traditional foods for First Nations and includes testing tap water for metals, rivers and lakes for pharmaceutical and will collect information on expo-
Andrew Black is a Policy Analyst at the Assembly of First Nations, the Communications Coordinator for FNFNES and has worked on several First Nations environmental health initiatives. In this capacity, he works to advocate for improved environmental health outcomes for First Nations. The First Nations Food, Nutrition and Environment Study (FNFNES) in partnership with participating First Nations
Comparing Water Policy in Northern Alberta and NWT Continued from page 1
going to disappear shortly. So there’s no real holistic look at what’s going on.”
Tim Heron
“The whole NWT water strategy is about preserving the water for future generations. There is stuff in there for industry, but it’s not industry driven like the provinces are. The provinces, a lot of it is geared around economics.” “That’s the biggest difference between both water policies. One is based on economics, one is based on the ability of future generations to have access to water and make their own decisions. If we take all the water from them now, they’ll never have an opportunity in 20 years from now. Any decision you make today you got to be thinking of seven generations down the road.” “Right now the territorial government [GNWT] is in transboundary negotiations with Alberta and BC. They’ve set
will be collecting household questionnaires, traditional food samples, tap water samples, surface water samples and hair samples this fall in up to 12 First Nations in Alberta. The Mikisew Cree First Nation and the Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation in Northern Alberta have been invited to participate in this project. Over a ten year period up to 100 randomly selected First Nations communities are
the table. Now they’re talking about putting down the interests of the parties. In the NWT, the territorial government is asking all the regional governments, ‘What is your interest?’ They’re talking about quality, quantity, and seasonal rate of flow in negotiations. And they have to keep the ecosystem in the back of their mind.” “With the new water policy, and the new Navigable Waters Act changes… When you take a major river and take the protection away from it, but you protect the lake, what’s the use?” [ed. note: see the piece on Idle No More for more information on changes to the federal Navigable Waters Act.] “That “World Class Monitoring” [in Northern Alberta, based around monitoring impacts from the tar sands development on water] system is just a saying from the government of Alberta. That they’re going to be doing “world class monitoring.” Well they got no choice when it’s a world-class problem!”
Shoreline of the Great Slave Lake. Photo courtesy of Andrew Miller.
sure to mercury through hair samples. Important information on food security, the nutritional quality of the foods First Nations are eating and the barriers to accessing traditional foods will also be collected. Data will be collected with an ecozone sampling approach and will be representative for First Nations on a regional level. However, individual First Nations that participate will receive valuable information regarding their communities on food consumption patterns, use of traditional foods, the barriers their com-
Idle No More Update Sheldon Birnie One River Editor sheldonbirnie@gmail.com
Photo courtesy of Sheldon Birnie.
Sheldon Birnie has a bachelor of environmental studies from the University of Manitoba. He is a freelance writer, and the editor of the Manitoba Eco-Journal and One River, Many Relations. The grassroots Idle No More movement has been captivating imaginations and inspiring people across Canada since its inception in the fall of 2012. Involving protests, demonstrations, teach-ins, and plenty of discussion, Idle No More is an Indigenous led movement that is hard to define. But it represents plenty of potential for Aboriginal people to assert their sovereignty in the face of federal government decisions that affect them. The spark that ignited the movement lies in the Conservative Government’s changes to the Environmental Assessment Act, Navigable Waterways and Fisheries Acts through legislation embedded in the July 2012 Budget. Although these acts include enforcement mechanisms that affect Aborginal peoples’ Treaty rights to fish, hunt and practice their cultures, no consultation with Aboriginal peoples was attempted. Under the new legislation the responsibility of the federal government to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments within traditional territories of First Nations lands affected by proposed development has been passed on to provincial governments. Likewise federal responsibilities to protect fisheries have been revised only to cover commercially important species rather than the ecosystems and interconnected species that support them. These changes have been justified by the Harper government as a means to reduce the time and money required to begin new resource developments and to hasten economic growth.
munity is facing in accessing traditional foods, cost of store bought foods, and a comparison between their community and First Nations across their region. Furthermore, establishing baseline information on exposure to mercury, metals in tap water, pharmaceuticals in lakes and rivers and contaminants in traditional foods will prove valuable in the future for First Nations who wish to evaluate the environmental health of their communities.
Continued on page 6
At the heart of the Idle No More movement is the relationship between the federal government of Canada and First Nations with whom it has signed treaties. While the mass protests and the hunger strike of Chief Theresa Spence have taken much of the headlines surrounding Idle No More, the fact that the movement has created such discussion across the country – from newspapers and television to online discussions and coffee shop conversations – is perhaps the most important development to date. When people across Canada can engage in open conversation and dialogue about Aboriginal rights and treaty obligations, it is a positive thing for all Canadians. Idle No More is not without its critics. But criticism is an important part of any discussion, especially one that takes so many issues and perspectives into account, as Idle No More does. From Aboriginal and treaty rights, to environmental issues and First Nations sovereignty, the Idle No More movement certainly encompasses a lot. As a grassroots movement, Idle No More is an attempt to represent democracy in action. What is exciting about it is the potential for Indigenous people and their allies across Canada to engage in open conversation, and to influence the direction that the movement goes as the movement develops and events unfold.
Pine Point Mine:
fill the drainage trenches they cut to dewater the area. They couldn’t refill the pits but they could fence them and cover the tailings with more soil so that it doesn’t blow around. They could try and replant some grass and shrubs. [But] they have no legal obligation to fix what they broke. Bonds for reclamation are only recent. This was our tar sands, I guess.”
“This was our tar sands” Lloyd Norn & Tom Unka Deninu Kue First Nation
Tom Unka Tom Unka at one of 35 such pits dug at Pine Point for lead and zinc. Photo courtesy of Andrew Miller.
Near the community of Fort Resolution, there was once a mining community called Pine Point. With a population of 2,000, Pine Point had a hockey arena, a golf course, and a number of commercial enterprises, like a grocery store and a hotel. The Pine Point mine extracted lead and zinc and other minerals from the area from the mid-1960s until 1989. At the mine’s peak, only 17% of the work force was hired locally, the rest coming from across Canada and the world to work the mines at Pine Point. Today, the Pine Point mine is gone, leaving a series of roads, pits and unremediated tailings ponds behind. Lloyd Norn and Tom Unka are Deninu Kue members and both worked for Deninu Kue First Nation as nonsalaried Environmental Representatives. Lloyd now works as the community water treatment plant operator, and Tom Unka works for the local Métis Nation office as an Environmental Monitor. They share some of their memories and thoughts of Pine Point here.
Lloyd Norn
“There was a double impact on the people of Fort Resolution. Ice conditions around the dam changed the caribou migration route away from
the community. They also lost the fish in the river. Formerly, this area was a big spawning ground for a fish called inconnu. Also the run off from the tailings ponds areas entered the lakes. The shore line closest to the mine was a whitefish spawning ground. This was the most valuable fish that the people had. After the mine the numbers of fish declined as did the quality of fish.” “The only thing that the mine areas are good for now are training people to go to the moon. There’s nothing living there. The food chain of the area was broken long ago […] You won’t see much mice or rabbits. As a result you won’t see many fur bearers. There are some beavers there now, but not many lynx, marten, or others. There is the occasional wolf or bear – they are always around. A few moose too but it’s not the same. The place looks awful. Like a desert. ” “I don’t think that money is going to help. Monetary compensation won’t help anything. Unless it’s channeled into training or some positive program. I would suggest just letting the land heal by itself [or] they could back
“This is all karst formation. The groundwater is quite close to the surface. In order for them to get to the ore, they had this huge de-watering program. What they did was they put these huge boreholes on the perimeter of these pits here. They had these electric pumps that were pumping water at an astronomical rate. […] They had these huge run-offs running back into the swamps that were flowing 4 feet deep, 12 feet wide, and just flowing like you’d find water running in the springtime. […] Some of the trap lines that the people from Fort Resolution were using, one of them being my father, he had to abandon half of his trap line because it was impacted by the dewatering program from
this pit right here. There were other people that were affected. They had to move elsewhere, because of our dewatering program was flooding vast areas of land. Trees were dying, beavers were moving in. The whole area was starting to change at a real rapid pace. It really impacted some of the people that were using that area.”
and so forth. But there was never any studies about these animals that were impacted. Nor the people, how they impacted the land users. That was never explored. So the extent of the impacts would be hard to say right now. I know that the moose had moved out of the area because of the development. And I’m sure the caribou, there’s caribou to the west of us, the woodland caribou, a threatened species.”
“There was a lot of activities. In this pit alone there would be drills, electric “This area has shovels. There been impacted “The only thing would be 20 for a number of that the mine trucks lined up. years, and it’s areas are good for The noise was only now revertnow are training just phenoming back to its people to go to enal. I’m sure natural state, as the moon. There’s it impacted the much as that is nothing living animals in the possible with all there. The food immediate area. the rocks that chain of the area It was crazy the were moved. was broken long development Some of the stuff ago […]” that went on. on the surface, Everyday they the vegetation were blasting. that’s coming There were 10 or 12 pits that back. The bumps are starting were operating on a daily to stabilize. With that happenbasis. To extract the ore they ing, and further development were blasting every day.” in the air again, there’s a lot of concerns with the land us“I’m sure there is a lot of ers and the people that natuimpact to the animal move- rally use the area and travel ments. Sure a lot of the habi- through the area.” tats were flooded and so on
Left: Tom Unka (DKFN) surveys the devastation left by 35 years of mining at the Pine Point Mine, NWT. Right: Lloyd Norn (DKFN) points out a 25 sq mile tailings field created by the Pine Point Mine on a satelite map. Photos courtesy of Andrew Miller.
First Nations Study Continued from page 4
All First Nations communities that participate in the study will own their own data and all results will be kept confidential. First Nations will receive their results in a timely fashion and at the end of the project will physically possess the data that was collected. The FNFNES will provide some limited employment as well as capacity building in research within participating First Nations. First Nations will be involved at all stages
of the research to ensure that the results will be as relevant as possible to their communities. The FNFNES team will be working with those researchers and environmental monitoring programs who have projects in Alberta to make sure that there will be no duplication. More information including results released to date is available at www.fnfnes.ca or you can contact Judy Mitchell, National Coordinator at: fnfnes@uottawa. ca or via phone at 613-562-5800 ext. 7214.
Monitoring Pollution in Wildlife Phil Thomas Environment Canada philippe.thomas@ec.gc.ca
Philippe Thomas is a wildlife biologist with Environment Canada, who works in northern Alberta. He lives in Chesterville, Ontario with his wife Sophie and his son Zachary. I’ll admit it, as a researcher new to the issue, I felt that meshing traditional ecological knowledge with western science is difficult. Sometimes even a bit intimidating. But after my first visit to the PADEMP Forum in November 2012 in Fort Chipewyan, I realized that including traditional knowledge with our western science is not such an intimidating task after all. All it takes is a little bit of time, mutual understanding, and an active ear to listen to the wisdom of community members who have been connected to the land for centuries. The province of Alberta and the federal government are implementing a joint program to monitor industrial pollution in air, water, and the plants and animals that live in the oil sands region. Because many of these plants and animals are important to local communities, we must pay special attention to these species. During the PADEMP forum, community members shared that while they… knew a sick animal from a healthy animal… There is now uncertainty because TK holders have difficulty assessing contaminant loads in wildlife… TK users have skills and knowledge based on the cumulative experience of generations, but the scale and speed of current changes is faster than our ability to adapt…” We hope that along with TK, the work we are proposing in the Peace-Athabasca Delta will help answer some of these important ecosystem health questions. A team of Environment Canada scientists and their collaborators will be working on gulls and terns (Craig Hebert), tree swallows (Kim Fer-
nie and Catherine Soos), frogs (Bruce Pauli along with Danna Schock and her students from Keyano College in Fort McMurray), plants (Celine Boutin and David Carpenter) and various hunter and trapper-harvested animals (Phil Thomas). We will be looking at pollution levels in these animals, and examining the impacts of these pollutants. Since starting these projects, we have come to understand that local communities and residents often feel overwhelmed and not involved in planning or doing the work. While our program is new, we are building it together with our partners and the local communities who wish to be involved. Our first year (2012) was successful thanks to our collaborators at the Alberta Trapper’s Association, the province of Alberta, the University of Alberta, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment and local communities such as the Mikisew Cree First Nation (Fort Chipewyan), the Deninu K’ue First Nation (Fort Resolution) and the K’a’gee Tu First Nation (Kakisa). We are now in the process of dissecting the wildlife, and our pollutant analyses should take place over the course of the summer. In 2012, we have managed to collect 142 lynx, 107 fishers, 289 American martens, 7 river otters, 9 beavers, 1 fox, 4 minx, 6 muskrats, 4 wolverines and 40 ducks through the province of Alberta. We hope to continue building on what we have accomplished while fostering an environment of collaboration and understanding. The strength and success of our program lies with the people we work with. If you wish to get in touch with us, we encourage you to contact Bruce Pauli (bruce.pauli@ec.gc.ca), who will be happy to connect you with the appropriate scientist. We’d like to hear about what’s most important for you, and your suggestions on how to make our monitoring program more valuable to you and your community.
Peace-Athabasca Delta Ecological Monitoring Program (PADEMP) update Stuart MacMillan, Parks Canada Peace-Athabasca Delta Ecological Monitoring Progam stuart.macmillan@pc.gc.ca
Stuart MacMillan is the Resource Conservation Manager at Wood Buffalo National Park, and the Chair of PADEMP. In 2008, Parks Canada initiated the development of PADEMP - a collaboration between Aboriginal, federal, provincial and territorial governments and non-governmental organizations. The mandate of PADEMP is to measure, evaluate and communicate the state of the Peace-Athabasca Delta using both western science and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK). Over the past year, the group has been working hard in each of these areas. PADEMP has identified muskrat as one valuable measure of the delta’s health. Muskrat are an important species both ecologically and culturally. The abundance of muskrat is a good indication of the extent and quality of wetland habitat in the delta. Culturally, muskrat play an important role in sustaining traditional values, spirituality, culture and economy. PADEMP has been monitoring muskrat abundance in collaboration with local knowledge holders since February 2012 and just completed its second survey this spring. Results are confirming that muskrat abundance in the delta is very low, likely due to the loss of wetland habitat since the last large flood in 1997. PADEMP is also working to complete the PAD Vulnerability Assessment. This report evaluates the current or potential impact of various stressors on the delta. The key humancaused stressors identi-
fied by PADEMP include climate change, industrial and municipal discharges, water withdrawals, flow regulation, landscape change and invasive species. The results of the assessment will allow PADEMP to focus monitoring program development on key areas of concern. Improving communication is another major objective of PADEMP. In November, 2012, the first PADEMP Forum in Ft. Chipewyan brought scientists engaged in monitoring together with local knowledge holders and community members. Together, they discussed areas of common concern and identified opportunities for collaboration, cooperation and communication. The Forum is one way that PADEMP can help build trust, promote understanding, and improve the design and implementation of monitoring programs. In the near future, look for the launch of two new communication tools - the PADEMP public website and newsletter.
Archie Antoine kneeling at pushup during muskrat survey February 2012. Photo courtesy of Michael Tyas.
One River, Many Relations Newsletter Contributors Principle Investigator: Stephane McLachlan, U of M mclachla@cc.umanitoba.ca NWT Principle Investigator: Andrew Miller, U of M andrewmmiller1@gmail.com One River Editor: Sheldon Birnie, U of M sheldonbirnie@gmail.com Newsletter Design: Dayna Kroeker, U of M kroeker.dayna@gmail.com
We plan on releasing our third issue of One River in fall/winter, 2014. We are excited about connecting with and supporting local contributors. If you write or are concerned about the environment or health. Take photos or create poetry or songs. Know some good jokes or country food recipes. Or have anything else you want to share, and would like to publish them in this newsletter, please contact Sheldon (sheldonbirnie@ gmail.com) or Stef (mclachla@ cc.umanitoba.ca). Or phone the Conservation Lab at 204-474-9316.
Issue Contributors: Sheldon Birnie Deninu School students Marlene Evans Tim Heron Paul Jones Bruce Maclean Stuart MacMillan
Stephane McLachlan Andrew Miller Lloyd Norn Phil Thomas Michael Tyas Tom Unka Sloan Whiteknife
Questions and Comments: Environmental Conservation Lab 303 Wallace Building University of Manitoba R3T 2N2 Winnipeg, MB Ph: 204. 474. 9316
www.EnvironmentalConservationLab.ca
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Funding provided by: Mikisew Cree First Nation
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation