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Urban Systems
Smith's Landing First Nation

Traditional Land Use Study

Smith’s Landing First Nation’s territory spans two provinces and a territory. In order to engage effectively with other governments about land use decision-making, they needed comprehensive documentation of important cultural sites across the full extent of their Denesuline territory. We conducted a survey based on best practices with elders and land users from the Nation to build up a defensible picture of their connection to their territory that can be used to guide discussions on land use and economic development, conservation, and rights and interests.

Traditional Land Use Study
Historical Information

The project required retrieving and digitizing archival documents spanning almost half a century, including paper maps, tape recordings and historical studies.

Interviews

A use-and-occupancy map survey is a structured interview based on a pre-determined questionnaire designed to make the strongest, most defensible possible map of cultural use (e.g., hunting and trapping), and occupancy (e.g., cabins and burial sites) for an individual.

Direct-to-digital

We have developed custom interactive mapping tools capable of efficient data capture that can be deployed in-person or virtually and puts the Nation at the centre of data collection, ownership and access.

Meet the Team

Land and Community Planner
Dave Flanders

Land and Community Planner

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