Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) is developing a national Management Plan for Grizzly Bear in Canada. Early engagement with Indigenous groups on this project has been ongoing since 2020. As part of this process, the Canadian Wildlife Service (CWS), with essential support from the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources (CIER), are now preparing to host Grizzly Bear Indigenous Knowledge Workshops.

The purpose of these Grizzly Bear workshops are to:

  • help build our relationships with, listen to, learn from, and collaborate with Indigenous Peoples;
  • deepen our understanding of Grizzly Bears to improve their well-being; and
  • support meaningful approaches to including Indigenous perspectives and knowledge about Grizzly Bears in Canada’s Management Plan.

These workshops are part of an ongoing process and are not the only opportunity for engaging on the topic.

Modest honoraria are available for each Elder or Knowledge Keeper who registers and attends a workshop. A lump sum will be provided to each community whose members and staff wish to attend. We also invite additional observers, including youth representatives, to register and attend if desired.

Please see these important documents:

The dates for each ¾-day workshop are below for First Nations within the current and potential range of Grizzly Bear in Northern Saskatchewan and Northern Manitoba.

Registration is mandatory and closes one day before the workshop date.

If you are interested in attending one of these workshops, please:

  1. Complete the consent form.
    • Note: If you need support with registration or the consent form, please contact Melissa Gus by email at [email protected] or call her at: 204-956-0660 ext.4
  2. Send the completed consent form to Melissa Gus a by email at [email protected] or by fax: 1-866-288-3919
  3. Register by clicking the link for one of these workshops (9 am-3:30 pm Central Time):

After registering, you will receive a confirmation email.

Registration is mandatory for every Elder, Knowledge Keeper, and observer who intends to attend to ensure we have accurate records of who attends and shares their stories and knowledge with us.

*Important note: We want to ensure that the information participants choose to share with us in the workshop(s) is treated respectfully. As such, by registering in a workshop, participants are consenting to sharing the stories, knowledge, and/or information with CIER and ECCC for inclusion in a workshop-specific report on Grizzly Bear. Knowledge holders will have opportunities to validate their contributions to the report, the results of which could potentially be included in Canada’s Management Plan for Grizzly Bear, if consent is provided for that to happen. Please be assured that the ownership of all Indigenous Knowledge that is shared will remain with attendees and their communities.

 

For more information, please reach out to:

Diana Ghikas, Senior Wildlife Biologist with the Canadian Wildlife Service
Email: [email protected]

Kate Hewitt, Project Manager with the Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources
Email: [email protected]