It makes me feel proud to be a Guardian, to hear other people recognize the beauty of my home and people always leave with a better understanding of our work, our culture, and the importance of stewarding our lands and waters for future generations. 

We're here to inform people who come to our territory and to inspire a shift in how people view and use our lands.

We rarely do just a monitoring program but are also always asking: how am I impacting quality of life today? Can we create employment? Can we support mental health? We think about how we collect the sample as much as collecting the sample itself.

“Strong ties with the community are strengthened through the monitor’s daily patrols. People are proud to share information with them. There is a high level of respect for the work they do.”

   
“Guardians bring people back to the land. The land is sacred -- it is their power. Bring youth and elders together, where duty and responsibility can be passed on.” 

Government agencies and staff can no longer point fingers at Gitanyow and say that Gitanyow hunting is part of the problem with the moose population decline. Between our harvest monitoring and our own research into the causes of the moose population decline, including taking government to court, the BC government has no scientific footing to make accusations against Gitanyow. We collect our own data and conduct our own research, and data and information are power for Gitanyow.

“In Lutsel Ke, every boat has a couple of kids in it and their role is to do nothing more than absorb and learn. Although it is informal, it's still called ‘nahatni dene’ or learn while doing. Folks with the program for 4-5 years have “graduated” but sometimes don’t have navigation skills or confidence so they go out to learn with more experienced senior land users.”

“Conservation Officers have told us that what we are doing to monitor and manage moose harvesting is precedent setting.”

Monitoring programs need to address the issue of thresholds and acceptable levels of change. Rather than just collect data, the design of the program should inform a conversation about the levels of development that are acceptable.

True community-engaged research occurs when members of communities and research-based institutions collaborate throughout the research process towards shared outcomes

“We pursue funds from anywhere and everywhere including Band Council, Coast Funds, community fundraising, non-profit partners, and university partners. We are always looking for more secure funding for core positions.”