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Local and Traditional Knowledge in Watershed Governance
SUB-PROJECT GUIDELINES (2018-19)
(Released March 1, 2018)
SUMMARY Tracking Change: Local and Traditional Knowledge in Watershed Governance began in 2015 as a six-year research program funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. It is led by the University of Alberta, Mackenzie River Basin Board, and the Government of the Northwest Territories in collaboration with many other valued Aboriginal organization partners and universities. The broad goal of the project is to create opportunities to collaboratively document and share local and traditional knowledge (LTK) about social-ecological change in the Mackenzie River Basin, Lower Mekong, and Lower Amazon Basins and determine its’ role in watershed governance. In 2018-19, Tracking Change aims to fund 12 community-based and collaborative research activities in the Mackenzie River Basin related to some specific research themes: 1
Applications will be accepted from Aboriginal organizations that are partners of Tracking Change2 and that are working in collaboration with one or more academics from a partner university (see table - pg 3). Specific Guidelines:
1 These priorities were recommended in a workshop with the NWT Water Stewardship Strategy Aboriginal Steering
Committee and the Mackenzie River Basin Board (MRRB) Traditional Knowledge and Strengthening Partnerships Committee (TKSPC), Feb. 10, 2016. Additional input was asked of the partners and other members of the Project Team by email in October 2015.
2 Aboriginal organization partners of the Tracking Change… project are those Aboriginal governments, organizations
and co-management boards who provided a letter of support for the funding application to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (2014) including acknowledgement of the Principles of Partnership. Other Aboriginal organizations can be added as partners by i) by being nominated by an existing Partner or member of the MRRB Traditional Knowledge and Strengthening Partnerships Committee, and ii) becoming a signatory to the Guiding Principles of Collaboration (Appendix B – Terms of Reference). To be considered for funding, Aboriginal organizations who are not currently listed as a Partner and wish to apply for funding should complete the full application and attach a letter of nomination and a letter of support for the Tracking Change… Guiding Principles of Collaboration.
Themes and Priorities for Tracking Change… Sub-Projects in 2016-2018
historical and contemporary observations and perceptions of conditions and change in the health of the aquatic environment (e.g., water quality, quantity, flow, groundwater, permafrost conditions);
historical and contemporary observations and perceptions of conditions and change in fish species (population, movements, diversity, invasive species) and other aquatic species (e.g., geese, beaver);
sustainability of fishing livelihoods (e.g., harvesting levels and practices, diet, health, access issues, perceptions of change in the health of valued fish species);
implications of change for governance (e.g., how to maintain healthy relationships to the aquatic ecosystem, maintaining respectful and spiritual relationships, respecting treaty rights);
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Eligibility to Apply for Funding: The community-based research in the Mackenzie Basin has the potential to provide big picture insights about changes occurring in many aspects of ecosystems dynamics, community economies, culture and well-being. Research partners involved in the development of the proposal and in research in year 1 are invited to continue and build on their research this year:
Nacho Nayak Dun First Nation Inuvialuit Fisheries Joint Management Committee Gwich’in Renewable Resources Board / Gwich’in Tribal Council Sahtú Renewable Resources Board Deh Cho First Nations Prince Albert Grand Council Fond du Lac First Nation
Kaska Dena Council Wek'èezhìı Renewable Resources Board Łutsël K’e Dene First Nation Akaitcho Territorial Government Treaty 8 First Nations of Alberta Mikisew Cree First Nation Treaty 8 Tribal Association (British Columbia)
If you are not on this list of partners but would like to get involved in Tracking Change research, please contact [email protected]
Research Themes and Objectives of Community Projects: Tracking Change projects to date have focused on a set of research priorities defined by the Traditional Knowledge Steering Committee of the Mackenzie River Basin Board and the Aboriginal Steering Committee of the Northwest Territories Water Stewardship Strategy (see p 1). Tracking Change… would like to fund projects led by our partners on the same themes as carried out in years 1 and 2. However, based on feedback from partners as well as graduate students involved, we propose to provide more guidance on what common methods and specific interview questions are important to helping us understand ‘big picture’ change in the Mackenzie Basin as a whole; for example, if research can be carried out in the same or similar ways, and communities and researchers talk to one another and use the same kinds of interview questions in many different regions. Based on research outcomes from 2016 and 2017, we are proposing that projects address some of the following questions:
FOCAL POINTS - Upstream-Downstream Change in Fishing Livelihoods the Mackenzie
- Can/do people drink water from lakes/rivers in your region? Can/do people eat/fish? Why? Why not? - Are there changes in the population, health, species, diversity of fish and/or timing of fish spawning and
migration? - Where and why are water levels changing? - How are lower water levels affecting access to fishing sites and resources? - What kinds of oral histories can be shared about fishing sites and harvest of fish in your region? - How have fishing practices changed in the last ten, twenty, fifty, one hundred years? - Are community members fishing more or less than they did 5-10-20-50 years ago? Why? - If people are fishing less, what other food resources are important today? - Are community members harvesting-sharing-eating more / less fish than in earlier years? Why?
o How does fish harvest vary according to the time of year and place to place? o Can harvesters offer information about how many times they have to set nets and/or how long
they have to leave nets in the lake/river to catch enough fish for their family? Have they experienced a change in the effort required to catch enough fish for their family?
o Are harvesters changing where and how they fish due to development or weather? o Do you feel there has been a loss of knowledge / practices?
- In what ways do you feel development activity in upstream and your region are affecting water, fish, fishing and communities in your region? What observations have you seen in this regard?
- How similar or different are your observations and experiences from those living up-downstream? - What kinds of stewardship practices are being developed to protect fish/water in your region and
elsewhere? What are the critical gaps in stewardship? -
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To help assist communities and researchers in thinking about research methods, we have prepared some materials and packaged them as a: “Toolbox of Methods for Tracking Change”.
Are you interested in receiving this methods document to help ensure your research project results will be more easily linked to other research carried out by other Tracking Change project partners? ☐ YES ☐ NO
Graduate Student Involvement: There are graduate students who can be involved in the projects to assist with the development of projects, carrying out the research activities and reporting. Their involvement is meant to build the capacity of your organization as well as to provide a learning opportunity for the students who are working on graduate research including theses.
Would you like to work with a graduate student over the summer or over the fall? ☐ YES ☐ NO
The graduate student would be most useful for:
☐ helping us plan ☐ organizing meetings ☐ doing interviews ☐ Other___________________
☐ analyzing data ☐ developing a report ☐ training of a community researcher
Solutions and Outcomes of Tracking Change Research Research from this year of Tracking Change should be focused on the following outcomes, audiences or solutions:
(Pick one or more):
☐ educational materials for schools in our region
☐ plain language materials for communities
☐ Mackenzie River Basin Board reporting
☐ global education
☐ academic publications
☐ policy materials for regional, territorial, provincial and federal governments
☐ global issues (e.g., climate change forums, Indigenous rights forums (e.g., UNRIP)
☐ art
☐ digital materials
☐ videos
☐ advocacy/awareness raising/outreach abo_____________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
☐ other: _______________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________
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Recommendations for Applications (Decision-Making Criteria):
The following recommendations should be taken into consideration by those applying for funding:
1. Aboriginal Organization and University Collaboration – The funding for the Tracking Change… project has been provided by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) which is a funding source that emphasizes the involvement of graduate students from Canadian universities. Applications are encouraged that demonstrate collaboration between Aboriginal organizations and academics from Canadian universities (faculty and graduate students). Academic leads from the Tracking Change… project can provide capacity (students, expertise, training opportunities), and create opportunities for the development of sub-basin projects, basin-wide research activities, and local-global knowledge mobilization. The academic leads are:
Brenda Parlee - [email protected]
Trevor Lantz – [email protected] Sonia Wesche - [email protected] Val Napoleon – [email protected] David Natcher - [email protected] Shalene Jobin - [email protected]
Jennifer Fresque-Baxter - [email protected]
2. Working Across Cultural, Political and Ecological Boundaries – Research proposals are encouraged from Aboriginal partner organizations who are developing research activities that are inclusive of other Aboriginal organizations (e.g., communities, co-management boards) within and across sub-basins of the Mackenzie River Basin.
3. On the Land Activities and Broad Community Participation including Youth – Research that takes place on the land can contribute to both the documentation and sharing of knowledge as well as its further development and use by communities. Youth involvement is particularly important to ensure Local and Traditional Knowledge is passed on to future generations. For this reason, applications are encouraged that include on-the-land activities (e.g., fish camps, river trips, river gatherings, canoe trips) and are inclusive of a diversity of community members, including youth.
4. Sharing of Local and Traditional Knowledge – Tracking Change… supports the principles of OCAPTM3 (ownership, control, access and possession) and the local/regional intellectual property rights guidelines (e.g., Traditional Knowledge Policies) of the Aboriginal organization partners and Local and Traditional Knowledge holders (e.g., elders). At the same time, the ultimate aim of the project is to create knowledge sharing opportunities for Aboriginal partner organizations and to create an improved and holistic understanding of the Mackenzie River Basin. Applications are encouraged that clearly indicate what and how knowledge from the sub-project will be shared with other members of the Project Team, including other Aboriginal organizations. Applications are discouraged that focus on themes and issues that are considered confidential.
5. Funding from Other Sources - The maximum available funding from this program for each sub-project is $25,000 / per year (1-2 years). Applications are encouraged that indicate funding (cash/in kind) has been secured from elsewhere. Example: For a project receiving $25,000 in funding, a possible budget could be:
Community researcher and Graduate Student salaries $10,000 Research Travel $5,000 (we suggest also applying for NSTP for assistance with student travel) Community Researcher $5,000 Translation $1,000 Venue and equipment rental $3,000 Knowledge dissemination $1,000
3 The Path to First Nations Information Governance: The First Nations Information Governance Centre. Ownership, Control, Access
and Possession (OCAP™): The Path to First Nations Information Governance. May 2014. (Ottawa: The First Nations Information Governance Centre, May 2014).
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GENERAL GUIDELINES 1. Applications must be received by 15 April 2018 by email to [email protected] 2. Funds provided through this program will normally be up to a maximum of $25,000 for one year.4 Only SSHRC
related expenses are allowable (e.g., local travel, publication, student and community researcher salaries, technical support including translation).
3. Our consideration of the application does not constitute acceptance of proposal for funding. 4. Decisions about the funding will be granted on the basis of the merit of individual applications, and potential
contribution to the Tracking Change… project. 5. All proposals received will be treated as confidential and due diligence will be exercised to maintain the applicants’
confidentiality. 6. Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:
Degree to which the proposal addresses the stated Research Themes and Priorities (pg.1-2); Degree to which the application has considered recommendations for applications (pg. 3); General Potential of the proposal to contribute to a holistic understanding of social-ecological change in the
Mackenzie River Basin;
OUR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS: 1. Proposals will be reviewed by the MRRB Traditional Knowledge and Strengthening Partnerships Committee, who
will provide recommendations to the Project Director and Management Committee. The decision for funding will be made by the Traditional Knowledge Steering Committee and the Executive Committee of the Tracking Change… project. At its own discretion, the Traditional Knowledge Steering Committee may require further information in their review of applications.
2. Decisions will be communicated in writing through a Notice of Award to successful applicants in 2 to 4 weeks of the closing date for submissions.
3. At the discretion of the MRRB Traditional Knowledge and Strengthening Partnerships Committee, the amount of award may or may not be the same as the amount requested in the proposal.
4. Grant funds may be used only for the project and purposes described in the application, subject to any special conditions given in the Notice of Award.
6. Normally grant funding will be provided for the period of time indicated in the applicants’ request. The term may be extended upon written request to the Management Committee Chair.
7. Any expenses incurred by the project partnership above the total grant will be the responsibility of the project partnership.
8. An award may be terminated with or without notice if conditions are not observed. Unspent funds must be returned to the Tracking Change… project budget if the award is terminated. Notice of termination of an award will be sent to the Academic Lead, who will be responsible for informing all others or involved in the project.
As these grants are intended as a supplemental research fund you should have other support (in-kind or cash contributions) from other sources. The Committee will consider all expenditures for research activities fully justified and appropriate to a given discipline, subject to the use of grant funding listed in the Tri-Agency Financial Administration Guide http://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/Professors-Professeurs/FinancialAdminGuide-GuideAdminFinancier/index_eng.asp. If you have any questions on these, you can contact your regional academic lead. You can also see http://www.sshrc.ca for more details.
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REPORTING
Reporting by the Applicants – Following the notice of award, reporting is required from applicants as follows:
Report 1 – Detailed Plan – Those applications which lack detail (E.g., about number of community participants involved, location of fish camps etc.) will be asked for additional details within 2 months of the award date. Report 2 – Ethics Approvals and Research Licenses – Projects involving university academics and graduate students must submit evidence of ethics board approval as per SSHRC Guidelines. Report 3 – Final Report (including financial report) – at the end of the project or the end of the term of the award. A final report should include a summary of research outcomes and where possible, detailed outcomes that can contribute to a bigger picture understanding of the Mackenzie River Basin as a whole. Where a university is involved, a final financial report (SSHRC Statement of Account - Form 300) will be required from the grant holder (academic lead). The information in these reports will form the basis of the annual reports from the Tracking Change… project to the funding agency (SSHRC) and will be factors in whether funding in subsequent years is approved.
SHARING OF RESEARCH OUTCOMES:
1. Plain Language Summary - Following approval of the project, a one-page summary in plain language will be developed by our office for posting on the website – trackingchange.ca
2. Research Agreements between Aboriginal Organizations and Academics - The Aboriginal organizations, communities and academic researchers are encouraged to develop an agreement about ownership, control, access and possession of the data (OCAP) to clarify details of how knowledge will be collected, stored interpreted and shared.
3. Sharing of Results with other Partners and the Public - Respecting local policies and OCAP-related agreements between Aboriginal organizations and lead academics, the outcomes of the project will be owned by the sub-project applicants (e.g., community organization, lead academics, student). However, given the intent of the project is to create opportunities for communities to share knowledge with one another and the public about social-ecological change in the Mackenzie River Basin, it is critical to all partners that some/all outcomes of the sub-projects are shared. All reports and data will be appropriately referenced in any related reports. Applications are discouraged that focus on themes and issues that are considered confidential.
4. Confidentiality – Throughout the research process, it is anticipated there may be some concerns arising around
confidentially (e.g., of interviewees). As per of the Terms of Reference of the Tracking Change… project (see website), all partners and academics involved in the project agree to respect each other in a manner that is professional and culturally appropriate. It is the responsibility of the knowledge holder and/or academic to highlight data, issues, or discussions that should remain confidential. Barring instances of illegality, it is the responsibility of other members of the Project Team to respect these interests and demonstrate due diligence in clarifying any ambiguities. In instances where there is ambiguity (i.e., it is unclear), academics and other members of the Project Team will assume the information is confidential.
5. Academic Publication - Following approval of the final research report, project partners are strongly encouraged to disseminate their findings as widely as possible (e.g., through academic publication). Subsequent applications for funding will only be considered if the required reports have been submitted by the established deadlines.
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6. Any publication based on the research conducted with funding from the project must clearly state this source for support as per the normal SSHRC funding requirements. The following statement must appear on all public documents:
This research was financially supported by the “Tracking Change” research program which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC). The opinions of the authors found herein do not necessarily reflect those of SSHRC or other partners and team members of the project. Where appropriate, the Tracking Change name and logo, and the SSHRC logo must be displayed on the front page of any dissemination materials of the research project.
Tracking Change website: www.trackingchange.ca General Tracking Change Project email: [email protected] Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC): http://www.sshrc.ca
For more information, contact:
Elaine Maloney, Knowledge Mobilization Coordinator Tracking Change… Project
Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology (REES) Faculty of Agriculture, Life, and Environmental Sciences (ALES)
GSB 566, University of Alberta [email protected]
