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Use and Occupancy Study
The Use and Occupancy Study (UOS) is a significant research initiative being undertaken by the Robinson Huron Waawiindamaagewin. This Treaty-wide study will look at how Anishinaabe are currently utilizing the land through collecting and recording map biographies of Robinson Huron Treaty (RHT) members.
Although the project has continued to be limited by COVID-19 restrictions, the study is steadily progressing. The current cohort, the Eastern Region, includes nine Robinson Huron communities: Atikameksheng Anishinawbek, Dokis First Nation, Henvey Inlet First Nation, Magnetawan First Nation, Nipissing First Nation, Pointe Grondine (Wiikwemkoong Unceded Territory), Shawanaga First Nation, Wahnapitae First Nation and Wasauksing First Nation. The Central and Western regions will be done in phases three and four.
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Research Design Workshops have been completed, the Data Collection Manual has been drafted, and our base maps are ready for testing. Research Design Workshops plan the parameters of our study, and the Data Collection Manual is our collection of base maps and interview questions for participants. The testing phase will refine our Data Collection Manual and will take place in April 2022. Eighteen top harvesters from the Treaty area will undergo an interview to test the study methodology.
Any tweaking that needs to be done will ensure we have the best dataset for our community’s uses long into the future. It will be important information for protecting the lands and waters of our Treaty Territory as well as our Anishinaabe rights and interests.
We will begin the larger data collection blitz at the end of the summer and in the fall 2022, where we want to interview as many Anishinaabe harvesters from the Eastern Region as possible. We are targeting 350 nish!
So, if you or someone you know has harvesting experience in the RHT area, we’d love to hear from you!
Note: Open to RHT members only.
You can learn more about the project online at waawiindamaagewin.com/uos.
If you’d like to participate in the UOS or would like to discuss the project further, contact your Band’s Land Department or Stefanie Recollet, UOS Analyst, at Stefanie@waawiindamaagewin.com or 705-919-4836.
