Community-Crafted Priorities for Wildlife Health and Food Sovereignty in Akisq’nuk First Nation

Historically, scientific research has been conducted without legitimate engagement with or, in many cases, at the expense of Indigenous communities. To reconcile research relationships, there is growing recognition of the need to engage with Indigenous nations throughout the research process and to pursue questions that are valued by those who live on and care for the lands where research is occurring. An area of shared interest is the health of wildlife and ecosystems; many communities depend on wildlife for sustenance and livelihoods, and, thus, threats to wildlife health extend to impact food security, culture, and wellbeing. Through two days of relationship-building and dialogue with Akisq’nuk First Nation members who live in and outside of community we plan to 1) identify Nation priorities for wildlife health and Indigenous food sovereignty research, 2) develop an engagement protocol guiding future research, and 3) co-create knowledge products describing these priorities for use by the Nation, the research team, and the Wildlife Health Program (Ministry of Water, Lands and Resource Stewardship). This project will serve as a basis for future community-driven research efforts and inform provincial wildlife health programs.