The Denesųłiné of Cold Lake First Nations (CLFN) are applying both their Indigenous Knowledge and expertise in western science to develop and implement diverse caribou conservation strategies in their territory.
Caribou populations are in decline across Canada. For CLFN, the loss of this iconic animal also represents the loss of a traditional food source and part of their unique cultural identity. In an effort to address the pressures on caribou populations, CFLN is working with the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute (ABMI), on a broad caribou conservation project.
Findlay MacDermid, CLFN Traditional Knowledge/Traditional Land Use Group (TK/TLU) Manager, says his group is actively involved in managing their expansive territory. From monitoring water quality to conducting plant inventories to hunting and fishing for their community, their technologists apply a range of scientific field techniques, supported by their Indigenous Knowledge, to monitor and protect their resources.