Building a Nation-Led Framework to Safeguard Traditional Knowledge
PROJECT MANAGEMENT ESSENTIALS TRAINING, 2024
WHO THEY ARE
The Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation (ACFN) is a Denésuliné Nation based in Fort Chipewyan, Alberta—Treaty 8 signatories whose homeland spans Lake Athabasca and the Peace–Athabasca Delta, one of the world’s largest inland freshwater deltas within and adjacent to Wood Buffalo National Park, recognized internationally through UNESCO World Heritage and Ramsar designations.
Rooted in Denésuliné laws and values—centred on respect, reciprocity, and relationship—the Nation sustains identity and governance through language, story, and place. ACFN is actively revitalizing Denésuliné language and recording Elders’ oral histories, so teachings endure under ACFN care and control.
In a region navigating industrial pressures and ecological change, ACFN advances rights and stewardship through its Dené Lands & Resource Management Office and related initiatives—building internal capacity, safeguarding knowledge, and ensuring that cultural records are preserved, accessible, and used on ACFN terms.
WHAT THEY NEEDED
ACFN faced an existential risk: traditional knowledge was dispersed and inconsistently managed, with missing or corrupted files, no unified filing system or policies, and duplication that consumed senior staff time as external consultations sought information.
The Nation needed a community-defined roadmap under ACFN control—one that clarified what to protect, how to protect it, and who was responsible at each step. That required clear scope and policy foundations, culturally safe access and security rules, enabling systems and staff training, dedicated capacity to steward the work, and defined decision points with a credible timeline from planning to adoption.
The vision was a living system of knowledge stewardship under ACFN
control: a central, culturally safe home for records and teachings;
information safeguarded to reduce stress, avoid duplication, reduce costs; and evidence data (knowledge) easily accessible for everyday stewardship and consultation—to protect land, waters, wildlife, and
people—while upholding cultural integrity and legal responsibilities.
WHAT WE DID
We guided ACFN’s team to formalize the Traditional Knowledge Records & Archiving initiative into a comprehensive project plan, developing a Project Proposal that stated mandate and purpose, identified the specific problems to be solved (dispersed records, gaps in policy and access to information), and set explicit scope boundaries.
Kept decisions and roles explicit by adding a stakeholder analysis clarifying sponsors, decision rights, team engagement, and the communications path to Chief & Council, and by referencing simple decision points and approvals within the project.
Turned intent into a working plan by creating a summary Deliverables Breakdown Structure with a matching detailed breakdown—organizing the effort across grants and policy foundations, an authoritative TK asset list with digitization, enabling systems and training, partner and communications pathways, and project/change management—establishing one coherent delivery backbone to guide work from initiation through adoption.
Defined enabling capacity and systems—including a database frameworkand a staff data-manager role profile, to support implementation on ACFN terms.
RESULTS WE GOT
The Traditional Knowledge Records & Archiving initiative moved from a diffuse priority to a governed, decision-ready baseline—scope and boundaries were made explicit, the path from mobilisation to adoption was sequenced, and the project stood on Nation-led guardrails anchored in ACFN governance and cultural protocols.
Governance and coordination tightened. Sponsor roles and decision paths to Chief & Council were defined; team responsibilities and engagement were clarified; and dedicated capacity for data stewardship was specified, giving the Nation a clear line of accountability to carry the work forward.
ACFN was positioned to coordinate investment, implement policy and access controls, and treat information as a usable asset for stewardship and consultation, reducing duplication and staff time while preparing evidence to protect land, waters, wildlife, and people.
IN NUMBERS
1 TK Records/Archiving Project Established
A Nation-governed foundation with scope set, planning & implementation deliverables were sequenced, and sponsor to-Council decision gates defined.
10 Core Deliverables Sequenced Into One Pathway
Coordinating funding/policy development, asset inventory, digitization and systems, training & communications requirement defined
2-Year Delivery Timeline Set
A realistic pace to digitize documents, institute policy and access controls, and transfer to program.
