Beausoleil First Nation

COLUMN: Advice from an island; neglect the water at your peril

COLUMN: Advice from an island; neglect the water at your peril

The island world that I have experienced and observed has come to share with me its wisdom. It has shown me that our natural environment has changed. Alarmingly so. I had first become fully aware of those changes in the early 1990s. At the time I was getting set to cross the channel between Christian Island (Georgian Bay) and Cedar Point on the mainland. I was aboard a snowmobile and it was during this time of year (mid-March). I was on my way to Ottawa to meet with Indian Affairs officials to advocate on behalf of my people as the Chief. I was making a plea for a safer, reliable means of transportation. The ice was still thick enough to hold a snowmobile, but it was degrading quickly. The ferry had stopped running three weeks before and was now at ease in her winter harbour.

OTF and Water First Announce Success of Pilot Conservation Workshops Inspiring Indigenous Students to Become Future Water Scientists

OTF and Water First Announce Success of Pilot Conservation Workshops Inspiring Indigenous Students to Become Future Water Scientists

World Nature Conservation Day (July 28th) underscores the need for more opportunities to empower Indigenous youth to cultivate interest in, and develop a passion for, water science. With a Seed grant of $71,700 from the Ontario Trillium Foundation, Water First has been inspiring and engaging Indigenous students to become future water scientists. Through consultation with Indigenous community partners, Water First has delivered a series of in-person and virtual conservation workshops to explore watershed health and water quality through experiential and project-based learning.