Offering documentation of cultural and ecological values associated with the land through both interviews and field studies.
Priority is given to documentation on the land (in the field) and in the land user’s mother tongue, using local assistants. I feel it is important to work as much as possible from the frame of reference of the knowledge holder, taking guidance from those who hold the knowledge. Examples of past projects are:
- Fort McKay Indigenous Values in Wetlands of the Athabasca Oil Sands Region, prepared for the Cumulative Environmental Assessment Association, 2011.
- Developing a Community Monitoring Programme for Lake Sturgeon in the Berens River, prepared for Department of Fisheries and Oceans, 2010.
- Keeping Woodland Caribou in the Boreal Forest: Cross-Cultural Research Supporting New Forest Management Models, prepared for the Whitefeather Forest Management Corporation, 2006. See a media report on this research.
Surveys can also be important way of documenting knowledge of the land in simplified ways that allow for comparison with other places. An example of past work in which i developed and implemented a survey of local land use is Non-Timber Forest Enjoyment in the Lake Abitibi Model Forest, prepared for the Lake Abitibi Model Forest, Ontario.
Geo-referenced data is archived in a digital data base that can be used for analysis and GIS values mapping. Training can be provided for community researchers to work on interviewing, field work, database creation and maintenance.
