ID: 2153
Presenting Author: Timothy Bebeteidoh
Session: 654 - Culture's Role in Impact Assessment
Status: pending
This paper presents ACFN’s current work on how ACFN
Knowledge Keepers perceive the importance of water quality
and contamination utilizing cultural and spiritual
indicators.
Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation’s (ACFN) traditional
territory, the K’ai Tailé nën, overlaps oil sands surface mine
footprints and includes reserve lands located downstream
along the Lower Athabasca River, and on Lake
Athabasca. For over 50 years, ACFN community members
have raised concerns about, and observed, oil sands
related water contamination in the Lower Athabasca River
and Peace Athabasca Delta (PAD), and its effects on
traditional food sources and human health. Recent events,
including industry proposals to release treated oil sands
process-affected water (OSPW) into the Athabasca River,
reinforces the continued importance of ACFN's efforts to
protect their lands and waters.
This paper presents ACFN's current work on the cultural
and spiritual indicators of water quality, which builds on
previous work conducted for the Lower Athabasca
Surface Water and Sediment Quality Criteria for
Protection of Indigenous Use (Olsgard et al., 2023). This
program of research is working to understand how ACFN
Knowledge Keepers perceive the importance of water
quality and the history of contamination, and what cultural
and spiritual characteristics water must have. This work
supports ACFN's efforts to inform water monitoring,
engagement and negotiations with government and
industry on mine closure plans and alternatives to
release oil sands treated mine water into the
Athabasca watershed.
A regulatory and environmental advisor with the Athabasca
Chipewyan First Nation with an MSc in Environmental Practice
an in-depth knowledge of indigenous ways of life and
regulatory compliance.
Coauthor 1: Hereward Longley