This initiative seeks to build Indigenous capacity for environmental stewardship in Maskwacis (Alberta, Canada, Treaty 6 territory) by delivering a three-week Environmental Monitoring training program to up to 20 participants nominated by Maskwacis. The course will integrate both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems, with a strong focus on water resource monitoring, reflecting local priorities for conservation, protection, and informed land and water management.
The training will be delivered through ECO Canada’s BEAHR (Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources) program by certified instructors, in close collaboration with Elders and knowledge holders from Maskwacis communities. This partnership ensures that the training is both culturally grounded and scientifically rigorous, supporting the braiding of knowledges and place-based learning.
Training will be delivered in Maskwacis, within the participants’ own territories. This approach enables land-based, experiential learning that strengthens the connection between technical skills and traditional stewardship practices rooted in the land and waters of the region.
This initiative is significant in advancing environmental monitoring capacity and empowering local leadership in environmental decision-making. By addressing barriers to employment and participation in the environmental sector, the training supports the well-being of individuals and communities while contributing to broader goals of conservation, adaptation, and sustainable development. Through mutual respect and co-learning, the initiative also supports reconciliation and the recognition of Indigenous gifts, relationships, and responsibilities to the land.
Project Lead: Yogendra Chaudhry, Vice President, Professional Services & ESG, ECO Canada
This initiative will increase capacity among Maskwacis participants through a three-week Environmental Monitoring training program, strengthening skills in field monitoring, data collection, and environmental awareness, with emphasis on water resources. It will build trust and relationships between ECO Canada, Maskwacis communities, and local knowledge holders through collaborative, co-delivered training, while deepening understanding of both Indigenous and Western knowledge systems. The initiative will support the braiding of Indigenous perspectives into environmental monitoring practices and empower participants to engage in community-level environmental decision-making and resource management. It will also expand local capacity for environmental assessments, conservation, and adaptive responses to ecological challenges such as water quality and climate impacts. In the longer term, it will support Indigenous-led environmental governance by developing trained monitors who contribute to stewardship and policy development, while advancing the recognition of Indigenous knowledge systems alongside Western science and contributing to reconciliation through a replicable model of braiding knowledges in training and capacity-building.
