Indigenous Water Guardians Stories

Protecting Fish and Fish Habitat with the Imaryuk Monitors

“It's important to ensure that we have community members that are giving us an indication of the health of our fish in the creeks.” Every day, Imaryuk Monitors are out on the land patrolling to track the health of invertebrates that fish consume and measure the health of the wetlands, lakes, and streams that run along the vast stretch of tundra and boreal habitats between Inuvik and Tuktoyaktuk in the NWT. Their work to improve water quality includes addressing the rise in beaver populations, which are an invasive species in this region whose dams constrict water flow and disrupt fish habitats.

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.

Protecting the Seal River Estuary

“That’s what being a Guardian means – it means making sure that these thriving ecosystems have a future.” In northern Manitoba, the new Seal River Watershed Guardians will be the eyes and ears on their traditional territory. That means caring for the lands and waters (over 50,000 sq km!) that so many people and animals rely on. Want to support their work? Head over to sealriverwatershedalliance.ca to sign their statement of support!

How Kitasoo Guardian Watchmen Protect Waters, Wildlife & Culture

“Our histories and stories all interconnect with everything in what we do each & every day.” Doug Neasloss & the Kitasoo Guardian Watchmen know that the work they do protecting lands, wildlife & waters is also protecting the history & culture of their communities. Monitoring important areas for herring & sea life, educating fishermen of Indigenous & federal laws, and documenting local languages are all a part of keeping the circle of life intact.

It’s All About the Fish

For Jerry Jack of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation, the salmon in the Nakina River are more than personal — they’re at “the soul of who we are”. His daily desk is the platform where he collects samples to assess population health. Salmon numbers are dwindling, which is why we need Guardians. They are our eyes and ears, telling us about the threats facing our environment.

Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh Guardians on the Land

What do Guardians do, in their own words? In this video produced by Dane Nan Yḗ Dāh, Tanya Ball gives a quick peek into the daily work of the Kaska Land Guardians: monitoring water quality, educating land users, and learning from Elders about traditional knowledge and the cultural importance of their territory.

Protecting Dungeness Crab and Our Way of Life

Faced with population declines from overfishing, the Heiltsuk Nation is creating new protected areas to sustain Dungeness crab, which are deeply connected to their way of life. In the latest video from Heiltsuk filmmaker and storyteller ’Qátuw̓as Brown, see first-hand how the work of Guardians is protecting crab populations and ensuring the Heiltsuk way of life continues.

How T’Souke First Nation Guardians Protect Salmon

Salmon are an important species to the T'Souke First Nation, holding cultural value for everything from ceremonial purposes to traditional diet. Just west of Victoria on Vancouver Island,T’Souke Guardians are working to combat invasive species such as green crabs and knotweed that are destroying juvenile salmon habitats. By monitoring and controlling these invasive species, Guardians are helping salmon populations thrive.

Monitoring Climate Change Impacts around the Mackenzie River

Follow along as K’ahsho Got’ine Guardians patrol their traditional territory on and around the MacKenzie River in the NWT! Water monitoring has become especially important in recent years, as the community has seen record low water levels within local streams and the MacKenzie itself. Rather than relying on outside data collected by Crown government agencies, Guardians collect their own data, enabling their leaders and the community to make informed decisions about the best ways to care for and conserve this precious resource.

Keeping Innu Waterways Healthy | Minashkuat Kanakutuatak

“In our language, they’re called Kanakutuatak – the ones who look after the land. In English, they’re called Guardians.” In 1992, the Innu Nation launched their Fisheries Guardians Program to help ensure the health of their lands and waterways, and continue the stewardship they have practiced since time immemorial. Since then, their Guardians program has expanded to include wildlife, forestry, mining, and hydro development monitoring. Watch and learn more!

Haíłzaqv Guardians and Herring Roe

Herring roe, or h̓a̓ṇ́t in the Heiltsuk language, has been a staple food of the community for thousands of years, & the practice of harvesting it is part of traditional food, song, & dance. Coastal Guardian Watchmen like Josh Vickers monitor herring & herring roe on kelp during herring season. Follow along as Josh shows how Guardian Watchmen protect herring habitat, provide guidance on harvesting areas, & help keep Heiltsuk traditions thriving.

Canoes, Community & Connection

Building a birch canoe by hand takes more than just birch bark: it takes community, generations of knowledge — and a little bit of spruce sap. Land Needs Guardians Storytellers and Wahkohtowin Guardians Amberly Quakegesic and Isabelle Allen share how the experience brought them closer to their culture and reconnected them to the land, Elders, and their community.

How Guardians help further protect the health of the land and water

First Nations know their land. And when Guardians combine this traditional knowledge with additional training, it can provide a more encompassing and holistic view of what’s happening on the land. Here's a first hand look at what some of that training involves, and how it's helping First Nation's better manage impacts on their territories.

How Nuxalk Guardian Watchmen protect salmon

How can we build a better, more sustainable economy with people and the land at its center? It starts with respecting and supporting Indigenous-led conservation.