BLUE ECOLOGY IS A PATHWAY TO WATER RECONCILIATION AT THE LOCAL SCALE IN BRITISH COLUMBIA: Blue Ecology is about taking responsibility for care of the land. Indigenous scholar Michael Blackstock discusses interweaving Indigenous oral history and Western water science.
Countdown to World Rivers Day 2023
On September 24th, the Watershed Moments Team released the Blue Ecology video documentary, which is titled Watershed Moments 2023: A Pathway to Water Reconciliation and Resilience at the Local Scale. Click on the link below to view the documentary on YouTube.
Caring for the Land
Watershed Moments 2023 seeds the idea that hope lies within the spheres of influence for local governments – whether they are Indigenous OR non-Indigenous.
The documentary features Michael Blackstock in conversation with the Partnership for Water Sustainability’s Richard Boase and Brian Carruthers, an independent strategic advisor to local governments. Gitxsan hereditary chief Hanamuxw sets the scene with an Indigenous perspective on caring for the land.
About Michael Blackstock:
Michael Blackstock is an Independent Indigenous Scholar, former member of a UNESCO Expert Panel on Indigenous ecology, and co-founder of the Blue Ecology Institute.
His professional career has been with government as a treaty negotiator, first with the Province of British Columbia and then with BC Hydro.
About Brian Carruthers:
Brian Carruthers is the former Chief Administrative Officer with the Cowichan Valley Regional District. He is now an independent strategic advisor to local governments across British Columbia.
A decade ago, Brian led a watershed co-governance initiative to interweave Indigenous and non-Indigenous perspectives in the Cowichan region. This experience led to implementation of the region’s Drinking Water and Watershed Protection Program.
Richard Boase:
Richard Boase is the moderator for the Watershed Moments Series. In addition to his local government career as an environmental champion, he is a founding Director of the Partnership for Water Sustainability.
Watershed Moments Symposia Series on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate
In 2018, the Partnership for Water Sustainability in collaboration with the Nanaimo & Area Land Trust (NALT) and Regional District of Nanaimo launched the Watershed Moments Symposia Series on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate. The unifying theme for Watershed Moments is the power of local government collaboration with the stewardship sector. Through application of Blue Ecology principles, the Watershed Moments Team sees a path forward for interweaving Indigenous oral history and Western water science.
“Did you know that the Watershed Moments Symposia Series on Water Stewardship in a Changing Climate is a building blocks process. Each event builds on the last and points the way to the next. The format provides a neutral forum for local elected representatives, local government staff, stewardship groups and others to ‘convene for action’ to improve where we live. In 2020, as part of our COVID response plan, the Watershed Moments Team pivoted to online delivery to expand our reach,” states Paul Chapman, NALT Executive Director and Chair of the Watershed Moments Team.
“The Watershed Moments program is built around success stories – inspirational in nature, local in scale, and precedent-setting in scope and outcome. In short, these precedents can be replicated and/or adapted in other communities.”
To Learn More:
Visit the home of the Watershed Moments Series on the Water-Centric Planning community-of-interest at: https://waterbucket.ca/viw/category/vancouver-island-symposia-series/