Alberta Métis Settlements Oral History & Traditional Land Use Project

In June 2004, the General Council of the Métis Settlements of Alberta retained EcoPlan as a technical support partner in The Métis Traditional Settlements Traditional Land Use Mapping and Oral History Project, following the R v. Powley legal decision. The objective of this project is to enable the Métis Settlements of Alberta to record and map oral histories and traditional land uses in order to assert their Aboriginal rights as Métis people. The information resulting from this work will enable the Métis Settlements to be more involved in land use and resource management of traditional lands. To date, this project has involved three pilot phases and a final implementation phase, described below.

The project began with a pilot phase in 2004. Oral histories and maps were produced through an extensive interview process with settlement members. This traditional knowledge was then integrated into a GIS that documented traditional land use and historical communities. In the second pilot phase detailed archival research, participant biographies, and a settlement history were included. The final results of this phase were traditional use atlases of the settlements, with detailed maps illustrating historical communities, traditional uses occupancy, and spiritual significance. Innovations in the third pilot phase included archival research looking at scrip, homestead and trapline records and “ground-truthing” fieldwork using GPS technology and audio/visual data. The final implementation phase followed the same general format as the previous pilot projects and involved substantial capacity building, allowing settlements to update and adapt the mapping process to new conditions as they may arise.

The traditional use atlases developed through this project are unique in process and content. This project marks the beginning of a new paradigm in First Nations and Métis historical research. This ground-breaking study is the first of its kind, and sets a new standard for traditional land use mapping through its innovative participatory research methodology, use of new technologies, and capacity transfer.