Grant: College & Community Social Innovation Fund

The Lands Department of Muskeg Lake Cree Nation (MLCN) has identified concerns with potential environmental impacts of agricultural activities that take place on reserve lands. Alongside this, they also seek to implement robust community engagement practices around these questions, both within and beyond the community. The proposed project aims to bring together community leadership with partners at Saskatchewan Polytechnic to develop First Nations’ led recommendations for improving farm practices on and near reserve lands, and a community-led environmental monitoring program that will be sustained through the MLCN Lands Department in the future. Muskeg Lake Cree Nation exercises authority over their lands and resources through their own Land Code and as a party to the Framework Agreement on First Nation Land Management. The project addresses three interrelated themes: the first will involve consultation within the MLCN community to understand health and environmental concerns. The second theme of the project will involve environmental assessment through analysis of samples taken of soil, water, air, and plant material at different locations on MLCN land. This analysis will provide an evidence base for future decision making. In the third theme we will focus on knowledge mobilization and developing recommendations. The project will include capacity building activities focusing on community members and youth in particular, as well as collaboration between MLCN and multiple programs and research centres at Saskatchewan Polytechnic including the Sustainability-Led Integrated Centres of Excellence, and the Centre for Health Research, Innovation, and Scholarship. MLCN and Saskatchewan Polytechnic signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2021 to promote collaboration in programming and training opportunities. The current project builds on a successful history of collaboration on previous initiatives.