Tools

What Tools are we Creating?

HWW is creating a Shared Land and Water Vision that brings historic and current knowledge together to look at how we can create a sustainable future for the region. This shared vision will help inform decision-making now, as we start a formal planning processes with other governments, and in the future.

This work is rooted in Indigenous story, law, and knowledge, woven together with western science.

The Shared Land and Water Vision will include:

  • Illustration of six children sitting in a circle around a campfire, roasting marshmallows.

    The Nations

    Who are the three HWW Southern Lakes First Nations

  • A watercolor circle divided into four sections: a green leaf in the top left, a yellow sun in the top right, a blue snowflake in the bottom left, and an orange autumn leaf in the bottom right.

    HWW Approach & Processes

    How our Nations have worked together in a good way through this initiative

  • Illustration of a plant with dark green leaves and red berries.

    Written Vision Statement

    Overarching vision for the future of the Southern Lakes Region from the communities

  • Illustration of a hand writing or drawing on a map of a landscape with rivers and forested areas, using a quill pen.

    Map-Based Land & Water Vision

    Displaying eco-cultural values spatially on the land and water (what is important, and where)

  • An illustration of an elderly woman with white hair drinking from a bowl, with feathers in the background.

    Recommendations and Calls-to-Action

    Southern Lakes First Nations’ Ways and Laws applied in a regional planning context (recommended actions including the ‘how’ and ‘why’)

Our Process

A large poster board displays a colorful, circular diagram divided into four sections labeled 'SPIRITUAL,' 'MENTAL,' 'PHYSICAL,' and 'EMOTIONAL.' The diagram is decorated with numerous variously colored sticky notes with handwritten text. The background of the board contains light gray words representing different concepts, and the setting appears to be an indoor space with wooden beams overhead and a table with a notebook and tumbler in front.

How we do our work

Staying Culturally Grounded

How We Walk strives to follow a holistic process, grounded in Indigenous worldviews, laws, governance, and knowledge systems. Communication and collaboration throughout all that we do are fundamental to this initiative. The way in which we communicate and share knowledge is informed by our Nations’ oral traditions and storytelling practices, ensuring everyone's voices are heard.

Guided by Elders

Our work is guided by the Elders of the Southern Lakes First Nations. Their guidance on customary laws and practices inform everything that we do; how we communicate, engage with communities, and interact with the land and water.

Led by Community

This initiative is led by the HWW communities. Through meetings, open houses, gatherings, and having tea, we aim to ensure that all Citizens have the opportunity for meaningful involvement.

Approaching Through Interconnectedness

Our work is built on the Indigenous worldview that culture is inseparable from land, water, and animals; and changes throughout the seasons. Therefore, we approach our work through an interconnected lens, understanding that the lands, waters, and peoples must be treated as a whole.

Weaving Traditional Knowledge and Western Science

Our work weaves Traditional Knowledge with Western Science to capture the full range of values in the Southern Lakes region. Western scientific methods such as GIS software are utilized to develop our Map-Based Land & Water Vision, while Traditional Knowledge comprises the majority of our data inputs. Our process is a translation of First Nations values and perspectives into a Western context, such as mapping and recommended actions, to support planning with other governments.

A white bowl filled with small, red berries placed on ground covered with dried pine needles, green moss, and small green plants.
A white bowl filled with small, round, dark red berries placed on the ground amidst pine needles and small green plants.

Mapping

Bringing Our Map-Based Land and Water Vision into Focus

Our extensive mapping work focuses on identifying what the landscape and its inhabitants need, what the communities need, and how they interconnect. Human and landscape needs are inseparable–each one relies on the other.

Landscape Needs

The health of our animal, fish, and plant relations reflects the health of the overall landscape and its people. It is our responsibility to ensure each of these species has enough space to meet their needs. Protecting habitats ensures the health of wildlife, recognizing their importance within the ecosystem and cultural practices.

Human Needs

The health of our communities is reliant on connections to the land and water. It is our responsibility to ensure that there are accessible areas to foster cultural connections for generations to come.

Our work brings together themes such as traditional food sources, access across landscapes, and places of cultural significance. Simultaneously, we view various species habitats through a seasonal lens and explore how these themes all relate and interconnect.

Indoor wooden structure with maps and brochures about local hiking trails, with a sign that says 'Come map with us!' and a table displaying some papers.

Building Our Maps & Models

To date, we have developed over 60 maps and models. Individually, each map/model shares important and specific information that can help guide decisions.

We are currently working to bring these individual maps and models together to form our Map-Based Land and Water Vision. The mapped vision will show key areas and corridors that need to be looked after and considered in regional planning.

Ultimately, this vision will help the HWW Nations in meeting the needs of the land, water, communities, and all relations.

This collection of maps provides a foundation for understanding the complex relationships between people, land, water and all things living, acknowledging that everything is connected.

A large number of small, scattered, orange-brown objects on a black background, appearing to be falling or scattered.

    • Caribou Habitat (summer, winter) & Connectivity

    • Moose Habitat (spring, summer, winter) 

    • Sheep Habitat (summer, lambing) & Connectivity

    • Goat Habitat

    • Salmon Habitat

    • Grayling & Lake Trout Habitat 

    • Muskrat Habitat

    • Grizzly bear Habitat

    • Traditional Place Names (Southern Tutchone, Tagish, Tlingit)

    • Routes & Trails

    • Human Footprint

    • Climate Change (predicted changes) 

    • Predictive Ecosystem Model

    • Freshwater Aquatic Classification Model

    • Gathering models including: balsam, rosehip, yarrow, cranberry, grouse species, ptarmigan, and, gopher

    • Special places maps including: burial & cremation sites, ice patches, petroglyphs, salt flats, groundhogs

Recommendations and Calls-to-Action

Paths for Change, Grounded in Land and Water

Our Recommendations and Calls-to-Action are a translation of the Southern Lakes First Nations traditional ways and laws to a regional planning context. They explain ‘how’ and ‘why’ we do things in a certain way.

We will provide recommendations for the HWW Nations on the following: 

  • How to approach planning differently | Moving towards an ‘Indigenous approach’ to regional land and water relationship planning. What does this look like and why is it important?

  • How to develop a plan | How the HWW Nations can work together ‘in a good way’ with other parties in a planning process

  • Contents of a plan | What are critical directions to consider in a regional land and water relationship plan?

  • How to implement a plan | How can we work together after the plan is developed?

  • How to share information | Guidance for sharing HWW information between Nations, and with parties external to the Nations.

“They [Recommendations and Calls-to-Action] will present the solutions Elders have learnt and have taught, on how to properly walk with the land and water so both our relatives on the landscape and ourselves can exist in good relations.” 

Calls-to-Action Working Group Direction