POLIS Affiliate Ira Provost of the Piikani Nation (Blackfoot Confederacy) in Southern Alberta shared the good news that a new Charter for Intergovernmental Affairs has been approved and adopted by the Piikani Nation. The Charter was originally inspired by biocultural ethics principles that POLIS co-director Kelly Bannister, Ira, and several other long-time colleagues collaborated on to articulate national ethical guidance for sharing knowledge across Indigenous and Western scientific knowledge systems.
POLIS Affiliate Ira Provost shares the news of the release of the Piikani Nation Charter with POLIS’ Kelly Bannister over Zoom.
The Charter is based in Piikanissini (The Piikani Way of Life) and has nine articles that honor and articulate Piikani belief system and values, guardian and stewardship relationships, Siksikai’powahsin (Blackfoot language), integrity of Piikani knowledge system, inherent rights, co-management and other fundamentals of being responsible to Piikani Ancestors, nation, and rights.
The primary goal of the Charter is to lay out the standards and prerequisites that the nation requires before establishing environmental, cultural or economic relationships for activities with Piikani on their ancestral territory. The Charter “affirms the complex and mandatory relationship the Piikani will continue to declare, govern and enjoy over their territory for eternity.” It sets a much-needed standard for external proponents from industry, government, and academe to adhere to, thereby honoring Piikani duty as stewards to uphold the integrity of Piikani knowledge systems, as well as articulating what is required to respect and protect Piikani knowledge systems to ensure they are thriving.
Ira Provost is manager for Piikani Nation Consultation, an intermediary between external proponents, such as industry and government, and the Piikani Nation, and Piikani Traditional Knowledge Services, a non-profit resource centre committed to the preservation and promotion of traditional knowledge and the culture of Piikani people.
The POLIS team congratulates Ira and the Piikani Nation on their significant and important governance work to facilitate meaningful relationships with proponents as part of land development on Piikani ancestral territory and to develop capacity for the protection of Piikani biocultural resources.
