Workshops

40 spaces, full day

This full day workshop will bring together participants to discuss current knowledge of the northern mountain population of medzıh (woodland caribou) herds in the Nahʔą Dehé area from Indigenous and scientific perspectives. The federal Species at Risk Act lists the northern mountain population of medzıh as a species of 'Special Concern' due to increasing habitat modification resulting from roads and other developments. While much of the medzih range in the NWT remains relatively undisturbed, there is increasing development pressure in the southern portion of the range, around Nahʔą Dehé Ts’ç Tu Zhánîlî (the greater Nahanni ecosystem). This region includes up to seven transboundary, wide-ranging northern mountain medzih herds that display varied behaviours and are affected by different levels of development in the NWT, Yukon, and northern BC. Different groups have been undertaking research on medzih in this region, but much of the research has been happening in isolation and with different understandings of what a herd is. To better understand these herds and effectively steward medzih across their transboundary ranges, we need to work together and use multiple forms of knowledge. Outcomes from this workshop will include: sharing recent research results and Indigenous knowledge of medzih herd ranges and connectivity; building a joint understanding of medzih herd definitions and status; identifying knowledge gaps; and developing principles and approaches to guide research on the different medzih herds. 

50 spaces, full day and half day

This workshop will consist of a half day morning classroom session followed by a half day afternoon hands-on session at the Government of the Northwest Territories North Slave laboratory. During the morning session, participants will discuss implementing community-based wildlife health monitoring (what are the important steps? what can you achieve?) and best practices when finding signs of sickness in a caribou (how to document, how to sample, how to protect oneself). Participants will also learn about important diseases occurring in the Canadian Arctic and the implications for animals and people. During the afternoon hands-on session, participants will practice examining and sampling an ungulate as well as conducting simple sample processing and analyses that can be implemented in a field or community setting. The workshop is intended for community harvesters, wildlife biologists, veterinarians, technicians, and anyone interested in undertaking community-based monitoring of wildlife health and learning how to recognize and react to signs of diseases in a harvested or sampled animal.

Registering for the workshop will allow you to attend the morning classroom session. Due to lab space limitations, we can only accept 20 persons for the afternoon hands-on session (on a first-come, first-served basis).

40 spaces, half day

How do we plan in a good way? How do we see with both eyes? How do we honour the land and the people who have lived with caribou since the beginning of time? In an ever changing world, how do we consider Dene ɂeɂa (law) and Dene ts’ı̨lı̨ (ways of life) in the context of "co-management"? In this session, Ɂehdzo Got'ı̨nę Gots'ę́ Nákedı (Sahtu Renewable Resources Board - SRRB) staff will share about their processes, methods, and reflections on their work related to supporting community-led Indigenous planning within caribou conservation. All participants are welcome to come, witness, and join the conversation. SRRB staff will begin with a presentation to frame the session, followed by a facilitated discussion using either World Cafe or a Collective Story Harvest method. Participants will have an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of cross-cultural work in the Sahtu region. They will be invited to bring their own work and their own experiences to a discussion meant to tap into our collective wisdom about how to do this work in service of a better future. Together, there is so much possibility.

15 spaces, half day

How do we use the latest science to inform land-use planning? How do we bring together siloed scientific disciplines to understand the land, which is always integrative? How to embrace forecasting both as the gold-standard in scientific testing and a land stewardship tool? In this half day workshop, participants will be introduced to the modelling platform SpaDES by collaboratively working together on a caribou land-use problem. By the end of the workshop, participants will: 1. Have an introductory understanding of SpaDES 2. Understand why it is useful. 3. Have applied a caribou movement model to a region of their choice. Its intended audience is scientists and land managers who want to make ecological forecasts while taking into account cumulative effects. SpaDES is written in the programming language R and this is intended for users with moderate to advanced R experience. Participants are required to provide their own laptop.

30 spaces, full day

Treaties are a significant part of our history, present and future, and learning about Treaties is a key part of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action. The Gordon Foundation’s Treaty Simulation model was developed because treaty experts in our network expressed the need for Indigenous youth to get more involved in their treaties. At this Treaty Simulation, participants will be divided into teams tackling the decline of a fictional caribou herd. You will be guided by caribou and wildlife management experts who are experienced in treaty negotiations and co-management principles. Working in teams, you will develop proposals and negotiate a fictional plan to address the many issues affecting caribou. Participants that attend our workshop will gain knowledge and skills for life, along with new connections and an interest in learning even more about treaties. This workshop is an active and engaging learning experience. Participants are encouraged to bring a laptop.

Prior registration is encouraged by emailing michele_grabke@gov.nt.ca

Learn how the NWT is leading the way in species at risk assessment. This workshop is being led by members of the NWT Species at Risk Committee. Participants will take part in a mock species assessment of Dolphin and Union caribou using the NWT’s unique dual approach which uses two separate sets of criteria to assess species at risk—one based in Indigenous knowledge and the other in science. This allows for the best available information on the species to be considered in the way that is most appropriate to each kind of knowledge system. Looking at the information in different ways, and fully considering each kind of knowledge, the NWT Species at Risk Committee arrives at a final status assessment based on a consensus among members and supported by criteria from either or both knowledge systems.