Climate Monitoring: Culture Camps Empower Indigenous Youth

The program’s goal is clear: to strengthen the capacity of youth and their communities to understand and respond to the effects of climate change on their territories. Through land-based activities, participants conduct water quality tests, assess fish health, identify local species, and collect scientific data—work that is grounded in traditional knowledge shared by Elders.

Held on Treaty 6, 8, and 10 territories in northern Saskatchewan, the camps bring together a wide range of contributors: youth, Elders, land-based educators, scientists, and cultural knowledge holders. Learning happens in context, through authentic experiences such as drilling ice holes, preparing traditional game meat, and mapping observed species.

Beyond technical skills, the camps have a powerful human impact. Participants often express a renewed sense of pride in their cultural identity and a desire to take an active role in protecting their lands. “I learned how to use a water quality tester, but also how valuable our traditional knowledge is,” one youth shared. Another asked eagerly, “When are the next camps?”

Supported by the federal government through Crown–Indigenous Relations, the project reflects a broader commitment to decolonizing education by fostering the co-creation of knowledge. Through this approach, communities gain greater autonomy while cultivating a new generation of leaders who blend scientific insight with cultural grounding.