Duration April – July 2009   Funded by: New Relationship Trust

This project combines skills transfer in scientific research and data processing, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge. A consultant will be hired to provide technical and professional skills to Stellat’en First Nation (SFN) in implementing this project. The Consultant and SFN will collect and input data on a web-based system that will support SFN in making informed decisions when responding to Crown Land Referrals. The information collected will also guide SFN in land and resource planning. A firm specialized in geo-spatial data collection and management will be contracted to undertake field inventory of specific areas within the SFN territory. The Consultant will provide skills transfer to Stellat’en First Nation through on-the–job training to two (2) Stellat’en First Nation staff and two (2) elders/community members on the use of Geographic Position systems (GPS) and Geographic Information System (GIS). The two (2) elders/community members will be selected based on their knowledge of Stellat’en landscape, culture and tradition. They will be recruited to assist in collecting field data in five components which broadly represent areas that SFN uses to determine Aboriginal title. These components include: i). Ethno-botanical inventory (berry species, and picking sites/locations; ii). Archeological, cultural and heritage sites; iii).Wildlife migration routes and documentation of species and population; iv). Sacred sites, and v). Measuring streams, lakes, rivers and identifying fish habitats. 

Data from this study will be stored in a Referral Tracking System (RTS) that will interface with GIS software and used in tracking the huge number of referrals Stellat’en receives from proponents and government Ministries. Both GIS software and RTS are expected to be complementary in their use for data collection, data management, information retrieval and document production. Both systems should have features that will help staff and Stellat’en government in undertaking effective remote and geo-spatial visualization of Stellat’en landscape that will support decisions about proposed tenures. Information collected will also equip Stellat’en Natural Resource Field officers to do monitoring and provide proponents and governments accurate information about Stellat’en interests.

Duration: July 2009 – March 2010  Funded by: Environment Canada & BC Recreation and Parks Association

This project seeks to foster awareness and significantly reduce the carbon footprint of the Stellat’en First Nation, situated near Fraser Lake, BC. An education campaign will be launched to explain band members and Fraser Lake residents the contribution of greenhouse gases to climate change and some of its projected impacts in the 21st century. This will be achieved through the development of a flyer that will be distributed to the community as well as a series of information workshops open to the public during which participants will be asked to estimate their carbon footprint. Following this assessment, the participants will be encouraged to reduce their carbon footprint by closely monitoring their daily activities that lead to carbon emissions. A challenge (similar to the game “The Biggest Loser”) will be issued to band members to see who can most reduce their carbon footprint over the duration of the project. Other deliverables of this project include the development of a ride sharing program, the advocacy of alternative modes of transportation including bicycles, and a reduction of slash burning in the community. Through this project, the Stellat’en First Nation will better understand its contribution to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change that will lead its member to strive for a significant reduction of their carbon footprint.

Click here to learn more.
 

A Traditional Approach to Teaching and  Learning
Duration: July – August 2009    Funded by: SFN & Vanderhoof Education Steering Committee

Stellat’en First Nation has secured funds to implement a summer literacy project.
The project seeks to engage youth and elders in traditional and cultural literacy learning by using storytelling, legendry, folklore, songs and song, in transmitting oral knowledge from the older generation to youth. The project will be implemented July – August 2009. Elders and youth will meet every Sunday, 5p.m. – 7p.m. at the Stellat’en New Hall. Activities will be document both in written and video recording formats for store and future use.
The project is focuses on an integration of learning processes that will involve traditional and cultural pedagogy of learning through story telling, song, dance and folklore. The pedagogy will focus on Mythological explanatory stories, legendary stories and initiation legend. The general goal is to facilitate a process of knowledge transfer from elders to youth. The learners will be youth who will learn Stellat’en First Nation and other Aboriginal Peoples legends and stories handed down from the past. Elders/Story tellers will pass on these oral instructional modules with the emphasis of portraying their morals through story, songs and dance. 

Understanding the Types of Environmental Contaminants in our Territory and Building the Tools to Manage Health Risks at the Community Level 
Duration: July 2009 – March 2010    Funded by: SFN & Vanderhoof Education Steering Committee

The Stellat’en Environmental Contaminants Inventory and Capacity Building Project is proposed to facilitate a better understanding of environmental contaminants among Stellat’en community members, and develop community-based risk assessment and management tools to address potential human health risks. This project will be implemented by Stellat’en with technical and research support from The First Nations Environmental Health Innovation Network (FNEHIN) at the University of Northern British Columbia. The project will involve the following main stages:

Year One:

• Research point-source contaminants within Stellat’en Territory (April-May 2009).
• Research potential health impacts from exposure to identified contaminants (May-June 2009).
•  Research potential exposure pathways to contaminants through community food surveys (Sept.-Dec. 2009).
•  Develop initial risk assessment and management tools for Stellat’en to use in future development within the territory (Jan.-Mar. 2009).

Geo-Spatial Natural Resources Monitoring and Referral Tracking Capacity Development Project
Duration: July 2009 – March 2010      Funded by: BC Capacity Initiative & SFN 

The project is designed to provide training in Geo-spatial skills development and mobilization of equipment and materials required to effectively carry out the processes associated with the five components of the project (EIA, Forestry and Ethnobotany inventory, AIA, Research and data storage and Fishery management). Through this project, Stellat’en will be equipped with both theory and practical knowledge needed to manipulate digital information useful for the referral and consultation process involved in natural resource management. It is anticipated that skills acquired from this project will strengthen the relationship between Stellat’en, provincial and federal Ministries, industries and researchers operating in Stellat’en territory.

“Our land, our future, our ways”, is a resource governance and capacity development initiative that Stellat’en aims to implement in natural resource  management, protection and extraction within their territories. The multiple interests expressed by federal and provincial government, industry, and non-First Nations in Stellat’en traditional territory are overwhelming. Resource extraction is at an alarming rate with minimal consideration for Stellat’en aboriginal interests. Referral and consultation processes carried out by government ministries and proponents are inadequately done, with minimal direct consultation by Licensees/proponents with Stellat’en. Because of inadequate consultation, logging and mining activities have resulted in the destruction of sacred sites, traplines and berry picking sites. Logging and mining activities at close proximities to streams and lakes have resulted in erosion and sedimentation, which has led to the depletion of fish stock.

Post Secondary Student Employment Subsidy Program
Duration: July – August 2009       Funded by New Relationship Trust

Stellat’en First Nation has secured funds to employ a Post Secondary student to develop a referencing and cataloging system for Land and Resource Management documents. Land and resource management information dating from 1800’s would be indexed and a referencing system developed. This systematic reference coding and cataloging of all print and electronic materials would set the stage for Stellat’en First Nation’s large scale digitization and data storage project schedule for 2010.  

Tannis Reynolds has been identified to work as a Documentation Officer in this project. She would work from the Natural Resource Department building and would be supervised by a team; Angela Reynolds, Education Manager and Joseph Patton, Community Administrator. 

Duration: February 2009 – November 2010      Funded by INAC and NKDFS

The Stellat’en First Nation wishes to complete an independent feasibility analysis of the wind resource on their territory and to explore financing and partnership models so that they may retain independence in their decision making process. This is to ensure that the development of resources on their territory delivers the maximum potential benefit to the community and the Buckley Nechacko Regional District.  The Stellat’en First Nation is connected to the provincial electricity grid. Electricity generated through the wind energy project would be sold to the B.C. grid, and would reduce the overall emissions associated with electricity generation in the region. More information on the size of the renewable energy development will be available following an analysis of the wind resource and the scoping study.
This project will ideally build on the strategic planning already completed by the Stellat’en First Nation. The partnership between The Pembina Institute and Stellat’en First Nation is expected to foster Economic development and capacity development by the following five steps/phases:

Step 1: Project Initiation and Permitting

Step 2: Selection of Wind Power Consultant
The Consultant hired would be responsible to carry out the following:

• Confirm site selection;
• Purchase of equipment (2 wind towers, anemometers, data logging equipments, etc);
• Installation and set up of equipment;
• Data collection including monthly quality assurance/quality control checks;
• Data analysis and correlation with long term weather data;
• Tower decommissioning: This is expected after the 12 month evaluation and monitoring process.

Step 3: Wind Tower Installation, Data Collection and Analysis
Equipment procurement: For the purpose of this project, a 2 (two) 60 meter heavy duty towers from NRG Systems is proposed. The main equipment elements of the proposed wind monitoring will generally include:

• Two NRG 60m heavy duty (XHD) tubular towers and all ancillary hardware;
• Twelve calibrated NRG anemometers (two at each of the three height levels on each tower);
• Six wind vane (four from NRG, two from Met One). Additional set is recommended;
• Two temperature sensors;
• Booms (1.53m long) to hold the instruments;
• Two Symphonie data loggers;
• Two cellular iPack (data telemetry module).

After 12-18 months of data collection, the Pembina Institute will complete an analysis of the feasibility of wind energy development in the region. This will include a RETScreen analysis of the available resource. Pembina will present resulting information on costs, revenues, R.O.I, and GHG reductions as well as the potential for economic development associated with wind power development. 

The project will proceed to the following stage if the wind resource is found to be financially and technically viable.

Step 4: Exploration of Business Planning and Partnership Options

Step 5: Securing Resources for Next Steps