Eagle and Raven Consulting and Alberta Innovates have partnered to develop a riparian restoration plan to restore the Oldman River valley on Piikani First Nation reserve lands.
The project will braid Indigenous Knowledge from 20 Piikani elders and western science to combat the effects of dam operation, drought and climate change.
Piikani First Nation along the Oldman River has seen a significant decline in culturally and ecologically important plant species in recent years due to the loss of overbank flooding, droughts and low snowpack levels that are having adverse effects on riparian forests, oxbow channels and wetlands.
Eagle and Raven Consulting president Harley Bastien is a respected Piikani elder with 35 years of experience in the environmental sector.
Bastien emphasizes the vital importance of his organization which he says also plays a crucial role in honouring and preserving the rich history of Indigenous people.
“We as Indigenous people are very much aware of the spirit of the land,” Bastien said. “In anything that I do in terms of land restoration, education and conservation, I always put first and foremost the spirit of the land.”
Together with Alberta Innovates, Eagle and Raven Consulting is focused on empowering Indigenous youth and Indigenous communities through meaningful collaboration with Indigenous elders and knowledge holders.
“One of our main objectives is to braid Indigenous knowledge and Western science on different kinds of projects that may include an Indigenous-led initiative, federal or provincial conservation efforts, or maybe an industry reclamation or restoration program,” Eagle and Raven Consulting CEO Brad Himour said.
“We feel like we can promote a culturally informed sustainable and cost-effective approach to helping environmental issues.”
With the partnership of Alberta Innovates, Eagle and Raven Consulting hopes the Oldman River riparian restoration efforts will serve as a pilot project for the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge in all government and industry reclamation and restoration programs.
You can learn more at eagleandravenconsulting.com.
