Professional Project Management for the Quw’utsun Nation Fraser River Stewardship Project
Client(s):
Quw’utsun Nation (QN) – Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lyackson First Nation, Penelakut Tribe, Stz’uminus First Nation
Location:
Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada
Dates:
September 2020 to March 2024
Background:
The Quw’utsun Nation (formerly the Cowichan Nation Alliance) is an informal working group comprised of five First Nations communities: Cowichan Tribes, Halalt First Nation, Lyackson First Nation Penelakut Tribe, and Stz’uminus First Nation. The Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship (MWLRS, formerly Forests, Land, Natural Resources Operations and Rural Development) embarked on consultations with Quw’utsun Nation member communities in 2011 to work towards the achievement of shared priorities, related to the long-term health of the Fraser River and at the same time, to strengthen the ongoing collaborative and respectful relationship between the ministry and Quw’utsun Nation.
Hatfield was retained to provide professional project management and technical services focused on the development of stewardship and related initiatives aimed at improving ecological health along the south arm of the Fraser River including fish and fish habitat restoration, enhancement, and protection.
Services Provided:
Hatfield managed and coordinated this multi-phased project for the delivery of a holistic stewardship approach to the Fraser River which focused on braiding western science together with Indigenous knowledge. Our team of dedicated and compassionate staff worked closely with the Quw’utsun Nation member representatives and the province to facilitate and chair all technical working group sessions, workshops and other communications, and developed several key documents that focused on stewardship of the Fraser River.
Hatfield took pride in working with the Quw’utsun Nation representatives to learn from and integrate Indigenous knowledge in all aspects of the inter-connected tasks::
- Community engagement, interviews, and outreach.
- Development of communication products and communication of the project story through the development of a dedicated project website.
- A Stewardship Plan for the Fraser River.
- A Best Management Practices guide and associated flysheets for common work activities on the Fraser River.
- A field-based research study that examined the effects of dredging on the south arm of the Fraser River.