Fish-WIKS News

As the Fish-WIKs project nears the mid-point of its five-year mandate, PhD and Masters students are hard at work with their studies and research.   With students in place in the four regions of the project, Fish-WIKS is moving forward on all fronts.

In the British Columbia region, Saul Milne, is a PhD candidate at University of Victoria looking at how two orders of government (First Nations and Federal) discuss resource governance.  Saul is studying practical processes of reconciliation, reviewing potential impact of geographical discussions on indigenous knowledge systems and describing key methodological issues identified in indigenous geographies.  Saul’s work takes him frequently to Tla-o-qui-aht First Nations on Vancouver Island’s west coast where he is building relationships with the community and its leaders.

Nicole Latulippe, PhD student at University of Toronto, has been regularly visiting the Nipissing First Nations community in northern Ontario over the last six months.  Focussing on understanding Lake Nipissing fisheries governance within historical, cultural, socio-economic, political, and regional contexts, Nicolle is exploring the interface between knowledge systems and fisheries decision-making across multiple jurisdictions.

Mirjam Held  is the Nunavut PhD student  where the project focus will likely be on marine mammal fisheries.  Mirjam is early in her Interdisciplinary PhD program at Dalhousie University taking courses in Indigenous resource management, epistemology and qualitative research methods.   The research question is being developed as the Government of Nunavut’s Department of Environment, the Fish-WIKS partner organization for the northern region, is in the process of renewing the Nunavut Fisheries Strategy.

The first Masters student working on the project is Amber Giles, a Master of Marine Management student at Dalhousie University.  Amber is working in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia on the management of the eel fishery and the species’ importance to Mi’kmaq people.  The work includes the FSC (food, social and ceremonial) and commercial fisheries and how indigenous knowledge systems can be used to enhance policy-level decision-making.