Indigenous guardians train to protect B.C.'s coastal ecosystems
The lands and waters of Vancouver Island and British Columbia's south coast will soon be better protected by a group of Indigenous stewards.
Vancouver Island University (VIU) signed an agreement Wednesday with the Nanwakolas Council to deliver an intensive environmental protection course, supported by provincial funding.
"You could really go anywhere with the training," said Candace Newman of the K’ómoks First Nation, who earned her Stewardship Technician Training Program (STTP) certificate in 2021.
The STTP started in 2017, preparing students for careers in the environmental sphere. Learning outcomes include field skills, habitat monitoring, cultural awareness, and marine first aid.
Graduates can move on to become Indigenous Guardians, who are hired by First Nations to monitor and protect fragile ecosystems.
"You are the eyes and ears of the land and sea," Newman said. "You’re out in your traditional territory and really learning how to be a steward of the land like we always were."
The 20-week training begins this month in Campbell River.
“The Nanwakolas member nations are taking on increased responsibilities for environmental governance and management as we exercise our rights and title in the territories,” Nanwakolas Council president Dallas Smith said.
Member nations include the K’ómoks, Mamalilikulla, Wei Wai Kai and Wei Wai Kum First Nations on Vancouver Island, along with the Tlowitsis and Da’naxda’xw Awaetlala Nations on the mainland.
"We need many more guardians actively engaged in monitoring forestry harvesting, hunting, protection of cultural sites, gathering data on key species, rehabilitation of damaged habitat, assessing resource development proposals, and ensuring compliance with land use plans and regulations," Smith said.
Moving forward, there's hope the guardians will earn enforcement status.
“We want to continue this program until we have full-blown equality between the B.C. Conservation Service, the Department of Fisheries and Oceans wardens, and our guardians,” Smith said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
ANALYSIS Will Donald Trump go to prison? What the precedent says
Now that the jury in Donald Trump's criminal trial has made the historic decision to convict him, the judge overseeing the case will soon face a monumental choice: whether to sentence the 2024 Republican presidential candidate to time behind bars.
Actor Nick Pasqual charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing estranged girlfriend
An actor who has appeared in film and TV projects like 'Rebel Moon' and 'How I Met Your Mother' has been arrested and charged with stabbing his estranged girlfriend multiple times.
The northern lights are returning to night skies across Canada this Friday
If you missed the brilliant displays of the aurora borealis over North America on May 10, you may have another chance to see them on Friday night.
Canadian economy misses Q1 growth forecast; April GDP likely up 0.3%
The Canadian economy expanded at an annualized rate of 1.7 per cent in the first quarter, missing forecasts, and real gross domestic product likely rose 0.3 per cent on a monthly basis in April, data showed on Friday.
Reactions pour in to Donald Trump's first-ever felony conviction for a former U.S. president
After hours of deliberations, a jury of Donald Trump's New York City peers convicted him on 34 counts, making him the first the former U.S. president in history with a felony conviction.
A pair enjoyed pricey meals and bolted when it was time to pay. Their dine and dash ended in jail
A Welsh couple who dined out on pricey meals and bolted when the bill came is now paying the price, behind bars.
Montreal tech billionaire charged with several sex offences
Robert Miller was charged Thursday with several sexual assault charges after Montreal police reopened an investigation into the tech billionaire.
Can Trump come to Canada now that he's a convicted felon?
A Canadian immigration lawyer says now that Donald Trump is a convicted felon, he is technically barred from crossing the border into Canada.
Liberal government's own polling said Canadians worried about drug decriminalization
Months before British Columbia sought to scale back its drug decriminalization pilot project, the federal government's own polling suggested to officials that a majority of Canadians believed the policy would lead to an increase in overdoses.