Sahtu Renewable Resources Board (SRRB)

Fishes Logo

FISHES: Fostering Indigenous Small‐scale fisheries for Health, Economy, and food Security

Genome Canada Large-Scale Applied Research Project Competition: Genomics and Feeding the Future (2020-2024)

How can knowledge-co-evolution processes inform inclusive fisheries co-management and enhance food security, conservation, and socio-economic development in northern Indigenous community settings? Sahtú (Great Bear Lake) plays a vital role in the local culture, food security, and economy of the Dene community of Délı̨nę and the broader Sahtú Region. The subsistence fishery from this relatively pristine Arctic lake is a dietary staple in Délı̨nę and is essential for the community's cultural and spiritual connection to the land and water. Long-term monitoring by Fisheries and Oceans Canada provides valuable stock data from the past 20 years. The Genome Canada FISHES project in Sahtú is bringing together Délı̨nę Got'ı̨nę knowledge holders and scientists to progress both Dene naowerǝ́ (knowledge) and science in support of knowledge co-evolution as a basis for planning in the context of environmental change. Knowledge interpretation and validation with the Délı̨nę Ɂekwę́ hé Łúé hé (Caribou and Fish) Working Group will ensure the project remains locally relevant and culturally appropriate.

The FISHES project in Délı̨nę is part of a nation-wide project to develop and apply genomic approaches in concert with Indigenous knowledge to address critical challenges and opportunities related to food security and commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries of northern Indigenous Peoples in Canada (Inuit, Cree and Dené communities). The project will develop genomic resources for six species important to northern communities and use these resources to identify genetically distinct populations, assess their vulnerability to future climatic conditions, quantify their contributions to mixed‐population harvests, and measure the contribution of fish from developing hatchery programs to subsistence harvests. FISHES will support the co‐generation of knowledge to foster the development and co‐management of sustainable fisheries and will also contribute to our ability to forecast the response of key fisheries to rapid global and socio‐economic changes in northern Indigenous communities.

Learn more at the project website.

FISHES Project Feature in IAGLR’s 64th Conference on Great Lakes Research

The FISHES project was featured in the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR) 64th Conference on Great Lakes Research (May 17-21, 2021). Délı̨nę community research partner and Elder’s Council representative, Walter Bezha, co-presented with Grace Martin on the FISHES project in Sahtú as part of the session on bridging knowledge systems between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities.

The theme of the conference this year was “Bridging: Knowledges • Seven Generations • Land to Lake“. “This theme evokes our goal of connection. Today we see an urgent need for people to connect across divides of race, culture, and political viewpoint, as well as across scientific disciplines and levels of scientific literacy.”

See the IAGLR conference presentation here.

FISHES Team Members

Walter Bezha
Edward Reeves
Deborah Simmons
Stephan Schott
Grace Martin
Johann Strube
Louise Chavarie
Joshua Shaw
Kimberly Howland
Yamin Janjua
Délı̨nę Ɂekwę́ hé Łúé hé Working Group

Past Team Members

FISHES Délı̨nę Team1

2017-2022 Tracking Changes

Tracking Change… is a new research initiative funded by the Social Sciences Humanities Research Council of Canada and led by the University of Alberta, the Traditional Knowledge Steering Committee of the Mackenzie River Basin Board, the Government of the Northwest Territories and many other valued partner organizations. Over six years (2015-2022), the project will fund local and traditional knowledge research activities in the Mackenzie River basin and sister projects in the Lower Amazon and Lower Mekong River Basins, with the long term goal of strengthening the voices of subsistence fishers and Indigenous communities in the governance of major fresh water ecosystems. The project developed in recognition that river systems are important social, economic, cultural and ecological places that contribute to the well-being of communities in diverse ways. River peoples, particularly Indigenous peoples who have well developed fishing livelihoods can offer extremely valuable insights about long term (historic and current) patterns of social and ecological change and the interconnections between the health and dynamics of these river systems and that of river communities. Although based on oral traditions, this system of observation or “tracking change” is much like monitoring. Like those who live on Canada’s east and west coasts, the ability of Indigenous communities in the Mackenzie River Basin to maintain fishing as a livelihood practice is of social, economic and cultural importance to all of Canada; if this river system is not healthy, how can we be?

tracking images

Fishers have been tracking change in the same places, in the same ways, using the same signs & signals for many generations. Such traditional knowledge is key to our understanding of many kinds of issues resulting from resource development, climate change and other land uses. This tracking of change is not simply a technical process; people watch, listen, learn and communicate about change because they care about the health of the land and the health of their communities.

tracking images 2

For more information on the project, please visit http://www.trackingchange.ca/

Team Members

Deborah Simmons, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Leon Andrew, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Kirsten Jensen, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Brenda Parlee, University of Alberta

Funder

Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, led by the University of Alberta, the Mackenzie River Basin Board, and the Government of the Northwest Territories in collaboration with many other valued Aboriginal organization partners and universities.

Reports

pdf Literature Review – Local and Traditional Knowledge in the Great Bear Lake Watershed, December 2016.(4.01 MB)

pdf Tracking Change Report 2017(66.73 MB)

pdf The importance of traditional knowledge for maintaining fishing livelihoods during times of change in the Sahtú Region, 2018. [Newsletter](1.13 MB)

2014-2019 Contaminant Biomonitoring

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Country food consumption (locally harvested foods) is associated with healthy nutrition; however, these foods can also pose potential risks via exposure to contaminants, such as mercury and cadmium, which can be naturally presented in the environment. Elevated mercury concentrations in some fish samples in the Northwest Territories have resulted in a series of food consumption notice emitted by the Northwest Territories Health and Social Services Department to suggested people to limit their consumption of walleye, northern pike, and lake trout from specific lakes. Also, a consumption notice has also been placed on the kidneys and liver of moose from some parts of the Northwest Territories. However, it is important to keep in mind that traditional food consumption is associated with high intake of vitamins and essential nutrients and has a cultural significance in the region.

biomonitoring

Therefore, a multi-year study has been proposed within the Dehcho, Sahtú and Hay River regions in order to investigate the current levels of contaminant exposure among participating communities. This work, funded by the Northern Contaminants Program, will result in a strategy to promote the use of country foods in order to improve nutrition while reducing contaminant exposure. We consulted communities’ leaders through emails, phone calls and in-person meetings. When the community leaders and members were interested in the project, the research team came back for one week and proceed to the collect of hair, urine and blood to measure metals (mercury, cadmium, uranium, etc.), organic pollutants (pesticides, flame retardants, etc.) as well as nutrients (selenium, omega-3). We also invited participants to complete two food surveys and one health message awareness and perception survey, supported by local coordinators. In Sahtu, the project was completed in three communities: Tulit’a, Délı̨nę, K’asho Got’ine (February 2017- March 2018). Participants will receive their own results before March 2019, and the research team will be in the region to report the results during public meetings.

Cross Cultural Camp 2016 Terrence Hiroki Pierrot

Mutual understanding between different languages (Slavey, English, French), different cultures (Dene, other), and different types of knowledge (on the land, academic) is potentially a challenge. In addition, making the findings relevant and culturally appropriate for the region was essential to the project. Therefore, terminology workshops were organized with small groups in Tulit’a and Délı̨nę to discuss concepts and establish a common understanding of the topics. The output of this dialogue and the translated terms can be shared by the SRRB.

Consent station

Team Members

Brian Laird, Principal Investigator, University of Waterloo
Mylène Ratelle, Academic Researcher, University of Waterloo
Kelly Skinner, Academic Researcher, University of Waterloo
Danielle Brandow, Academic Researcher, University of Waterloo
Deborah Simmons, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Délı̨nę Renewable Resources Council
Fort Good Hope Renewable Resources Council
Tulit'a Renewable Resources Council
Michael Neyelle, Interpreter, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Leon Andrew, Interpreter, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Walter Bayha, Interpreter, Ɂehdzo Got’ı̨nę Gots’ę́ Nákedı
Camilla Rabisca, Local coordinator, K’asho Got’ine
Stella Rabisca, Local coordinator, K’asho Got’ine
Stella Bayha-Yallee, Local coordinator, Tulit’a
Tracy Yakeleya, Local coordinator, Tulit’a
Ruby Baton-Beyonnie, Local coordinator, Délı̨nę
Dora Blondin, Local coordinator, Délı̨nę
Rita Baton, Local coordinator, Délı̨nę
Dakota Erutse, Regional Coordinator, Sahtú Secretariat Inc.

Funding and Support

Funding for this work was provided by the Northern Contaminants Program, which is jointly supported by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada and Health Canada (>95% of the funds). Additional support was received from Global Water Futures , Northern Scientific Training Program, the University of Waterloo, and the Population Biomonitoring Section of Health Canada. The research team is grateful for the assistance from the following organizations in the Sahtú Region: The Government of Northwest Territories Department of Health and Social Services; the Sahtú Renewable Resources Board; the Sahtú Secretariat Incorporated; the Sahtú Health and Social Service Authority. This work represents an ongoing collaboration between researchers at the University of Waterloo (Brian Laird, Heidi Swanson, Mylène Ratelle, Kelly Skinner, Rhona Hanning, Shannon Majowicz, Ken D. Stark), Trent University (Chris Furgal), University of Montréal (Michèle Bouchard), the Washington State University (Amanda Boyd), the Dehcho Aboriginal Aquatic Resources and Ocean Management (George Low), and the Sahtú Renewable Resources Board (Deborah Simmons).

Newsletters

Budget

Northern Contaminants Program 2014-2015/Simmons: $41,866
Northern Contaminants Program 2015-2019/Laird: $330,000
Health Canada 2016-2018/Laird: $14,000

For questions please contact:

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1-519-888-4567 x30365 or 32720

2016-2019 Fish Monitoring - Environmental DNA

Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is the DNA of the things that live in the environment. Through this project, we are developing eDNA as a tool to assess the presence of specific fish species without actually seeing the fish themselves. While eDNA techniques have obvious applications to fisheries management and conservation issues, including assessing current and potentially shifting distributions and habitat use in the vast and rapidly changing Arctic, protocols specific to northern environments remain to be developed and validated against traditional sampling methods in remote locations. Therefore, for this project, we are focused specifically on developing protocols to detect rare and cryptic species in remote northern watersheds using a community-based monitoring approach. We are looking specifically for the DNA from Dolly Varden, bull trout, pink salmon and chum salmon in smaller rivers in the Gwich’in Settlement Area, and in the Mackenzie River in the GSH and Sahtú.

eDNA sampling Mountain 1

eDNA Fish

Team Members

Karen Dunmall, Fisheries and Oceans Canada
Robert Bajno, Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Partners

Gwich'in Renewable Resources Board
Nę K’ǝ Dene Ts’ı̨lı̨ Forum

Funders

Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program (CIMP)

2017-2020 Sahtú Environmental Management Decision-Support Project

The Sahtú Renewable Resources Board has partnered with ALCES to look at what the future Sahtu landscape may look like based on different scenarios of natural and human-driven change. The project is funded by NWT CIMP with in-kind contributions from ALCES and the SRRB.

ALCES models future changes based on known environment and landscape cover, an understanding of historic changes, and projected indicators of change to the environment, human footprint and landscape.

The project provides a forum to look at potential future outcomes of environmental changes to support decision-making in the Sahtu. Partnered with the Sahtu Environmental Research and Monitoring Forum, community members are helping define future scenarios of landscape change. These scenarios are then used to project simulations over the next 50 years. Simulations are being developed for climate and fire, population and settlements, energy and mining development, woodland caribou range disturbance and mountain caribou population dynamics.