Over 100 community members from the Kainai First Nation participated in this initiative including Elders, council members, directors, technicians, managers in multiple departments and emergency services. To help facilitate the initiative, a new in-tribe climate change coordinator position was created.

The four main activities were:

  1. Delivery of education sessions and dialogues on perceived risks.
  2. Engagement of youth and Elders in a learning journey about climate change from western scientific and Blackfoot perspectives that led to the art installation Through the Eyes of Kainai Youth – Art of Climate Change. Their work was chosen for a major exhibition at the Cave & Basin Historical Site in Banff National Park, Alberta that over 70,000 people from around the world will see.
  3. Development of a Traditional Plants Database to help the community collect and store invaluable traditional ecological knowledge for future land-use decisions.
  4. Creation of a Local Early Action Plan to determine the most pressing threats to the community in context of climate change and early traditional and new actions that can be taken to adapt.

This initiative led to meaningful change and inspired the community to engage in Phase II – from planning to implementation

Other Initiatives



Restoration of Kainai Native Grassland and Traditional Plant Populations
IPCC Cities Conference Indigenous & Scientific Knowledge on Adaptation Session
Co-Creating Climate Learning Journeys (C3LJ)
Fire & Ice – The Art of Climate Change Engagement Series