Workshop Offers a Six Nations

THE GRAND STRATEGY NEWSLETTER Volume 12, Number 2 - March-April 2008 Grand River The Grand: Conservation A Canadian Authority Heritage River Six Nations perspective at Heritage Day 1 This one’s for you 2 What’s happening Buffer projects 2 Millions in flood damages averted 4 Earth Day Guelph Lake Forest 5 Workshop offers a Six Nations Sunoco Earth Day 5 perspective on Grand River heritage What you can do Nations first came to the Grand River feeling like Dual flush toilet By Janet Baine plunge 6 GRCA Communications Specialist refugees from New York. He described the strong connection with the British that led to native support during the War Did you know he challenge of straddling two worlds was a Treoccurring theme during the 11th Heritage of 1812. Later, members of the Six Nations also Toilets big guzzlers 7 Day Workshop and Celebration in Ohsweken fought during WWI and WWII, said Rick Shaver of the Brant Military Museum. Feb. 18. Joseph Brant was described by Woodworth as Now available “The Six Nations are very good at walking having “one foot in a canoe and one foot on a between worlds. We’ve had to do that through all News release and ship which is not likely a very comfortable place of our history,” historian William Woodworth newsletter sign-up 7 to be.” Brant acted as a cultural translator told the capacity crowd of over 250 people. DVD about Davisville 8 between the British and the Six Nations and was The free day-long workshop was so popular among the first of many people to play this role. that registration filled up before the event. In Calendar 8 Poet E. Pauline Johnson’s writing and per- addition to a full slate of presentations on the formance was brought to life at the event by Cover photos theme “Restoring Grand Heritage: A Six Nations actress Julia Jamieson, who performed three The Kanata Dancers Perspective,” over 20 displays were set up by vignettes just as Johnson would have done as she perform at the Heritage aboriginal and non-aboriginal groups and the traveled across Canada performing and eventual- Day Workshop in work of several Six Nations artists was also fea- ly she settled in Vancouver. Johnson was the Ohsweken. Inset: a tured. daughter of an English mother and a Mohawk dancer from Emily C. Woodworth noted the challenge of straddling father and broke ground as a writer, performer, General School. two worlds goes back to the days when the Six native person and a woman. Museum consultant and Seneca Tom declared a Canadian Heritage River. The Hill gave a presentation on an exhibition membership is drawn from all areas of LOOK WHO’S that he is putting together about the Grand River watershed and includes Johnson. It will open at the Woodland representation from government agen- TAKING ACTION Cultural Centre in August 2009, putting cies, universities, heritage groups, Johnson’s life story and 10 pieces of her national historic Fencing and buffers writing into the context of the times. Hill sites, museums, the believes a better understanding of the GRCA, interested improve stream past is desperately needed today because individuals and there is often disrespect for the traditions others. The GRCA By John Shepherd and authority and we can be “blinded by provides adminis- Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association the lights of the cigarette shacks.” trative support for According to Zig Misiak, a Brantford the Heritage encing streams from livestock and resident of Polish origin, fear results Working Group, Festablishing buffer plantings along when the two which promotes the stream banks has long been recommend- groups don’t celebration and Julia Jamieson ed as an effective environmental prac- understand each conservation of tice. other. human heritage in the watershed and Just how effective is the essence of a “Fear creates plans the Heritage Day workshops. The three-year project undertaken by the unpredictable workshop is held in a different part of Grand River Conservation Authority. results and educa- the watershed each year. The GRCA Buffer Verification Project is tion is the key to The 12th Annual Heritage Day one of 10 Greencover Canada demon- eliminating fear,” Workshop is tentatively planned for rural stration projects carried out in partner- he said. Misiak Waterloo Region during Heritage Week ship with Agriculture and Agri-Food has been working (the third week of February). Some of Canada and the Ontario Ministry of Zig Misiak with Tuscarora this year’s presentations are posted in Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. artist Raymond the “Heritage Workshop” link on Greencover Canada is supported through Skye to bring an educational program to www.grandriver.ca. Details about the the Agricultural Policy Framework, an school children. The Six Nations February 2009 workshop will be posted agreement among the federal, provincial Iroquois art cards are about the clan sys- in the fall. and territorial governments to make tem based on animals. Sponsors were Chiefswood National Canada’s agricultural sector a world Rick Hill spoke about the Red Hill Historic Site, Six Nations of the Grand, leader in environmentally sustainable Creek valley ecological stewardship pro- Two Rivers Community Development production. gram and the proposed Environmental Centre, the Ontario Trillium Foundation For almost 20 years, the GRCA has Knowledge Learning Centre. He said the and the GRCA. been helping landowners implement relationship to the land is essential to buffers along streams and creeks. Six Nations identity. Currently more than 100 kilometres of The successes of Six Nations athletes, This one is for you... stream have been fenced or buffered including marathon runner Tom his issue of Grand Actions is throughout the Grand River watershed. Longboat, were described by Cheryl Tdedicated to all the readers A total of 19 sites were chosen for the Henhawk. who responded to the questionnaire verification project based on their age, Performances by the Kanata Native we sent out last fall. variety, and past assessments. The verifi- Dancers and the Emily C. General Soft We especially thank the many cation process includes aquatic assess- Shoe Dancers brought music, movement donors who returned forms to us ments of fish populations, invertebrate and costumes to the event. along with a donation. Through surveys, vegetation inventories and “This year’s workshop helped this annual campaign we collected photo records. The focus of the project improve the understanding between the $3,305 in donations ranging from is to replicate assessments done previ- Six Nations and other residents of the $10 to $200. Thank you! This is ously and to provide a benchmark for watershed,” said Barbara Veale, the enough to cover the printing and future assessments. chair of the Heritage Working Group mailing costs for one 2008 issue which hosted this event. this one!). It is also great inspira- Fish population assessment The Heritage Working Group formed tion for the newsletter team. Fish sampling is done by electrofish- in 1995 after the Grand River was ing a stream at various points. The fish 2 Share the resources - Share the responsibility tion along the banks of streams makes it possible to determine the presence of native or invasive plants as well as the growth of trees. Not only does it record the presence of agricultural weeds, it records changes in vegetation that occur over time. Photographs from pre and post restoration also show a positive change in vegetative cover and natural- ization of the buffer. The photographs also provide evidence of bank stabiliza- tion and channel reformation from the previously degraded sites. Social and Economic Impact An important aspect of the project is the gathering of information regarding the social and economic benefits of stream restoration. In particular, a survey Electrofishing upstream on the farm of Solomon Martin. Preliminary results show an will be conducted among those farmers increase of 78 per cent of total species across all sites after restoration. with established buffer strips on their farms. The object of the survey will be are momentarily stunned which allows rent passes through the water and is to determine if there is improvement in them to be netted and inventoried. Fish picked up by a positively charged anode. the level of enthusiasm for the practice are typically present in even the smallest Fish within the current are stunned and and to see if attitudes have changed as streams and are one of the most widely orient in the direction of the current buffers have matured. It is anticipated used and useful organisms for measuring flow, swimming toward the anodes. that information gathered in this way water quality. Fish are a diverse group “I often wish I had a dollar for every will provide guidance for the establish- with a wide range of life requirements. person who observes an electrofishing ment of new buffers. Some fish are sensitive to changes in survey and walks away shaking his head For more information contact: Tracey water temperature, substrate composi- in disbelief as to how many fish are Ryan, supervisor of conservation servic- tion, stream flow, or various water actually in a stream or stream selection,” es, GRCA, 519-621-2763, ext. 2269, or chemistry parameters, while others are says Tracey Ryan, supervisor of conser- by e-mail at [email protected]. The tolerant of change in their environment. vation services. GRCA’s web site is www.grandriver.ca. The structural and functional variety of Aquatic invertebrates You may also visit the Greencover fish communities makes them excellent Aquatic invertebrates are organisms Canada web site at: indicators of water quality and provides which live part or all of their lives in www.agr.gc.ca/greencover-verdir. an integrated view of stream health.

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