“Supporting people to be out on the land and water, stewarding their territories, is the heart of healthy landscapes, wildlife, people, and communities. I feel honoured to be part of this work, and continually inspired by the dedication of the people operating Indigenous Guardian programs.” - Jonaki Bhattacharyya, TST Coordinator

In our experience, you should start with a data collection method that has buy-in. If you are trying to influence the province, ensure they have reviewed your monitoring method and buy into it. The more data we collect, the more we become experts in terms of the moose on Gitanyow territory and on hunting and management issues. If things do go to court, we have all this background information that will be important in influencing the decision. They will do what they can to pick apart your data, so having a qualified professional sign off on the data and research helps.

It’s vital that the data collected through monitoring programs is accessible and meaningful to the community, so that people can participate in the understanding of what is going on out on the land, and how the data being collected informs decision making on natural resource management.

I feel pride in the Ahousaht stewardship guardians knowing we are once again, as our ancestors did, taking care of the land and waters. Knowing that by doing so, it is an expression of our laws. For generations to come the lands and waters will continue to care for us.

“The best place to start is right where you are. Build your program off work you’re already doing, capacities you’ve built up, and connections you’ve nurtured. Sometimes starting small is exactly what you need to do to build support and confidence, demonstrate value, and attract attention within and from outside the community. With your feet solidly under you, you can then get more ambitious and stretch your program further into new areas of effort and activity. Conditions will never be right for the perfect program launch. Don’t wait for all your ducks to be in a row.”  

“Planning is about the process, it’s about getting people together to get excited about what they’re doing and on the same page, to talk about what’s important.  Even though planning can sometimes feel frustrating and reality can get in the way of following the plan, it’s always worthwhile to get people together to have these conversations.  The plan provides a guide and a direction for the year.”

“The work of Indigenous Guardians needs to feed into decision-making so that it’s part of building and strengthening nationhood.  Guardians are a critical component of how we collect, analyze and use information to make decisions about governing our lands and water.”

Something I've learned from the Kitasoo/Xaixais elders in Klemtu is the importance of traveling on the ocean with humility. The sea changes moods quickly and with little warning. And doing the little things right is important in keeping you safe on the water: do you have the required safety equipment, spare parts, a tool kit, emergency communication devices, flares? Do you check the oil every day and do you check your belts and coolant? These small things need to become a habit and they might just save your life one day.