James Bay and its surrounding environments consist of culturally and biologically valuable ecosystems, yet many of these areas remain understudied. Cree land users who rely on these ecosystems have observed significant changes driven by hydroelectric development and climate change, both of which are affecting traditional practices. However, due to considerable data gaps and limited baseline information, these impacts are not yet well understood.
 

This project proposes to gather baseline data on nearshore ecosystems identified by the Cree and to document their associated ecosystem services, providing an essential foundation for future cumulative effects studies. Our approach is to braid western scientific methods with Cree Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) to create a more complete understanding of ecological change.
 

The proposed two-year project focuses on two ecosystem components vital to the Cree way of life: waterfowl habitats and fish habitats. Project activities and outcomes will center on collecting baseline environmental and cultural data, which will later be used to assess cumulative impacts across the region.