Kikawinaw Askiy: Reconciling with Indigenous Sacred Ecology Okanese First Nation territory Our Community Located in Treaty 4 (southeastern Saskatchewan)

- 74 homes; 300 on-reserve population - 40 homes on low pressure piped water system - 34 on trucked water - 6 institutional buildings on piped water system

- 24 homes on piped sewer system to lagoons - 50 homes on septic tanks with ‘shoot-outs’ - 6 institutional buildings on sewer system Kikawinaw Askiy: Reconciling with Indigenous Sacred Ecology

• Kikawinaw Askiy (Mother Earth) • At Okanese we observe many recent changes on the land

Flood waters, road washout Okanese, 2013 Our Motivation • Climate change threatens Kikawinaw Askiy (Mother Earth) - our lands, water, fish, plants, and ultimately, our livelihood, all that gives life • In our territory, climate change causes flooding, land and water pollution • We experience extremely high temperatures in summer, our community is more prone to grass fires. We lost a house to a wildfire last year.

File Hills Firefighters Our Opportunity

• Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada funding $$$ • Funding opportunity to install climate monitoring stations • Funding opportunity to support a climate change adaptation strategy • Funding opportunity to support source water protection planning

• A full application was prepared by Okanese First Nation (Kathy Walker) • Band Council Resolution passed Feb 14, 2018 • Application submitted to Crown-Indigenous Relations Feb 16, 2018 • Full funding was provided in summer 2018 ($170,000) Kikawinaw Askiy: Reconciling with Indigenous Sacred Ecology • This is a three year project • We are in Year 1 …. and we are going strong! Three Parts to Our Project 1. Installation of a Climate Monitoring Network with real-time climate data to record climate conditions within our First Nation (funded by: Indigenous Community-Based Climate Monitoring Program)

2. Okanese Climate Change Adaptation Strategy (funded by Adapt)

3. Okanese Source Water Protection Plan (funded by First Nations Adapt) Part 1: Climate Monitoring Network Climate Monitoring Network • Ceremony at each site, tobacco offering and sweetgrass, Elder Prayer • Four climate stations installed across Okanese First Nation (Oct-Dec 2018) • Recording real-time climate data • Air temperature, rainfall, humidity, air pressure, and wind speed/direction

Ricky Stonechild Councillor Ron Elliot

Dr Krys Chutko, UofS Chief Marie-anne DayWalker-Pelletier Cade Tuckanow-Starr, Community monitor technician & FN Adapt community coordinator ONSET RX3000 Weather Stations • Remote Monitoring Station with LCD display • Cellular communications to internet. Weatherproof • Datalogger rated from -40C to +60C • Up to 1 minute logging, set at 30 minute logging. • Logger comes with 10 smart sensor • Logger is powered by a 10AHr rechargeable battery • Solar panel

Station #1 Okanese First Nation

CBC NEWS

University of Saskatchewan partners with First Nation on climate change research Grass fires caused by drought was one of reason why Okanese First Nation wanted this partnership. This photo is of a Lumsden Valley grass fire this summer. (Glenn Reid/CBC) U of S researchers partner with First Nations community to measure climate change

Climate monitoring stations on Sask. First Nation to help form adaption plan Climate Monitoring Network - Benefits • Real-time climate reports for local radio station; land and water safety • Long- term climate data; observe trends; record violent weather • Low cost; low maintenance • Science education for youth, climate and water-related education • Corroborate instrument (western) science with traditional knowledge • Relationship building, reconciliation, through science education

Ricky Stonechild Councillor Ron Elliot

Dr Krys Chutko, UofS Chief Marie-anne DayWalker-Pelletier Cade Tuckanow-Starr Community monitor technician & FN Adapt community coordinator Part 2: Climate Change Adaptation Strategy • We have developed a Climate Change Adaptation Strategy through a community-engaged planning process

Okanese Education Centre Climate Change Adaptation Strategy Process

STAGE 5 1 STAGE 1 Review and Establish Update Working Strategy Committee

5

The 5 Stages 2 of this Strategy STAGE 4 STAGE 2 Develop Complete Implementation Climate Change Strategy Assessment

4 STAGE 3 Identify Risk 3 Management Actions

Climate Change Adaptation Strategy • This planning process engages youth, membership and Elders to identify community infrastructure (physical, social, cultural) that may be at risk due to our changing climate. • How will our community adapt in the future? What options are available to avoid impacts on our infrastructure? What lessons can we share with other First Nations in Saskatchewan and beyond in Canada?

File Hills Firefighters CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS (OBSERVED) GENERAL LOCATION

Frequent high water on west end West end Reserve

2013 was a flood year, damage to roads and homes All Areas

2018 is the second year of a drought All Areas

Grass fires are becoming common, asthma is a worry for Elders, youth All Areas

Local fire ban established in 2017 on any brush or grass fires All Areas

A house was lost due to fire in 2017 On Reserve

Adjacent First Nations also joined the fire ban (Star Blanket and All Areas Peepeekisis) Volunteer Fire fighting group

More turbulent conditions, windy days, fire threat All Areas

Drying phase, drought. Tent caterpillars on rise All Areas CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS (OBSERVED) GENERAL LOCATION

More big game animals: bears, elk, moose, wolves, turkey vultures North End of Reserve

Sandy in the east; black soil in the west?? All Areas

Landfill, originally on east side, covered. New temporary location last 3 years.

No birds, no squirrels All areas

Medicinal medicines: Sweetgrass is hard to find All areas

Prairie Lily is coming back All areas

Either too much water or not enough All areas

Too much summer heat All areas

Game birds, wild turkey, frogs, all hard to find; but lots of snakes All areas

Aerial spraying of herbicides damaged trees, sloughs. No longer allowed All areas

Past trenching for drainage has made it dangerous for ATV movement. All areas Ground cracking. Climate Change Adaptation Strategy - Benefits • Opens the discussion about climate change impacts • Document changes in real time • Adapt our infrastructure (landfill, roads, housing, fire protection, etc.) • Adapt ourselves (hunting, fishing, pest control, fire and flood preparedness, etc.) • Youth and Elder safety

Road cracks, slumping Okanese First Nation Part 3: Source Water Protection Plan • We must protect our drinking water source for future generations. • Our groundwater is our only source of drinking water (2 community water wells). • Source water protection will engage community members, Youth, Elders. Source Water Protection is the First Barrier

Multi-Barrier Approach to safe, drinkable water

Source Water Protection Planning Process Working Committee Identify Risks to Source Water

Okanese First Nation Risk Matrix: Likelihood X Consequence

Consequence of Occurrence Likelihood of Occurrence Insignificant Minor Moderate Major Catastrophic

Rare 1 2 3 4 5

Unlikely 2 4 6 8 10

Possible 3 6 9 12 15

Likely 4 8 12 16 20

Almost Certain 5 10 15 20 25 Identified Risk Risk Management Action(s) Likelihood Consequence Risk Ranking (contamination threat) (existing or proposed) Grass Fires • Bylaw Enforcement a) 5 4 20 • Fill Hills Firefighter Water Delivery Truck • Cleaning schedule for truck tank; b) 4 4 16 • Follow protocols Okanese TLE Agriculture • Constraints to farmers c) 4 4 16 Spraying • Conditions of contract? Star Blanket Agricultural • Share information; d) 4 4 16 Spraying • Explain OFN concerns Sewage Lift Station • Fencing for security; e) 3 5 15 • Pressure wash inside of tank Current Land Fill • Waste separation f) 3 5 15 Old Landfill #1 • Soil sampling Old Gas Station • Fuel tank to be sold g) 3 4 12 • Possible building demolition Well head Protection • Mounded around well-head h) 3 4 12 • Better fencing i) Abandoned Cars 3 4 12 • Coordinate scrap metal pick-up Okanese Bison Herd • Monitor j) 2 4 8 k) Fuel Trucks 2 4 8 • 80 KM speed limit; max. 10 tons Septic Tanks • Brochure, best practices l) 1 4 4 • Age, date of tanks; household survey Youth (Water) Art at Okanese

Before 2012: This is the Now 2018: This year ocean before it got the ocean is really polluted and all of the polluted and the fish garbage ruined the habitat is ruined and ocean’s creatures it is dangerous for the ocean’s creatures

Before 2012 NOW 2018

Youth art, Okanese First Nation Source Water Protection Planning - Benefits • Easier, cheaper to protect source water than to remediate contaminated water • Access to provincial and federal program support • Environmental stewardship, watershed protection • Relationship building, partnerships, reconciliation • Water education for youth, Elder engagement, traditional knowledge • Proactive, community awareness We also have lots of fun, and the lunches are yummy!!

Dr Bob and Penny Working Committee Thank you!

“There is no greater medicine than water – it is foundational, our very beginnings, it reminds us where we came from, our first environment in the womb.”

Elder, Chiefs of Ontario 2006

Questions?