As the Akaitcho Process marches on, negotiators were given another tool to help in land use planning.
Ducks Unlimited Canada presented a 77-million acre map of wetlands in the Northwest Territories at the Akaitcho Annual Assembly which wrapped up in Lutsel K’e last week.
According to a news release, the project took more than two and a half years to do.
Kevin Smith is the National Boreal Program Manager for Ducks Unlimited.
He said, “We are committed to expanding our partnerships and relationships with Indigenous governments and communities, promoting conservation and protection in their traditional territories, and building bridges for future preservation projects.”
Ndilo Chief Ernest Betsina thanked the organization for the maps and said, “First Nation need help from organizations to assist us in developing our own awareness of the land.”
The digital map was built using satellite images.
According to Ducks Unlimited, Dene technicians also helped out with ground and air fieldwork.
Photo of the digital map, courtesy of Ducks Unlimited Canada
