Climate Monitoring Archives - Indigenous Climate Hub

Introducing the Indigenous Climate Monitoring Toolkit

Background

Are you interested in monitoring and documenting the effects of climate change in your community? Would you like to connect with and learn from other communities taking on similar projects? If so, look no further – the Indigenous Climate Monitoring Toolkit is a brand new resource created by Indigenous communities, for Indigenous communities.

Climate change is impacting Indigenous communities and ways of life across the country. Concerns range from food security and health impacts to issues with transportation, infrastructure damage from wildfires, flooding, permafrost degradation, and coastal erosion.

The Toolkit was developed to support Indigenous Peoples in Canada with planning, implementing, or expanding community-based climate monitoring projects. Communities use the data and knowledge collected to inform their adaptation planning and other decision-making.

Stories

The Toolkit includes stories shared through the eyes of those leading community-based monitoring projects, providing inspiration and guidance in hopes of encouraging others to pursue their own initiatives. Here are summaries of some of the stories to date:

Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation’s Wakâ Mne – Science and Culture Initiative

Does your community want to set up its own climate monitoring station? Click on Alexis Nakota Sioux Nation’s story to learn about their initiative to monitor climate, water quality, and greenhouse gas fluxes. Also, read about their efforts to document, archive, and share traditional knowledge to empower Indigenous culture to inform future strategies aimed at climate change adaptation and mitigation. Check out their informative video series and guides on setting up a climate station.

Young Hunters Program and Climate Monitoring

Are you interested in learning how to engage youth in climate monitoring? Click on the Aqqiumavvik Society’s story to learn about their Young Hunters Program. This food security initiative aims to teach kids traditional hunting practices and Inuit values and beliefs around environmental stewardship. More recently, it has incorporated monitoring aspects such as tracking changes to animals, weather, and the environment. Participants in the program gain skills and knowledge through time spent with experienced Elders and instructors by engaging in local hunting and monitoring activities. Check out their Young Hunters Manual to learn more about their program and their Community Climate Change Manual to help you implement climate change initiatives within your community.

Dehcho AAROM: Indigenous-led Monitoring and Stewardship

Are you concerned about the impacts of climate change on water quality and fish? Click on Dehcho First Nations’ story to learn how their Aboriginal Aquatic Resource and Oceans Management (AAROM) Program has created a regionally administered, community-based monitoring initiative. This story covers the importance of partnerships to increase funding opportunities and capacity, practical tips on data management and field work, and the opportunities and benefits of developing a successful community-based monitoring program. Check out their hands-on case studies and water quality monitoring videos.

Discover More

Beyond providing you with stories from leading community-based monitoring projects, the Toolkit provides an easy to navigate Resources tab equipping you with links to key resources related to climate monitoring and adaptation, as well as a Steps tab with step-by-step guidance to plan, design, and implement your project.

In addition, check out the interactive map to see some of the Indigenous-led climate monitoring related projects that have taken place or are ongoing across Canada.

Visit the Toolkit today to get inspired, start your own project journey, or share your own story and resources with your peers.

By First Peoples Group and the Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program at Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada

(Photo credit – header photo: Lesly Derksen, Unsplash)

February 25, 2022/by IndigenousClimateHub

Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island Supports Communities in Adapting to Climate Change

Adaptation, Atlantic/NB, Blog, Climate Change, Climate Change Adaptation, Climate Monitoring, Flooding, Technology

Since 2013, the Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island (MCPEI) has supported the communities of Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nations in preparing and adapting to climate change impacts.

Recent studies have shown that climate change is contributing to sea-level rise, coastal erosion, and increased storm surges on Prince Edward Island, putting communities such as Lennox Island at risk. Coastal residences, critical community infrastructure, sacred grounds, and medicinal plant sites are all under threat from climate change and we needed to prepare for these challenges.

Having the community identify their priorities and concerns has been integral to the success of this project. We hosted workshops with Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nations to identify and prioritize key climate risks to the community. Issues related to emergency response and human health, vulnerability of infrastructure, sea-level rise, coastal flooding, and vulnerability of traditional fishing and hunting areas were identified as key concerns by the community. “Climate change adaptation and the protection of our home, Lennox Island, is one of the most pressing challenges we face today” stated Chief Darlene Bernard of Lennox Island First Nation. “We appreciate the partnerships that have formed to help us achieve that goal.”

We also partnered with the University of Prince Edward Island’s Climate Land and Simon Fraser University’s Spatial Interface Research Lab on the Coastal Impact Visualization Environment (CLIVE). CLIVE combines historical erosion data, model projections of sea-level rise, aerial imagery, and high-resolution digital elevation data to draw map out coastal erosion and future sea-level rise scenarios. By using 3D game engine technology, CLIVE is able to communicate climate change information to community members that is visual and easy to understand.

We are planning future activities that will include continued community consultations, development of an archeological climate change risk assessment tool, and training on how to operate UAVs for community members. Our project will culminate in the development of an adaptation plan that will help our communities improve their resiliency to climate change.

Caption: Audience at Lennox Island (PEI) attending community workshop on climate change

Blog Post from: Mi’kmaq Confederacy of Prince Edward Island

June 23, 2020/by IndigenousClimateHub

The Imalirijiit Program: A Community-Based Environmental Monitoring Program of the George River Watershed in Nunavik, Quebec

Blog, Climate Monitoring, Community-Based Environmental Monitoring, Quebec

The Imalirijiit (Those who study water in Inuktitut) Program began in 2016 following a partnership between local organizations in Kangiqsualujjuaq (Nunavik, Quebec), and a group of university-based researchers. Kangiqsualujjuamiut were concerned about the possibility of a rare earth elements (REE) mining project starting its operations in the upper watershed of the George River (Strange Lake). The George River is essential to the traditional activities of fishing, hunting and gathering and the community wanted to start its own long-term community-based environmental monitoring program to collect baseline (or reference) data before any mining activities impact the water and environment quality in the watershed.

The Imalirijiit program includes Science land camps (Nunami Sukuijainiq), training workshops, and biomonitoring of atmospheric, aquatic and terrestrial conditions in the George River watershed, as well as interactive mapping of land use and local knowledge.

The community aims to track changes in its changing environment, especially by involving the youth in environmental stewardship. Among other things, they are studying the evolution of vegetation over the last 50 years in the river’s watershed. They are also developing a component for monitoring the abundance and characteristics of locally available shoreline country food species (Tininnimiutait), such as seaweeds (kuanniq), mussels (uviluq), clams (ammuumajuk) and other animals that are harvested or that provide a food source for the harvested species in Nunavik marine waters. This new aspect aims to enhance the dietary quality of these organisms and improve our food security and sovereignty.

Imalirijiit intends to stimulate interests toward science, and provide scientific educational and training opportunities for youth and other community members, through a land-based and hands-on approach. It also fosters intergenerational and intercultural knowledge exchanges and provides local jobs (see Figure 1).

Figure 1. Objectives of the Imalirijiit Program.

Figure 2. 2019 Science Land Camp.

Figure 3. Collection of macroinvertebrates in the sediments at the bottom of a small tributary of the George River.

Figure 4. Collection of lichens for monitoring the air quality.

Figure 5. Tree coring to characterize the tree population (e.g. age and growth).

Look at our 2019-2020 report!
IMALIRIJIIT and NUNAMI SUKUIJAINIQ – Winter 2020. Results Summary for Community Organizations and Contributors.
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1WfWKju-C-QiZ9mGxe96hEYZEuLLEozWK/view?usp=sharing

Watch our videos!
NUNAMI SUKUIJAINIQ, 2020. Short documentaries series about the 2019 Science Land Camp on the George River, Nunavik.
10 minutes version: https://youtu.be/5MxC73SW-pw
4 minutes version: https://youtu.be/EUhdCs7Aodg
1-minute trailer: https://youtu.be/Qdmi9katTQg

Visit our websites!
http://www.imalirijiit.weebly.com
http://www.nunamiskuijainiq.weebly.com

Article By: The Imalirijiit Team, June 2020.

June 16, 2020/by IndigenousClimateHub

Education Through Interaction: A Community-Based Approach to Environmental Monitoring and Climate Change

Alberta, Climate Monitoring, Métis, Métis Settlement

Beginning in October of 2018, two members of the Gift Lake Métis Settlement began training as Environmental Monitors through a partnership between the Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program and the Gift Lake Métis Settlement. Gift Lake is a small Métis community located roughly 400 km northwest of Edmonton, Alberta and sits in the heart of the boreal forest. It is surrounded by rich vegetation, forests and many water bodies left behind by ancient glacial meltdown. Once the Gift Lake Environmental Guardianship Program began, we focused on the primary concerns of the people within the community. This started with one-on-one interaction with elders through interviews and surveys filled with questions relating to the similarities and changes in the environment and climate of Gift Lake over the years. Through this communication it was clear what our goals would be: educating ourselves and the community, while maintaining a balance between a scientific approach to research and a sense of community through human interaction and methodology.

An elder in the community said, “nothing connects us more to our culture than the land.” She was right. Indigenous people have had a very close tie to the environment for millennia. Now we can tie culture, science and education to protect our culture through the protection of our invaluable environment. We immediately enrolled in Environmental Education programs and soon we were out in the field daily. Our efforts were split into 6 categories: air, weather, water, vegetation, traditional plants and wildlife while making sure to continually have an active presence and relationship with the community. Weather monitoring stations were installed on the north and south ends of the community and the data is collected daily in the effort to fill a data gap that has existed in the area until now. A water monitoring project was initiated through field level testing. Our main goal for the water monitoring efforts is to note any major or alarming trends that could affect quality of the water which would affect the quality of life for all living things. From our tests, three initiatives were born: bridge building for ATV stream crossings, ongoing lake sweeps for abandoned nets and waste, and the continual monitoring of the water levels in our three largest lakes.

On top of taking a scientific initiative to learn about the land and climate, we also wanted to bring awareness to the community. We have taken the opportunity to be part of land-based learning activities at the K-9 school through facilitating workshops on topics including dendrochronology, climate change, drone flying, rabbit snaring, traditional herbs and even gun safety. A High School in High Prairie, Alberta also invited us to speak to students and introduce the prospect of being employed in the environmental field. We would speak on issues regarding climate change and relate on a more personal level including our successes, struggles and overall experiences growing up in a small Indigenous community and moving into adulthood. In the spring of 2019 two high school students were hired as trainees and included in all our environmental, climate action and community engagement activities. We did this not only to teach, but to instill the importance of the environment by introducing them to the beauty of their surroundings and the amount of gratification and confidence that comes from protecting our lifeline. The youth have taken part in dendrochronology (tree aging), bridge building, water testing, weather monitoring, wildlife monitoring, well-site reclamation, tree planting, marking traditional herb GPS waypoints, facilitating a large cultural camp with 7 other communities and numerous community engagement events. They have also been given the opportunity to take part in community-based projects such as designing and building the community two new welcome signs, starting a community garden, building a children’s park and initiating a garbage clean-up with elementary school children; allowing them to play a mentorship role as well. Since returning to school both youths have contacted us expressing how much they loved the program and how they hope to come back next summer. This is the level of interest and environmental responsibility we wish to instill within the entire community.

The struggle to succeed does weigh heavy on us at times and we understand the differences in everyone’s views about climate change and environmental protection. We have seen failures, but they are over-shadowed by successes. Our environmental and climate change programs are only in their beginning stages and programs like this are extremely new to everyone around us. We welcome the challenge and treat our roles as a major responsibility to act as champions for the land. We believe there is only one possible way to achieve that: to be role models among the people.