Community Sharing Circle Briefing Note

The document details a community workshop with the Bloodvein First Nation to explore the links between the boreal environment and human well-being. Participants identified critical ecosystem services provided by muskeg (peatlands), reported significant declines in the availability of traditional foods and water quality, and suggested adaptation measures focused on intergenerational knowledge transfer and government communication.

• The local environment, particularly muskeg (peatlands), is essential for community well-being by providing clean air, drinking water, fish habitats, and medicinal plants. However, participants noted that connections to these traditions are weakening, with a specific concern that youth are less involved in traditional land and water management.
• Community members have observed significant environmental degradation in recent decades, including the disappearance of caribou and martens, reduced fish catches due to illness, and a decline in water quality, with clean water now primarily available only in the rapids rather than the lake.
• Environmental changes are attributed to both external and internal factors, including industrial pollution from sawmills and community-level impacts such as increased waste and concentrated hunting in areas immediately surrounding the community.
• To cope with future weather and climate changes, the community suggested several adaptation strategies, including the creation of youth camps for traditional skill sharing, revising trapping site locations, and improving communication with the government regarding water pollution and food safety.

APA

International Institute for Sustainable Development (2011). Community Sharing Circle Briefing Note. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/community_sharing_circle_bloodvein.pdf

Chicago

International Institute for Sustainable Development. Community Sharing Circle Briefing Note. 2011. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/community_sharing_circle_bloodvein.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=International Institute for Sustainable Development |title=Community Sharing Circle Briefing Note |date=October 2011 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/community_sharing_circle_bloodvein.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{internationalinstituteforsustainabledevelopment2011community, author = {{International Institute for Sustainable Development}}, title = {{Community Sharing Circle Briefing Note}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2011}, month = oct, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/community_sharing_circle_bloodvein.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }