Exchanging Ways of Knowing at the Athabasca Fish Camp

On the shores of the Athabasca River in Alberta, Community-Based Monitors from the Mikisew Cree First Nation and Land Guardians from Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation are working to get a holistic understanding of their community’s health by looking into the fish they eat and the water they drink from the river. The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation hosted a fish camp where community members and scientists worked side-by-side to learn from one another, collect data, talk through concerns, and dry the healthy fish for food. By combining Indigenous and Western science, the Guardians can better understand how upstream tar sand developments and climate change are impacting the health of fish populations and the communities that rely on them.