Researchers at the University of Saskatchewan are working with the Okanese First Nation in southern Saskatchewan on a project to track, and adapt to the effects of, climate change on reserve lands. The first of four climate monitoring stations has been installed on Okanese land. College of Arts and Sciences faculty member Bob Patrick says, “Blending western and indigenous land-based knowledge to address pressing issues like climate change and water protection is a win-win for everyone.” The university say the goal of the project is to help restore the local ecological balance as well as the community’s relationship with the land.
The Okanese First Nation is in the Lower Qu’Appelle River Watershed, northeast of Regina.