​Supporting Wabauskang band members in the protection of community values, meaningful engagement in resource development activities, and preservation of the environment in the community’s traditional territory.
OBAUSHKONG AKI – GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) DATABASE UPDATE
The identification and verification of community values and documenting them in a community-managed geographic information system (GIS) database is a critical component of ensuring that the Aboriginal and Treaty rights of Wabauskang community members are protected from development activities in the community’s territory. During 2022, Obaushkong Aki will be focused on updating the community’s database to ensure protection of community values from proposed mining activities in the Red Lake area as well as proposed forestry activities in the Whiskey Jack Forest. These focus areas are based on the increased mining activities in the region (e.g., Great Bear Resources Dixie Lake area) and current stages of forest planning (i.e., the Whiskey Jack Forest Management Plan for the period of 2023-2033 is currently being developed). The project will focus on providing additional training and support for Wabauskang’s team of community technicians to build on the technical skill sets required to collect, store, and manage information
within a community GIS database. Workshops and on-the-job training will build the capacity for the different technical roles required to effectively populate and manage a GIS database to assist in permit review. These technical capacities include: administering community mapping interviews, building a GIS database, conducting historical and technical research, and organizing collected data in to accessible databases. This capacity building work will be carried out within the context of collecting, organizing, and creating real-world data sets of information that will contribute to Wabauskang’s ability to effectively review and respond to consultation requests as well as permit reviews.
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​Please contact Ashlee Perrault at Obaushkong Aki (ashlee@obaushkongaki.com) or stop by the Resource Office building on the reserve to discuss how we use the GIS database or to set up an interview to ensure protection of your activities and/or values on the lands.
Map of Great Bear Resources Dixie Project where a number of high-grade gold
discoveries have been made.