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Biodiversity and Species at Risk

Mapping Our History: Our Cree Territory

This funding will enhance Chemawawin Cree Nation’s Guardians Program, currently in  the process of development and launch. The goal of the Guardians Program is to monitor and steward Chemawawin’s lands, waters, and resources. The Nation’s connection to the land and waters was disrupted in 1962 when the Grand Rapids Hydro Project caused devastating flooding, forcing the community to relocate from traditional settlements (Old Post) to Chemawawin 2. This displacement profoundly impacted our community, destroying our home, our livelihoods, and the connection to the land we have had since Time Immemorial. Today, Chemawawin Cree Nation is reasserting its jurisdiction over its lands, waters, and resources through the deployment of Guardians to make observations, collect ecological samples, and track change in our territory. With this initiative, Chemawawin members will have a critical role to play in protecting our lands and waters. This broader initiative is being funded  from a number of sources, involving training, equipment procurement, salaries for  guardians and technicians, database development, administrative design, GIS analysis  and mapping, and other activities.  

This project provides an opportunity to enhance this Guardians work by including a Cree Place Naming component for the Guardians. There are numerous benefits to pursuing this work as part of the Guardians program. First, it presents a reasonably low barrier of entry for a technician in the field learning to use the systems. Whereas more technical functions are expected (such as collecting water samples), place name data collection involves visiting a site, taking an observation, and bringing that observation back to the community to be uploaded to the database. Second, place naming requires the involvement of Elders and Knowledge Keepers, and will provide an opportunity for members to be connected to the work of the Guardians. Third, the  development of Cree placenames for the territory is an important way to assert Cree jurisdiction over the land, making it possible to tie Guardians observations, reporting, and other activities to locations that may have Cree stories or etymologies that link our people to the land. Additionally, many names are anticipated to be included for places that have been lost. This helps our people to remember the significance of the  displacement and what has been lost.

Project Lead
Fabian Sinclair
Lands and Trust Resources Manager
Chemawawin Cree Nation

Summary of Overall Project Objectives

  • Identification, Restoration, and Documentation of Cree Place Names – Record and verify place names throughout Chemawawin’s territory, with a focus on areas impacted by flooding, ensuring their preservation for future generations. 
  • Community Engagement and Knowledge Sharing – The project will involve Elders, Knowledge Holders, and community members, fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer and increasing community participation in land stewardship initiatives.
  • Support Language Revitalization and Cultural Continuity – Strengthen the use of Cree language by restoring and promoting traditional place names, reinforcing cultural identity, and encouraging intergenerational knowledge sharing.

  • Mapping Resources Incorporating Cree Place Names – Create digital and physical maps integrating traditional names, making them accessible for land use planning, education, and cultural awareness initiatives.

Summary of Overall Project Outcomes

Immediate

  •  Strengthened Indigenous-Led Research on Place Names – The project will  advance Indigenous-led documentation of place names, contributing to place based research that informs land and resource governance while aligning with  federal priorities on reconciliation and Indigenous self-determination.

  • Braiding of Knowledge Systems – The project will integrate Cree oral history, land-based knowledge, and digital mapping tools, fostering a holistic approach that respects Indigenous knowledge and complements contemporary data collection methods.

  • Promotion of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Research – The initiative will actively involve youth, Elders, knowledge keepers, and Guardians, ensuring diverse representation and intergenerational participation in the research  process.

  • Advancing Truth and Reconciliation Commitments – The restoration of Cree place names directly supports TRC Calls to Action on Indigenous language preservation and UNDRIP principles related to land and cultural identity. 

Intermediate 

  • Building Knowledge Braiding Capacity – The project will enhance skills among Guardians by providing training and opportunities for engagement in place name documentation and mapping, strengthening knowledge-sharing pathways. 
  • Informing Policy and Decision-Making on Indigenous Lands – The  documentation of traditional place names will influence the development of the Cedar Lake Resource Management Area Land Use and Resource Management Plan, ensuring Indigenous knowledge informs land stewardship policies.

Ultimate 

  • Enhancing the Role of Indigenous Knowledge in Public Policy – By documenting and restoring place names, the project will reinforce Indigenous jurisdiction and ensure traditional knowledge contributes to land governance, conservation  planning, and policy development. 
  • Advancing Canada’s Reconciliation Commitments and Expanding the Knowledge Economy – Through the restoration and recognition of Cree place names, the initiative will contribute to broader reconciliation efforts, support  Indigenous cultural and linguistic revitalization, and enrich Canada’s collective understanding of land-based histories and identities. 
  • Ensuring Long-Term Sustainability of Indigenous Knowledge Systems – The  project will establish a framework of place names and related maps securing  this knowledge for future generations.
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Project Timeline

Year 1 - Scope & Activities

Benchmarks 

  • Create an initial digital database for environmental monitoring and observations build in a component to store documented place names and GPS points. 
  • Host a training workshop for the Guardians on data collection and environmental stewardship, build in a piece on the process of document Cree place names (specific to this project). 
  • Begin fieldwork with Guardians to document place names as a initial low barrier entry to learning the new environmental monitoring database and related field work.  
  • Meet with Elders and Knowledge Keepers for place name verification

 

Outcomes

  • Guardians trained in environmental monitoring, as well as place name documentation and data management.
  • A preliminary set of verified place names from oral histories and historical research.
  • Established working relationships with language speakers, knowledge keepers and GIS specialists.
  • Community interest and involvement in this project.

Benchmarks 

  • Continue place name verification through cross-referencing oral knowledge with historical and archival sources.
  • Produce progress reports summarizing findings and engagement activities.
  •  Strengthen community engagement and youth participation through school based learning activities.
  • Host community mapping workshops to refine and validate data.

 

Outcomes

  • Increased community participation in identifying traditional place names. 
  • Verified, community-approved set of Cree place names
  • Interactive digital maps and printed maps reflecting traditional land use and names.

Benchmarks 

  • Finalize comprehensive documentation of place names, ensuring accuracy and community approval.
  • Publish printed community maps for educational and cultural preservation purposes.
  • Collaborate with the Resource Management Area planning team to integrate place names into land-use planning.
  • Submit a final project report, including recommendations for future initiatives.
  • Develop a publicly accessible digital platform featuring interactive maps and oral history recordings.

 

Outcomes 

  • Officially recognized documentation of Cree place names integrated into governance, education, and land-use planning.
  • Permanent digital and physical records accessible to community members and future generations.
  • Increased recognition of Cree place names in local and regional policy frameworks.