{"id":6,"date":"2023-03-20T14:55:14","date_gmt":"2023-03-20T14:55:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/?page_id=6"},"modified":"2023-05-10T18:54:50","modified_gmt":"2023-05-10T18:54:50","slug":"home","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/","title":{"rendered":"Home"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Title Banner&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/PARKS-CANADA.-Grizzly-family..jpg&#8221; min_height=&#8221;736px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-1px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||29px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font=&#8221;|600|||||||&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;100px&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; text_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; text_text_shadow_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0.75)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">The Bear Dilemma<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;244.1px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|-22px|auto||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;49px&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; text_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; text_text_shadow_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0.91)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">By Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;235px||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;49px&#8221; text_line_height=&#8221;1.1em&#8221; min_height=&#8221;73.6px&#8221; animation_style=&#8221;fade&#8221; animation_delay=&#8221;3000ms&#8221; text_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; text_text_shadow_color=&#8221;rgba(0,0,0,0.74)&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">How storytelling impacts bear conservation <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strategies in the Rocky Mountains<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Introduction&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#fdfdf6&#8243; min_height=&#8221;164px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||7px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;11px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||14px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGrizzly Family.\u201d A grizzly bear sow and two cubs walk in a row. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;184.6px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-5px|||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;21px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614276&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=true&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/bear-stories-introduction\" title=\"Bear Stories Introduction\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Bear Stories Introduction<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When Kevin Van Tighem was working at Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta in the 1980s, he spent most of his time as a wildlife biologist being afraid of running into a bear while out on the job.<\/span><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI went up a tree one time to get away from the grizzly bear that was probably fleeing from me at the same time! We both reacted the way that we were supposed to react \u2013 fear,\u201d Van Tighem, now retired, said in May 2022 while sitting on the deck of his cabin near Pincher Creek, Alta.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fear \u2013 and fear of bears \u2013 is what makes us human, Van Tighem said. It makes us smart enough to find solutions to our problems. But this fear has also created a new problem in the hierarchy of nature, where our fear has made us too smart, too powerful.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Technological advances have allowed us to influence nature and have outstripped our natural instincts, changing our relationship balance with bears, Van Tighem said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf we then use those solutions out of fear, we become dangerous, and so we are now smart enough to wipe bears off the face of the planet and if we allow ourselves to still think of ourselves as fearful, vulnerable animals, we might very well do that,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The stories we tell about bears continue to impact how we manage our relationships with them. Bear conservation and management policies within Parks Canada have been evolving over the last 50 years. Central to these changes in policy have been changing ideologies surrounding bears, moving beyond the \u201cfed bear is a dead bear\u201d mentality to a focus on coexistence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In recent years, the federal government and Parks Canada publicly expressed their commitment to partnering with Indigenous people in conservation efforts, and many parks across Canada have taken steps to incorporate Indigenous people and knowledge into their policies and frameworks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Mike Bruised Head, a Blackfoot Elder from the Kainai Blood Tribe, Indigenous knowledge on conservation and the environment is inherent. \u201cThose animals are our way of life through ceremony, through song. All those animals are inside as our spirit,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Amongst the Indigenous people of southern Alberta, traditional ecological knowledge around grizzly bears is centred on deep respect as well as their cultural and spiritual significance. The value of this knowledge in conservation is just beginning to be understood by western scientists, who are now just starting to lay the groundwork for the inclusion of this knowledge within the parks.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Waterton Lakes National Park at the edge of southwest Alberta has been incorporating Indigenous people and their perspectives and knowledge in a variety of projects throughout the park. Through the inclusion of Indigenous language and cultural awareness from its visitor centre to an all-Indigenous wildlife guardians team, Waterton Lakes has placed itself in a position to potentially be a nation-wide leader in the inclusion of traditional ecological knowledge in wildlife conservation and management. <\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_enable_color=&#8221;off&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;11px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||19px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><strong style=\"font-size: 30px;\">Bear stories of the West<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our experiences with bears are as individual as the people who encounter them. Throughout the piece, explore the stories of bear encounters experienced by some of the people who contributed to this story.<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h1><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;173.6px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-2px|||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614237&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/kevin-vantighems-story\" title=\"Kevin VanTighem's Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Kevin VanTighem&#8217;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kevin&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/IMG_1650-scaled.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Kevin Van Tighem&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Kevin Van Tighem&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-15px||1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-3px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||5px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kevin Van Tighem is a retired Parks Canada biologist for Waterton Lakes National Park. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;About Waterton Lakes National Park&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#48845a&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_slider use_text_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;40px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221;Welcome to Waterton Lakes National Park&#8221; use_bg_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;51px&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/A2FB2473-7501-41B9-97AE-31C66A65194A_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; child_mix_blend_mode=&#8221;darken&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221;About three hours southwest of Calgary, where the prairies meet the Rocky Mountains, lies Waterton Lakes National Park. Roughly 505 square kilometres, Waterton consists of glacial lakes, large forests, natural grasslands and waterfalls. &#8221; use_bg_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_level=&#8221;h2&#8243; header_font_size=&#8221;40px&#8221; body_font_size=&#8221;20px&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/A2FB2473-7501-41B9-97AE-31C66A65194A_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221; In 1895 Waterton was federally protected as a unique forest park through an Order of Council and was officially given national park status in 1930 through the National Parks Act.&#8221; use_bg_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; text_border_radius=&#8221;0px&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; header_font_size=&#8221;41px&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/43EB6228-4417-4960-B773-5AA85E565416_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; header_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221;After Banff, Glacier and Yoho, Waterton Lakes is the fourth oldest national park in Canada. It has also been an international peace park connected across the border to Glacier National Park in the United States since 1932. &#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/43EB6228-4417-4960-B773-5AA85E565416_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221;The vast landscape that encompasses and surrounds Waterton is especially unique to Alberta. &#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/IMG_1720-scaled.jpg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221;Small communities surrounded by both public and private ranch and farmlands are outside the park. The area as a whole plays host to a variety of wildlife.&#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/IMG_1720-scaled.jpg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221;The Waterton biosphere is home to over 300 different species of birds, fish, reptiles and amphibians and mammals, boasting large carnivores like coyotes, wolves, cougars and bears.&#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/BB2D9C16-D638-4707-8A2E-9D9733C38661_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide heading=&#8221;Learn more about Waterton Lakes by exploring the images below.&#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;on&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/BB2D9C16-D638-4707-8A2E-9D9733C38661_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;][\/et_pb_slide][\/et_pb_slider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_gallery gallery_ids=&#8221;15,34,16,44,75,40,42,58&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; width=&#8221;100%&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; caption_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset1&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_gallery][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Chapter 1: The bear necessities&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#fdfdf6&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||3px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;26px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><strong>The bear necessities<\/strong><\/h1>\n<h2><\/h2>\n<h2>Grizzly or black bear? The science of grizzly bears<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While many may think they know the difference between a grizzly and a black bear based on colour and size, they might be sorely mistaken. Both grizzly and black bears come in a variety of colours ranging from light brown (or even white like the Kermode bear, known commonly as the \u201cspirit bear\u201d) to blackest black.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What primarily distinguishes grizzly bears is their long claws and shoulder hump for digging in the ground and their dish shaped head and rounded ears. These features have a lot to do with how grizzly bears evolved to survive in their traditional habitat.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGrizzly bears actually evolved to live in open habitat, not forest. We keep thinking about them being a forested animal, but they&#8217;re actually not. They were in the prairies and digging,\u201d said biologist Karine Pigeon, whose research focuses on grizzly bear stewardship and ecology and their relationship to climate change.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There is a general debate amongst experts on whether grizzly bears should be considered a keystone species or an umbrella species. A keystone species defines an entire ecosystem, having a disproportionate effect on helping to determine a healthy landscape. An umbrella species\u2019 impact, on the other hand, is more specific to the other species that are dependent on it. Most agree that as an umbrella species, protecting grizzly bears as the top carnivore on the food chain has a trickle-down effect for all other species in their large habitat ranges.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, \u201cthe world doesn&#8217;t fall apart if you take a grizzly bear out of the system,\u201d said Andrea Morehouse, an independent scientist and consultant in the Waterton Biosphere Reserve.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grizzly bears have a traditional habitat ranging from the coasts of British Columbia to the mountain meadows of British Columbia and Alberta all the way to Manitoba. Over time, grizzlies have been forced into smaller, less favourable habitats within more forested mountain areas because of human action against them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt&#8217;s not that they were pushed into the mountains. You can look at it that way, or you could also look at it as all of the prairie populations were driven to extirpation, because we over hunted them and killed them all, and the only populations that are left are the ones in the mountains,\u201d said Sarah Elmeligi, a conservation biologist, landscape planner and consultant.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;769.1px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|-29px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||21px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/PARKS-CANADA.-Grizzly-on-hind-legs..jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;A grizzly bear stands on its hind legs in a forest.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;PARKS CANADA. Grizzly on hind legs.&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;3px||2px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||35px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGrizzly on hind legs.\u201d Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/GBS-2016_3573-scaled.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Gordon Stenhouse works to collar a grizzly bear while under a tranquilizer.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Gordon Stenhouse Working&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gordon Stenhouse works for Alberta Environment and Parks to collar a grizzly bear while under a tranquilizer. Photo by John Saunders.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|||-12px||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;1px||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It was legal to hunt grizzly bears in Alberta until 2006 when the sport hunting ban came into effect. Then in 2010, a group of activists called the grizzly bear coalition, which included the Endangered Species Conservation Committee, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Alberta Wilderness Society and Sierra Club, were successful in getting grizzly bears recognized as threatened species in the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alberta Wildlife Act<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Elmeligi, who was part of the coalition, said this is one of the biggest conservation successes of her 15-year career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat was a big one, for sure, and that really enabled grizzly bears to have a recovery plan and it&#8217;s also very effective in generating public awareness around the status of a species,\u201d Elmeligi said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gordon Stenhouse has spent 23 years conducting grizzly bear research in Alberta. He served as a chairman on the Alberta grizzly recovery team that put the first grizzly bear plan into effect in 2008. The plan looked at managing and reducing open road density through bear habitats and raising public awareness on the differences between grizzlies and black bears, the latter of which are still legal to hunt in the province.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The recovery plan is reviewed every five years. The latest recovery plan from 2020 uses the most recent data on grizzly bear population numbers in Alberta from that year. Morehouse and Stenhouse have both done extensive work with the province\u2019s seven bear management areas, or BMAs, which differentiate and group grizzly bears by their genetic sequences based on hair samples. Morehouse said along with genetic makeup, the bears of each BMA are separated by major highways, which serve as impediments to bear movement.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;26px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;224.4px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;1px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The baseline numbers for the BMAs were established between 2004 and 2008. They were recently all measured or remeasured between 2012 and 2020. The problem with the BMAs, Morehouse said, is that two areas did not have initial measurements done, and different methods were used to measure each of the seven areas. This makes it difficult to determine whether certain areas are having increases in grizzly bear populations and makes it difficult to compare each area with one another over time.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Despite this, the province\u2019s BMAs have shown stable or increasing numbers of grizzly bears. BMA six, known as \u201cCastle,\u201d encompasses the Waterton biosphere and has shown stable and potentially increasing numbers of grizzly bears since 2008. <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first recovery plan in 2008 listed the grizzly bear population across Alberta at less than 700. According to the Alberta Wilderness Association, a 2021 survey counted between 856 and 973 bears in the province.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-18px|auto||auto||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||11px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Sarah&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/1B7FC217-F245-4CC9-A5B7-C4EB39F2915B_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Sarah Elmeligi&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Sarah Elmeligi&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-22px||12px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sarah Elmeligi is a conservation biologist in Canmore Alta. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614216&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/sarah-elmeligis-story\" title=\"Sarah Elmeligi&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Sarah Elmeligi&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||9px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Gordon&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/Stenhouse-scaled.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Gordon Stenhouse&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Stenhouse&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-25px||14px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Gordon Stenhouse is a grizzly bear research scientist at the Foothill Research Institute. Photo by Paul Stenhouse.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614264&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/gordon-stenhouses-story\" title=\"Gordon Stenhouse&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Gordon Stenhouse&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;9px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Western conceptions and the role of the media<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grizzly bears have large home ranges of over 300 square kilometres, Elmeligi said. And yet, grizzlies are not territorial by nature. Grizzly bears can share overlapping home ranges with other grizzlies and with black bears, which has allowed the two species to coexist as grizzlies were pushed into the forested areas where black bears had traditionally evolved.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey have their own home ranges. They&#8217;ll be territorial on a food resource, but it\u2019s not like a wolf that defends its territory,\u201d Morehouse said. \u201cThey overlap in terms of the resources that they&#8217;re using, but they do have different niches.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px|auto|-19px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||29px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The assumption that grizzly bears are more dangerous than black bears is also not necessarily true. \u201cBlack bears certainly can be very dangerous themselves, but I think people are, in general, more nervous about seeing a grizzly bear than they are a black bear,\u201d Morehouse said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, the misconception of grizzly bears as territorial man killers has been a media stereotype since the arrival of settlers in North America. Biologist Kevin Van Tighem credits the beginning of the violent grizzly bear myth to the expeditions of Lewis and Clark in the American northwest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey were travelling with muskets, and every bear they saw they shot at, and so they wounded a bunch of bears and, for some reason, those bears then became aggressive,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe story of what bears were was actually a story about how we interacted with bears. We made bears dangerous. We made the dangerous story, and then we just kept reinforcing it, because once we were scared of bears, once we saw them as dangerous, potential predators, everybody shot with the first sight and that really started to reduce their population.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elmeligi said grizzlies are either portrayed as violent killers or soft cuddly bears from a Disney film. \u201cEvery single person, probably, in North America has relationships with grizzly bears, even if they&#8217;ve never seen a grizzly bear live,\u201d she said. \u201cThere&#8217;s all kinds of preconceived notions that we bring forward to how we expect bears to behave on the landscape, and a lot of that does not come from instances of actually seeing grizzly bears on the landscape.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Elmeligi said that movies, billboards and even newspaper articles promote the storyline of grizzly bears attacking and killing unknowing visitors who walk in the woods. \u201cThere&#8217;s never a newspaper article of eight people saw a bear in Kananaskis today and nothing happened,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/PARKS-CANADA.-Grizzly-2..jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;A grizzly on the side of a rocky mountain.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;PARKS CANADA. Grizzly 2.&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-4px||1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||33px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGrizzly,\u201d a grizzly on the side of a rocky mountain. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/9B954C1D-AA7E-488E-A7A6-5AB9383F7EB5_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Faux bear claws sold at a gift shop in Waterton Lakes National Park.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Faux Bear Claws&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-21px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Western media culture has depicted grizzly bears as dangerous and deadly. This stereotyping continues in many aspects of today\u2019s commercial culture, such as these faux bear claws sold at a gift shop in Waterton Lakes National Park. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;101.2px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;7px|auto|8px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;1px||8px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;189.8px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;10px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While there is a purpose in warning the public of the dangers of bears, Elmeligi said those stories do not always promote the truth.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe way more common encounter with bears is person saw bear, bear saw person, bear left, or bear continued about its business, and nothing happened. But that doesn&#8217;t really make for good storytelling.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But beyond this storyline, Elmeligi said bears also symbolize the idea of the untamed wilderness and are a huge draw for tourists in the national and provincial parks. \u201cIf I see a bear, it is symbolic that I have experienced or I&#8217;ve seen true wilderness,\u201d she said. \u201cWe put a ton of assumptions and preconceived notions on these animals that are really just trying to live their life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cReally, that bear is just trying to be a bear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Chapter 2:  Traditional ecological knowledge and the grizzly bear&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#fdfdf6&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-7px|||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||3px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;18px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;8px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Traditional Ecological Knowledge and the grizzly bear<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bears have a spiritual and cultural significance in many Indigenous cultures across what is often called Turtle Island. Having lived among bears longer than any settlers on these lands, Indigenous people have their own stories and relationships with them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Blackfoot people of the Treaty 7 traditional territory are no different. The Blackfoot Confederacy, consisting of the Kainai, Piikani and Siksika nations as well as the Blackfeet Nation south of the border, are the traditional stewards of the land that today is southwest Alberta.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mike Bruised Head is a member of the Kainai Blood Tribe, bordering Montana in the south and the Rocky Mountains through Waterton Lakes National Park in the west. An Elder and educator, Bruised Head has a depth of knowledge when it comes to traditional Blackfoot stories, including those of the grizzly bear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pa\u2019ks\u00edkoyi <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">is the Blackfoot name for the grizzly bear, a name the grizzly himself told man to call him by. Sometimes translated in English as \u201cgreasy mouth,\u201d Bruised Head said<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Pa\u2019ks\u00edkoyi <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">refers to the layer of moisture and saliva that rests between the grizzly\u2019s lips.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-12px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;6px||72px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-6px||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Mike&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/EC1C45BB-7A22-432D-9F88-9CC94E4E9694_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Mike Bruised Head&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Mike Bruised Head&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;335.9px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||4px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||25px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mike Bruised Head is a Blackfoot Elder from the Kainai Blood Tribe and a board member of the Waterton Biosphere Reserve. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;207.6px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-1px||6px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;18px||9px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614228&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/mike-bruisedheads-story\" title=\"Mike BruisedHead's Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Mike BruisedHead&#8217;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;162px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;2px||-3px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;27px||2px|||&#8221; border_style_all=&#8221;none&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bruised Head refers to the grizzly bear as a cultural keystone species, because of its importance to Blackfoot medicine bundles and societies, as well as its cultural significance in many Indigenous nations across Turtle Island.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen you gather all these different tribes, groups, and you concentrate on the grizzly, there\u2019s just something about the bear, the grizzly bear, there&#8217;s something very powerful even though we speak other languages,\u201d Bruised Head said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat&#8217;s how much we respect, we take that icon, that cultural importance of the bear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;588.1px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;5px||20px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Evidence of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pa\u2019ks\u00edkoyi <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">having lived as a prairie animal is seen in the Blackfoot names that honour the bear, many of which exist as surnames for many Blackfoot people today, Bruised Head said. He is a descendant of Holy Bear Woman.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bruised Head said after the signing of Treaty 7 in 1877, the push of settlers into the west by railroad and the forced move of the Blackfoot people to reserves in the 1880s, Blackfoot people were forced to hunt bears to survive. Then as residential schools enforced assimilation into western Christian culture, many forgot the bears\u2019 cultural and spiritual significance.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe whole thing disrupted our way of life, our freedom,\u201d Bruised Head said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe stories that come with the mountains, the bears, clawed animals, the split-hoofed \u2013 we were taken out of there and slowly there was a separation, a spiritual separation, where back then we got to see all these animals daily and now we see them in parks, and we\u2019re foreigners to our own mountain lands.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today, there are many who practice traditional Blackfoot culture and traditions. For those who respect the grizzly bear, Bruised Head said,<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Pa\u2019ks\u00edkoyi<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> will appear to them in a dream as a message or a gift. The thunder medicine pipe bundle is still opened after the first thunder in the spring, which honours the original story of the grizzly bear.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/884F764D-3542-4450-B8CE-BB6D807B75CB_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Mike Bruised Head looks out onto the Oldman River with his two dogs from his home on the Blood Reserve.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Mike Bruised Head and Dogs&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;310.9px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;5px||0px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mike Bruised Head looks out onto the Oldman River with his two dogs from his home on the Blood Reserve. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#48845a&#8221; min_height=&#8221;757.8px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||5px|||&#8221; border_style_all=&#8221;dotted&#8221; box_shadow_style=&#8221;preset5&#8243; box_shadow_vertical=&#8221;0px&#8221; box_shadow_spread=&#8221;56px&#8221; box_shadow_color=&#8221;#48845a&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; header_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; background_layout=&#8221;dark&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Mike Bruised Head tells the story of the grizzly bear<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My mother and I drove through the Kainai Blood Reserve on a cloudy May afternoon last spring to meet with Bruised Head at his home. A cattle rancher, his land overlooks the deep coulees and natural prairie grass with the Oldman River just off in the distance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">My mother accompanied me based on a traditional protocol to be a witness to the stories Bruised Head had planned to share with me. My mother is also a fluent Blackfoot speaker and I had hoped she might serve as a necessary interpreter.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Following another protocol, I presented Bruised Head with a gift of sweetgrass and an honorarium, part of a tradition of respect and recognition of the knowledge he as an Elder was sharing with me.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_video src=&#8221;https:\/\/youtu.be\/UysBvtkdA8Q&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;30px||6px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_video][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_text_color=&#8221;#FFFFFF&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Mike Bruised Head tells traditional grizzly bear story in Blackfoot. Video recorded by Joy SpearChief-Morris. Blackfoot translation courtesy of Wilma Spear Chief<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-13px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;24px||5px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;77px||-8px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>The healing power of bears<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alongside the Blackfoot people, southern Alberta is also traditionally home to the Tsuut\u2019ina Nation, Stoney Nakoda Nations and M\u00e9tis settlements. Each have their own cultural connections with the grizzly bear.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">M\u00e9tis herbalist and sash weaver Kalyn Kodiak has learned about the use of local bear medicines from her great-great-grandmother, Marie Rose Delorme Smith. Located in Calgary, her family comes from the Whitehorse Plains in Manitoba and moved to Pincher Creek in the Crowsnest Pass in southern Alberta in the 1880s to start a cattle ranch.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Before learning about bear medicines, Kodiak had dreams about being chased by a grizzly bear, picked up by the scruff and dragged to a lodge of healers. Although she kept trying to run away and hide, the bear always found her and dragged her to where he wanted.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was my first dream that really spoke to me, and I think it was a dream about not hiding from what I&#8217;m supposed to do and who I&#8217;m supposed to be,\u201d Kodiak said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|7px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||5px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||13px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kalyn&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/436EEC7D-EBD7-4072-AE9C-0A28F52C739A_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Kalyn Kodiak stands in front of wall filled with herbs and natural medicines.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Kalyn Kodiak Hebalist&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-24px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">M\u00e9tis herbalist and sash weaver Kalyn Kodiak has a close cultural connection to bears. She uses traditional bear knowledge and medicines in her healing practices. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-22px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614249&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/kalyn-kodiaks-story\" title=\"Kalyn Kodiak&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Kalyn Kodiak&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kodiak shared her knowledge of bear roots, a powerful medicine which shares many commonalities to other bear medicines. \u201cThey boost your immune system a lot of time and give you strength. They help to defend you, protect you,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brown, oily and fuzzy when fresh with a strong stinky smell that resembles celery, bear root can be chopped up and served as a black tea. Part of the Umbellifer family of plants, bear root can be distinguished on the surface by their upside down umbrella shape with clusters of white flowers. They are commonly found along lakes and streams.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kodiak said bear medicine is an emotional medicine. Like bears themselves, bear medicines such as dandelion, carrot and burdock offer not only spiritual protection but also physical protection against disease and viruses. They can even help cleanse the body of certain poisons.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kodiak said the M\u00e9tis learned about these medicines by watching bears (they do not distinguish between black bears and grizzly bears in their stories), what they ate and didn\u2019t eat, and even how they used certain herbs on themselves. Along with medicine and healing, Kodiak said the M\u00e9tis learned how to raise their families as attentive parents from bears.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFamily and community are huge values for the M\u00e9tis and the bears. The bears taught us how to be good family members to each other,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;25px||35px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-15px||-12px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kodiak said bears are associated with not just healing but also courage and protection. Those who are recognized for sharing these bear traits would often hold the role of protectors within the community.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThey can also be really fierce warriors, if that&#8217;s what they choose to do, and if they feel like they&#8217;re called to do,\u201d she said, adding those with bear traits are often water protectors as well as protectors of cultural knowledge.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||2px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, this respect for bears did not mean the M\u00e9tis avoided hunting them. Bears that were hunted for food were not necessarily sacred, Kodiak said. Bear hunts were a common practice for the M\u00e9tis and all of the bear would be used, from the meat and fat to the hide and claws for cultural and medicinal purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cDepending on your M\u00e9tis community, you might pray to the bear for healing, or for strength or courage,\u201d Kodiak said of bear hunts. \u201cI know that men sometimes ate bear meats for strength and for virility as well.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While her own closeness to bears means Kodiak would not eat bear meat, she has facilitated a biannual bear harvest in Calgary since 2019 with the help of a M\u00e9tis Elder Wil Campbell and Cree knowledge holder Shane Maurice using bears that have died\u00a0 through various accidents in the parks. She\u2019s made sure to involve local youth to make sure these bear teachings continue to be passed onto the next generation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/288FCF7A-AA37-4500-A485-1407CDCFA9AE_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;A collection of medicines provided by Kalyn Kodiak including a jar of bear root, white sage and a bag of tobacco.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Bear Medicines&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-2px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A collection of medicines provided by Kalyn Kodiak including a jar of bear root, white sage and a bag of tobacco. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Chapter 3: Parks Canada\u2019s bear management policy &#8211; then and now&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#fdfdf6&#8243; custom_margin=&#8221;-9px|||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;7px||6px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;7px|auto|-14px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;7px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;16px||-9px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Parks Canada\u2019s bear management policy &#8211; then and now<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The ongoing perception of bears as mankillers has had an impact on Parks Canada\u2019s own bear management philosophy and policies. Van Tighem worked with Parks Canada, mainly in Waterton Lakes and Jasper, for about 34 years and retired as a superintendent of Banff National Park in 2011.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Van Tighem said when he started with Parks Canada in the 1970s, grizzly bears were valued higher than black bears. Black bears that might wander into town and cause trouble were often shot on sight. Grizzlies would be given a second chance, but upon that second chance, might still be given a death sentence out of the perception of \u201chuman safety.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA good bear is a bear that stays out of trouble. A bad bear is a bear that hangs around where people are, usually just because of food, and you got to get rid of the bad bears,\u201d Van Tighem said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alex Taylor worked in Parks Canada seasonally for almost 30 years. Starting at the age of 20 killing weeds, he worked his way to the fire department and finally as a human-wildlife conflict specialist throughout Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay and Banff, retiring from Parks Canada in 2018. He now works as a conservation and wildlife specialist in his own drone company.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In his time working at Parks Canada, Taylor saw the wildlife management sector evolve from the \u201cproblem wildlife\u201d sector to \u201chuman wildlife conflict,\u201d and finally to \u201chuman wildlife conflict and coexistence\u201d in 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The changing of the name of the department matters, as does the terminology of \u201cproblem bear,\u201d said Dan Rafla, a human-wildlife co-existence specialist in Banff National Park.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cAt the heart of it though, the words do matter. But at the same time, the intent probably of the last generation or so was people really worked hard because they cared so much about wildlife \u2013 people who worked here, whatever their title was \u2013 to coexist,\u201d Rafla said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||8px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/ALEX-PORTRAIT.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Alex Taylor&#8221; title_text=&#8221;ALEX-PORTRAIT&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||2px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alex Taylor, an independent conservation and wildlife specialist, retired as a Human-Wildlife Conflict throughout Lake Louise, Yoho, Kootenay and Banff National Parks in 2018. Photo by Lee Narraway.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the 1960s and \u201970s, tourism in the national parks began to grow more steadily, creating a modern dynamic of people and wildlife having to be managed, as more people fed wildlife and wildlife attacks increased, Taylor said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 1978, following in the footsteps of Yellowstone National Park in the United States, Jasper National Park closed its open garbage dump, which had been a huge attraction for wildlife seeking easy meals in town. Many other Canadian parks soon followed their lead.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Van Tighem, who was working as a biologist within the Canadian Wildlife Service in the park at the time, saw a notice in the park warden\u2019s office one day saying any black bears in town were to be killed on sight.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was because they closed the dump, and they just assumed all the dump bears are going to go into town and attack the kids,\u201d he said. The directive was met with local complaints and was soon ended, but not before 36 black bears had been killed that year, Van Tighem said. Grizzlies would be trapped and hauled away.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the following decade,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the parks began to use bear-proof garbage bins in Banff, Lake Louise and Waterton to help eliminate the undesirable food source. \u201cThat was sort of the start of the evolution of that thinking that it wasn&#8217;t always the wildlife that was the problem, that there is a human element to all these issues,\u201d Taylor said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;14px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, the next generation of wildlife specialists wanted to change the management of bears and wildlife with a focus on conservation. The main drivers of the bear management policies came from the regional and national offices for Parks Canada, as is done today.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Van Tighem said there were three things that helped change how bears were managed over the course of his career. The first was work done by Parks Canada to get ahead of reducing conflict issues with visitors, such as closing down the garbage dumps.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSuddenly, you weren&#8217;t dealing all the time with garbage habituated, food habituated bears, and it allows you to think about bears differently if you remove that reactive dimension out of management,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The second was a combination of work done by cinematographer Bill Schmalz and naturalist Charlie Russell.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Schmalz\u2019s 1978 movie, <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bears and Man<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, was commissioned by Parks Canada to educate the public on bears and keep bears from getting into trouble with people and being killed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-15px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a naturalist who studied grizzly bears, Russell was a defender of the mentality that bears were not unpredictable and only dangerous when people made them so. Known as a man who befriended and even lived with bears, the bulk of his public work and writing appeared in the 1990s and early 2000s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cHe moved away from objectifying bears and more towards subjectifying them. He knew bears as individuals, and he knew bears as equals,\u201d Van Tighem said. He once got Russell to do a workshop in Waterton for staff and the park warden, who did not agree with Russell\u2019s ideology about the relationship between bears and humans.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The last factor, Van Tighem said, was the end of the bear hunt in 2006, which allowed the grizzly population to recover, while removing \u201ca fear factor from the relationship between bears and us.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/Parks-Canada.-Grizzly-bear-traversing-around-the-wildlife-fence-along-the-Trans-Canada-Highway..jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Grizzly bear traversing around the wildlife fence along the Trans-Canada Highway.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Parks Canada. Grizzly bear traversing around the wildlife fence along the Trans-Canada Highway.&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cGrizzly bear traversing around the wildlife fence along the Trans-Canada Highway.\u201d Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-9px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt was like turning the kaleidoscope, a bunch of things fell into a different perspective, and it started to create this possibility that we could think about bears differently,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Van Tighem\u2019s own ideology evolved over time. He can now say he likes spending time with bears and is so comfortable he authored the 2013 book<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bears Without Fear, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">which examines humans\u2019 relationships and attitudes towards bears<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI understand that an encounter with a bear is not intrinsically a dangerous encounter, it\u2019s just an encounter with a bear, which is a gift,\u201d Van Tighem said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cMy relationship with bears has reached the point where I actually prefer their company than the company of humans, to be honest!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Parks Canada and bears today<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Today Banff is home to about 60 grizzly bears, with another 20 or 30 in Yoho, Rafla said. Waterton-Glacier and their surrounding regions are home to about 30 grizzlies.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Human-wildlife coexistence specialists in the different parks work to manage wildlife populations and visitors to \u201cmaintain a level of coexistence, keep animals alive and acting appropriately\u201d while also managing humans to \u201cachieve coexistence,\u201d Rafla said. They also work to manage the ecosystems of each park repository.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taylor said human-wildlife conflict specialists act as park wardens, keeping the peace between wildlife and visitors. They are trained to deal with wildlife emergencies from an animal being hit by a car to an attack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe wildlife is constantly coming across people and having to navigate through that, and the dynamic is further complicated by the fact that the people want to see the wildlife and get really excited when they see that,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe&#8217;re there to sort of keep the peace, try and manage people first, and let the wildlife do things naturally, but it&#8217;s not always easy.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/ALEX-BEAR.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Alex Taylor clears a bear jam while working for Parks Canada as a collared grizzly walks across the road in front of him.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;ALEX-BEAR&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alex Taylor clears a traffic jam or &#8220;bear jam&#8221; while working for Parks Canada as a collared grizzly walks across the road in front of him. Photo by Brian Spreadbury.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||6px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-15px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rafla said a lot of new information on what bears need has come to light in the last 30 years. Translocating bears, for example, used to be seen as a disaster or a death wish, as it would involve moving a bear into an unfamiliar territory where it would have to fight to survive. However, a 2022 study by Stenhouse involving radio collaring bears showed that in comparison to \u201cresident\u201d bears, translocated bears who were moved to a new BMA showed a 75 per cent success rate.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Previously, wildlife experts assumed translocated bears would become repeat offenders in their new area and be more dangerous, but Stenhouse\u2019s study found that translocated bears were more preoccupied with adapting to their new environment, in fact choosing less favourable habitats than the resident bears.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;5px||8px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;8px||11px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Dan&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/IMG_3281.jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Dan Rafla&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Dan Rafla&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;9px||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||10px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Dan Rafla is the human-wildlife co-existence specialist at Banff National Park. Photo by Brandy Dahrouge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614270&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/dan-raflas-story\" title=\"Dan Rafla&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Dan Rafla&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;2px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are four main steps used in managing bears throughout all of Canada\u2019s national parks. Resource availability might vary between parks, but the philosophy across Parks Canada stays the same, Rafla said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a bear exhibits undesirable behaviour, such as wandering into a town, campsite or area where it could prove a danger to humans, the first step a wildlife specialist might take is to use what are called \u201chazing tools,\u201d to \u201cregain that weariness that bears have maybe towards people.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hazing techniques work on a continuum and often require assessing moments of opportunity and specific bears. These techniques could include using vehicle lights, sirens, horns and other noise stimuli, or using a chalk ball or paintball gun to hit or hit around the bear. Determining what tools are needed requires an understanding of each individual bear and what is needed for each situation.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At the high end of the continuum, shotguns using rubber bullets or beanbags could be used as a painful stimulus and a very effective tool when used cautiously. \u201cIt doesn&#8217;t hurt too much, but it&#8217;s something that&#8217;s uncomfortable,\u201d Ralfa said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When hazing does not appear to be working and a bear continues to exhibit the same behaviour, aversive conditioning might be used over time to change an animal\u2019s behaviour. Food conditioned bears require more conditioning than others, Rafla said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When hazing and aversive conditioning don\u2019t work, the specialists might consider relocations or translocations. Relocations move a bear within its home range, which could still account for over 185 square metres, Rafla said. A translocation physically moves a bear outside of its home range, but it is a tool that still rarely happens.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Terminating a bear, because it serves too great a risk to people\u2019s physical safety, is a last resort and seldom used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px||19px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;10px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Beyond wildlife management, Rafla said, human wildlife specialists look to address the root causes of conflicts. \u201cIt&#8217;s about looking at wildlife connectivity, wildlife movement, habitat security within these built-up areas.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Education serves as a major tool, and wildlife specialists use a lot of tools including social media and the Wildlife Guardians Program to ensure park visitors are educated on bear safety and how to proactively coexist.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe have the highest standard in which to try to coexist, to make a real effort to keep these animals on the landscape, and that is our expectation, and that is how we&#8217;ve managed over the last number of years,\u201d Rafla said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Chapter 4: Carnivores on the prairies&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#fdfdf6&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;5px||4px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-6px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;12px||6px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;42px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;3px|||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;1px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Carnivores on the prairies<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/57EDC987-4EFB-44BA-8EEB-FC2E738A57AE_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;A cow grazes on the foothills of the mountains in June, 2022.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Cow and the Mountain&#8221; admin_label=&#8221;Image&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-21px||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||15px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A cow grazes on the foothills of the mountains in June, 2022. Many ranchers in the Waterton biosphere have to manage grizzly bears hunting their cattle. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">About 50 kilometres east of Waterton Lakes National Park, just south of the Town of Cardston, is the family ranch belonging to Jeff Bectell. His family has ranched this land, raising cattle, for over 100 years since 1917. But what Bectell is most known for in the community is his role in decreasing conflicts between ranchers and grizzly bears.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell is the coordinator of the Carnivores and Communities Program with the Waterton Biosphere Reserve. With financial support from the Alberta provincial government, the program uses a variety of mitigation techniques \u2014 electric fences, deadstock boxes, bear-proofing grain bins and public education \u2014 to decrease the number conflicts with bears and create a sustainable future for wildlife and for the people whose livelihoods rely on the shared landscape.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Driving around Bectell\u2019s ranch, it\u2019s easy to see why the area is a bear paradise. His ranch lies at the edge of the Rocky Mountains boasting acres of natural grasslands, making a home to a variety of wildlife like sandhill cranes, hawks, hares and deer.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell\u2019s first bear sighting on his ranch was around 1993, when he saw two young grizzlies digging for gophers near a patch of willows. Before that, his family hadn\u2019t had any experience with grizzlies showing up on their land for as long as Bectell can tell through his family history.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe thought it&#8217;s maybe a bad berry year and these two bears just happened to wander down. I didn&#8217;t think, \u2018Oh, this is dangerous,\u2019 or, \u2018These bears are going to kill something,\u2019\u201d he said. \u201cBut I also thought it was a one-off. It&#8217;s not something that would become commonplace.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Yet, as more grizzlies started making their way onto other ranchers\u2019 property, more people began to reach out to Bectell with their complaints. Around this time, Bectell had been involved with local community meetings related to seismic activity and oil and gas impacts on landowners, and so he began to hear more about bear problems instead of seismic activity concerns.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Bear management in the province of Alberta.<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside of Waterton Lakes National Park, bears are managed on both public and private lands by Alberta Fish and Wildlife.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">According to John Paczkwoski, the human wildlife coexistence team lead for Alberta Environment and Parks in the Kananaskis region, the current mandate in the province is to \u201cconserve lands and the species that live there.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paczkwoski has over 30 years of experience in carnivore research, primarily bears, in Alberta and British Columbia. He said that grizzlies foraying out into ranch lands, their more historical habitat, is a high-risk, high-reward lifestyle for the bears. It also proves to be a \u201cfascinating next question for bear conservation,\u201d as there are no bear management resources in place east of the mountains into the foothills.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere are unsecured grain bins and there&#8217;s calving and there&#8217;s all sorts of these food sources, which are just heaven for the bear,\u201d Paczkwoski said.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBut they don&#8217;t realize that huge reward and protein, which is the currency of bears, can put them on the wrong side of management and they could get relocated or captured or even killed depending on what they&#8217;re doing.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alberta Fish and Wildlife will compensate ranchers whose cattle are killed by grizzly bears, black bears, wolves, cougars and eagles. A wildlife officer is able to confirm a grizzly bear killed the livestock using the \u201cbanana peel\u201d method a bear uses to eat their prey. A calf considered a \u201cconfirmed kill\u201d by a bear will receive full market value, while a \u201cno kill\u201d receives nothing.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When a wildlife officer cannot be 100 per cent sure if a calf was killed by a grizzly bear, it&#8217;s called a \u201cprobable kill.\u201d In that case, the rancher can receive half the market value of the livestock if another kill by what appears to be the same predator is found within three months and 10 kilometres from the original kill spot.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell said the reality is, it\u2019s sometimes hard to prove a bear killed a cow because of how little of the carcass might be left for the wildlife officer to assess.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 1995, Bectell said he experienced his first livestock kill by a grizzly bear. One of his calves received a \u201cprobable bear kill\u201d from fish and wildlife, but a week later his neighbour lost a calf to what was considered a \u201cprobable wolf kill.\u201d Neither rancher was compensated for their loss.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThere was some frustration in how it went \u2014 the compensation investigation \u2014 and just the bureaucracy of the program frustrated me a little bit,\u201d Bectell said.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt&#8217;s part of what launched me on to 10 or 15 years of involvement, is just trying to fix these things so they make a little more sense.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>The making of Carnivores and Communities<\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|12px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||16px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||4px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Jeff&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/6CA443B3-8BF7-4130-BB5E-71AB8281EC64_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Jeff Bectell&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Jeff Bectell&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||2px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||14px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeff Bectell, a rancher and the program coordinator for Carnivores and Communities, stands on his family ranch just outside Cardston, Alta. Bectell\u2019s family have ranched this land since 1917. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614261&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/jeff-bectels-story\" title=\"Jeff Bectel&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Jeff Bectel&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Around 2007, Bectell became involved in community meetings about how to manage local bear conflicts with ranchers. Many of these meetings featured angry community members and weren\u2019t leading to constructive outcomes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe decided if we were going to do a bear meeting it had to have some goal or some positive outcome, and so we worked really hard,\u201d Bectell said. \u201cWe got some other ranchers in the area and fish and wildlife officers in the county, and we tried to find out what other people were doing.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In January 2010 Alberta Fish and Wildlife representatives met with local community members in Cardston to discuss how to better manage grizzly bears in the area. They looked at what the nearby Blackfeet Reservation in Montana and in Twin Butte, Alta. had accomplished, such as creating a steel deadstock box collection process to keep dead livestock (\u201cdeadstock\u201d) away from predators.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A week later, Bectell received a call from fish and wildlife. The Alberta government wanted to give their ad-hoc community group $10,000 to mitigate bear conflicts. Around the same time, Bectell was becoming involved with the non-profit Waterton Biosphere Reserve, who offered to pay a rendering company to pick up carcasses from the deadstock boxes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-20px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;11px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2011, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve was asked by the Alberta government to take over a $240,000 grant that had previously been allotted to the municipalities of Pincher Creek and Cardston, as well as Ranchland and Willow Creek (which do not fall within the Waterton biosphere) to help manage bear conflicts over the course of three years.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThat&#8217;s how the Carnivores and Communities program congealed into what it is today,\u201d Bectell said.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a flagship program for the rest of the province, Carnivores and Communities has been successful in securing provincial funds each year as well as occasionally federal and other grant money.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Through the Carnivores and Communities program, the Waterton Biosphere Reserve provides a cost-share opportunity for ranchers who might need assistance with certain bear mitigation techniques, such as putting up electric fences or steel deadstock boxes.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<h2>\u201cShoot, shovel and shut up\u201d<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell feels empathy for ranchers who may wish to take matters into their own hands.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, it has been illegal to hunt grizzly bears in Alberta since 2006, unless it can be proved the bear was shot in self-defence. Shooting a grizzly bear can land the person responsible a fine of up to $100,000 and a potential appearance before a judge for poaching.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think we have a pretty strong enforcement program in Alberta,\u201d Paczkwoski said. \u201cI think it&#8217;s pretty easy to get caught with genetics and dash cams and the world watching nowadays.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">But Bectell warns against falling prey to the stereotype that ranchers are playing the \u201cshoot, shovel and shut up\u201d affair when it comes to grizzly bears on their land. \u201cMost ranchers do not hate grizzly bears. They just don&#8217;t like them to cause them problems,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">General thinking around grizzly bears is changing in the ranching community, Bectell said. \u201cThere was a lot of fear and a lot of anger, where now some people may be more like me and other people might say, you know what, I\u2019m stuck with the bears. I&#8217;m not happy about it, but they&#8217;re here. This is our reality now.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell attributes a lot of this changing mentality to the Carnivores and Communities program and fighting to ensure that ranchers are properly compensated for any lost livestock, which he has been lobbying the provincial government to improve.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIf all we do is kill problem bears, that&#8217;s not sustainable. If all we do is pay high compensation when your cattle are killed, but we don&#8217;t do anything to keep them from getting killed, that&#8217;s not sustainable,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBut when they all work together, we generate fewer problem bears, we have less conflict, we have to kill fewer bears, it&#8217;s a positive loop.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>The bear lover<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell has become synonymous with Carnivores and Communities, known as the rancher doing his part to save the grizzly bears from becoming the epitome of \u201cfed bear is a dead bear.\u201d Interestingly, Bectell does not see himself as a lover of bears.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe motivating factor for me getting involved in this was helping the people around me. It was not to help the bears. It was to help the people,\u201d Bectell said.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI&#8217;ve said it at meetings. \u2018Just putting it out there everybody. I&#8217;m not a bear lover. I&#8217;m not a bear hater. I&#8217;m just a rancher!\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;357.6px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-1px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;1px||5px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_slider use_bg_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; use_text_overlay=&#8221;off&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; width=&#8221;100%&#8221; min_height=&#8221;716.7px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|-13px|1px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;217px|1px|62px|20px||&#8221; body_text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset5&#8243; body_text_shadow_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; text_shadow_style=&#8221;preset5&#8243; text_shadow_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_slide _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/0CECFD35-E83E-407B-A8F4-191EFCC97F0F_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A view of Chief Mountain from Jeff Bectell\u2019s ranch lands consisting of acres natural prairie grass, a \u201cbear heaven.\u201d Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/90666559-A91D-463F-94CC-20E5435AD6BE_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Grizzly bears are strong enough to tear metal doors from grain bins to get inside. This door has been torn apart by a grizzly bear and was left discarded next to the reconstructed bear proof bin. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/2A9180BB-8E11-447E-9010-C3449BDB7530_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeff Bectell stands next to a grain bin that has been bear proofed through the Carnivores and Communities program. He holds up an old grain bin door that has been torn off by a grizzly bear. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/94BD7311-1986-4705-B169-A78679274385_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeff Bectell holds up a grain bin door that has been torn off by a grizzly bear. The Carnivores and Communities program helps ranchers who wish to decrease potential conflicts with grizzly bears. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/6778C922-991F-4CCF-93A6-D22CBBEDF402_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A close up of a grain bin door torn up by a grizzly bear. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_slide][et_pb_slide _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#000000&#8243; background_enable_color=&#8221;on&#8221; background_image=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/426A5F49-9BB0-4DFE-AA96-AD95C1A0E87B_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; background_enable_image=&#8221;on&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; sticky_transition=&#8221;on&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Jeff Bectell opens a steel deadstock box that ranchers use to store deadstock that is picked up and recycled through a collection program. \u201cIf you have livestock, you\u2019re going to have deadstock,\u201d he says. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_slide][\/et_pb_slider][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Chapter 5: Back to Waterton&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#fdfdf6&#8243; min_height=&#8221;4889.3px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px||1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|-14px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||8px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;14px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><b>Back to Waterton Lakes<\/b><\/h1>\n<h2><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connecting Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge in Alberta<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Connecting Indigenous knowledge to conservation efforts has become more important in the public discourse, particularly since the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission\u2019s 94 Calls to Action in 2015 and following the finding of unmarked graves of residential school children in 2021.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the Kainai Blood Tribe and Piikani First Nation reserves fall within the same area of southwest Alberta, they are not included within the Waterton biosphere. \u201cIt would be inappropriate for us to just say, \u2018you&#8217;re in the biosphere,\u2019\u201d Jeff Bectell said of their omission.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell said Carnivores and Communities has reached out numerous times to Kainai\u2019s chief and council, but at the time of publication they are not involved with the program. Mike Bruised Head is involved with the Waterton Biosphere Reserve as part of its board of directors, having also served as the chairman of the Kainai Ecosystem Protection Agency, or KEPA.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Bectell said he would be interested in seeing more cooperation between the Blackfoot community and Carnivores and Communities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI have done presentations for school groups from the reserve at their invitation about the program, we\u2019ve participated in their KEPA Summit,\u201d he said. \u201cWe certainly work together, but it still sort of continues to be two different worlds a bit and I would love to see it be a little more one.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|5px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||5px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Across the province of Alberta, John Paczkwoski said the government is moving forward in good faith with Indigenous nations when it comes to matters of conservation. \u201cWe&#8217;re trying to build these relationships and incorporate traditional knowledge, both supporting morally and through going after grants and financial support and engaging the time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2016, the Stoney Nakoda Nations in the Kananaskis Valley created a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/livingwtwildlife.ca\/assets\/pdf\/Stoney-Nakoda-Nations-Cultural-Assessment-for-the-Enhancing-grizzly-bear-management-programs-through-the-inclusion-of-cultural-monitoring-and-traditional-ecological-knowledge-2016.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">cultural assessment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on enhancing and expanding grizzly bear conservation and recovery efforts using traditional ecological knowledge. The assessment involved cultural monitoring in coordination with Alberta Parks and the Foothills Research Institute, interviewing Elders and conducting traditional bear ceremonies.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Currently, Alberta Parks is undertaking the second phase of the cultural assessment with the Stoney Nakoda, which is now federally funded. Phase 2 involves getting a broader perspective of the wildlife corridor, including a new wildlife overpass over the Trans-Canada Highway outside of Canmore.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paczkwoski, who was involved in the early stages, said the project involves building trust between the Stoney Nakoda and Alberta Parks, as well as an open exchange of information between the two groups.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI hope this is the beginning of a long-term relationship, and that we continue to build on these and support one another,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;50px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;6px||6px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>John&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/ABF09762-DF6D-4E07-A247-892FB85D0AFD_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of John Paczkwoski&#8221; title_text=&#8221;John Paczkwoski&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;357.9px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-24px||12px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">John Paczkwoski is the human-wildlife coexistence team lead for Alberta Environment and Parks. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;12px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614258&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/john-paczkwoskis-story\" title=\"John Paczkwoski's Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">John Paczkwoski&#8217;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-13px||-13px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cTrusting anyone \u2014 trusting anything \u2014 it&#8217;s a slow process but building that relationship around the natural world and the land is maybe a good place to start.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>The knowledge weaver<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Federally, Parks Canada has <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/parks.canada.ca\/culture\/autochtones-indigenous\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">stated<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> its commitment to recognizing and honouring \u201cthe historic and contemporary contributions of Indigenous peoples, their histories and cultures, as well as the special relationships Indigenous peoples have with ancestral lands, waters and ice.\u201d This, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/parks.canada.ca\/nature\/science\/autochtones-indigenous\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the government says,<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> includes Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge in conservation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Waterton Lakes National Park, Carleigh Grier-Stewart is the first person across all of Parks Canada to hold the role of knowledge weaver. Waterton Lakes\u2019s knowledge weaver is the newest position in the park responsible for integrating Indigenous knowledge into western knowledge in resource conservation.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The position is a result of Canada\u2019s Nature Legacy Initiative, announced in 2018 by the federal government to collaborate with Indigenous partners, stakeholders and other levels of government. The program\u2019s aim is to protect and conserve 25 per cent of biodiversity across Canada\u2019s land and oceans by 2025 and 30 per cent by 2030.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In 2021, the government invested an additional $2.3 billion across five years into the initiative. Funding allocated to Parks Canada falls under four pillars of work: Indigenous conservation; ecological integrity,<\/span> <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">species at risk and climate change; landscape-scale conservation; and knowledge development use and sharing.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|22px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||5px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/3600135B-F4AB-4D93-8B14-92B8DE70014C_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Carleigh Grier-Stewart&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Carleigh Grier-Stewart&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||7px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;24px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-3px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Carleigh Grier-Stewart is the first person within Parks Canada to hold the position of Knowledge Weaver. Her job is to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into western resource conservation. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;488.3px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-10px||-13px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;6px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A member of the Piikani First Nation, Grier-Stewart took on the role of knowledge weaver in 2021 after working as a wildlife guardian in 2019 and then as a public outreach education officer with the Indigenous liaison officer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Though the resource conservation team within Waterton, Grier-Stewart works with Elders, Knowledge Keepers and community members from Kainai and Piikani, their county land departments as well as KEPA to build relationships and offer support through the park, such as funding through the Nature Legacy Initiative.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grier-Stewart said the objective of her position is to eventually have Indigenous knowledge woven into each branch of the park, including conservation policies around bears, but the inclusion of this knowledge is currently minimal.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIndigenous people have coexisted with bears for many years and Parks Canada has a lot to learn from us, Indigenous people and our culture, and so I think it&#8217;s really important that Indigenous perspectives are being included and being brought to the table,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-15px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIt&#8217;s really important because this is our territory and our ancestors were able to coexist with bears, so I think it&#8217;s really important that we&#8217;re able to express that.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Grier-Stewart said the addition of her role to Waterton has been an eye-opener for a lot of its employees. \u201cI think that it&#8217;s impacted in a way that is more respectful in the relationship building process and just being very respectful and making sure that the relationships are meaningful and taking it slow and careful,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As an Indigenous woman, Grier-Stewart said it feels right to have Indigenous people working in the park and being able to share their perspectives on what goes on within it. \u201cThis is where we come from, for Blackfoot people, the Waterton area, or <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Paaht\u00f3mahksikimi,<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is where our creation stories come from.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBeing able to be here and being able to represent where we come from is really important and I&#8217;m really grateful to be here.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-18px|auto|-9px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;10px||5px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>Paaht\u00f3mahksikimi, the Inner Sacred Lake<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Outside of conservation, Marjie Crop Eared Wolf works as a liaison between the Kainai Blood Tribe and Waterton Lakes, in the Paaht\u00f3mahksikimi Cultural Centre.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Crop Eared Wolf\u2019s position developed through the creation of the new visitor centre for the park which opened in February 2022, after the previous visitor centre was destroyed in the 2017 Kenow Wildfire.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Waterton reached out to the Blackfoot Confederacy to invite them to contribute to the development of exhibits within the visitor centre to acknowledge the park\u2019s presence on traditional Blackfoot territory. Crop Eared Wolf\u2019s position developed out of a need for a liaison who would communicate this cultural knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBlood Tribe had a group of Elders and they were sharing knowledge about the place, and the way I understand it is a lot of information was being lost in that translation or that relationship between the two,\u201d Crop Eared Wolf said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cSo, I&#8217;d meet with Elders, gather that information and then relay it back to the people that were developing the exhibits and then that way we were able to include our stories.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|-17px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;||4px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-7px|||||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;11px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Much of the knowledge shared in these discussions resulted in the large array of Blackfoot language, stories and knowledge incorporated into the visitor centre. From the traditional Blackfoot names for plants and animals, trails, mountains and landscapes, to the inclusion of Blackfoot language heard through the speakers as you enter the centre and in the public bathroom.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An important piece of knowledge the Elders shared about Waterton, Crop Eared Wolf said, was its purpose as a place for trade. \u201cAll of that information came from the Elders sitting there with the map, they were able to indicate trade routes to different nations, then they actually provided the Blackfoot names that we have for those other nations,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Waterton was also a place of treaty between the Blackfoot people and the animal world.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An important distinction the Elders had to make was not every mountain or trail had a traditional name amongst the Blackfoot, because \u201cwe don&#8217;t give names to things that we don&#8217;t have a relationship to,\u201d Crop Eared Wolf said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This became important for the naming of trailheads and various species of the same animal. Crop Eared Wolf said the park would often ask for names of specific trails and animals for which the Blackfoot people didn\u2019t have a specific name for. Some of them did, she said, and some of them didn&#8217;t.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-12px||6px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Marjie&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/8B65642A-1CD3-4626-A546-80025C92D408_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Marjie Crop Eared Wolf&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Marjie Crop Eared Wolf&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||4px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||15px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marjie Crop Eared Wolf is the Kainai Blood Tribe Liaison, working in the Paaht\u00f3mahksikimi Cultural Centre at Waterton Lakes National Park. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-12px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614234&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/marjie-cropearedwolfs-story\" title=\"Marjie CropEaredWolf&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Marjie CropEaredWolf&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;20px||10px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This cultural awareness about naming became particularly important in the case of the grizzly bear. In the visitor centre, the Blackfoot name for the grizzly bear appears as the commonly used euphemism of <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pa\u2019ks\u00edkoyi <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">as opposed to the more general<\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ki\u00e1\u00e1yo, <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">for bear.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-size: 16px;\">\u201cWe are being culturally aware of ourselves. When you&#8217;re culturally aware of your community you take things into account and you do things the right way,\u201d Crop Eared Wolf said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spiritual significance of grizzly bears carries a stronger relationship for some Blackfoot people, particularly those who hold medicine pipe bundles in connection to grizzly bears. These members have what Crop Eared Wolf referred to as an \u201cavoidance relationship\u201d with the name \u201cgrizzly bear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBecause of that avoidance relationship, these people cannot see them, hear them or be spoken to about them, and so we don&#8217;t say \u2018bear\u2019 we don&#8217;t say <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ki\u00e1\u00e1yo<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> in front of them,\u201d she said. \u201cIn a kind of roundabout way to respect them and their avoidance relationship, we use the term <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">pa\u2019ks\u00edkoyi<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which, as I understand it, translates to \u2018slobbering mouth\u2019 or \u2018running mouth.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From these Elder group discussions, the Blood Tribe were also able to secure a building in the park for the Blackfoot Cultural Centre in 2018, which has developed into the Paaht\u00f3mahksikimi Cultural Centre. Using the Blackfoot word for Waterton as the name was important for the Elders as well, Crop Eared Wolf said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe Elders really push for us to reintroduce the language and the names for these places, because they&#8217;re significant and especially this place,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cPlaces of significance are recognized as places that are alive. We hold spirit, and so there&#8217;s knowledge that comes with that and teachings and just a whole lot of really deep knowledge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Paaht\u00f3mahksikimi Cultural Centre has helped preserve some of the knowledge that was shared by the Elders that was not able to be incorporated into the visitor centre. Today, they connect visitors with knowledge of the Blackfoot people and their culture as a place for relationship building. They hold powwows, traditional game events, beading and sewing workshops, showcase local artists and other events around traditional names for plants and their uses.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI feel like there&#8217;s not enough education or knowledge being shared within the wider public, that we kind of get stereotyped or typecast and in this space we&#8217;re able to share a lot of the culture and knowledge that we have not only as ourselves, but of this area,\u201d Crop Eared Wolf said.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>Waterton Lakes\u2019 grizzlies<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Waterton Lakes currently has 30 resident grizzly bears. Rob Found, Waterton Lakes\u2019 wildlife ecologist for the last two years, is the lead supervisor for the park&#8217;s widllife officers. They are responsible for dealing directly with conflicts with wildlife when they arise, such as a bear wandering into a town or campsite, as well as proactively trying to prevent these conflicts and promote coexistence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although the overall management structure for bears within the park is directed by Parks Canada\u2019s national office, Found said on-the-ground strategies come down to experience from officers in individual parks and communication between them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;|auto|17px|auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;9px||7px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/PARKS-CANADA.-Two-grizzlies..jpg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Two grizzly bears graze in a grassy field.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;PARKS CANADA. Two grizzlies.&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||2px|||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;30px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Two grizzly bears graze in a grassy field. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cBears, they&#8217;re not all the same. You can&#8217;t just have a blanket approach to \u2018this is what you got to do for bears,\u2019\u201d Found said. He sent his human-wildlife conflict specialist to Jasper, where there is a higher population of grizzly bears than in Waterton, to gain more grizzly bear experience.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cA lot of it is just based on an accumulative body of knowledge that&#8217;s acquired. What happened last year for bears, what worked, what didn&#8217;t work. A lot of it carries on because it&#8217;s the exact same bears,\u201d he said, calling the approach \u201cadaptive management.\u201d <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found said knowledge comes from a variety of sources, including Indigenous knowledge.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Waterton&#8217;s bear management policy still leans a bit into the fear basis, Found said. \u201cI think it&#8217;s because there&#8217;s still this awareness that the biggest disaster is, in the perception of a lot of people, is going to be a bear killing someone and trying to do everything to prioritizing visitor safety.&#8221;<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;2px||13px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2>The Wildlife Guardians Program<\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found is also the lead supervisor for the Wildlife Guardians Program. Previously known as \u201cLiving with Wildlife,\u201d the program began at Waterton in 1999 and was renamed to the \u201cWildlife Guardians Program\u201d in 2016. Although wildlife guardian programs exist in many national parks across Canada, Waterton Lakes\u2019 program uniquely became the first park in the country to have a fully Indigenous team in 2022.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The decision to have an all-Indigenous guardians team, Found said, is a result of the influence of the federal government\u2019s interest at furthering reconciliation within the parks. The reason came from the desire to get an increased perspective on grizzly bears and wildlife management as well as to increase education with visitors on wildlife.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found said the communication between the guardians and park visitors, especially from Indigenous perspectives, is one of the greatest management strategies when it comes to bear management.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cOur guardians are out there talking with people, probably more than our duty officers are,\u201d Found said. \u201cWe have to be very conscious about that message. We don&#8217;t want to be telling people, maybe some prevailing messaging about bears, like they&#8217;re so scary, they&#8217;re so bad, they&#8217;re just a danger, they&#8217;re just a risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found said while a lot of people visiting the park have a high respect for bears, building that respect is something they want to continue. \u201cThat&#8217;s something where having this Indigenous perspective can be helping enforce that and convince people as well,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found acknowledged that many Indigenous perspectives, particularly those of the Blackfoot people, come from a place of respect, and he said the Indigenous wildlife guardians is the best way Waterton is helping to improve the management of human-wildlife conflicts.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly Tailfeathers, a resource management officer at Waterton Lakes, was the wildlife guardian team lead for 2022, working to supervise, recruit and build the all-Indigenous team. A member of the Kainai Blood Tribe, this was his second consecutive year working with Parks Canada after previously working with the aquatic invasive species team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cFrom the Blackfoot perspective, the grizzly bear is a highly respected relative, a friend and associate. We respect all animals that are present here in our lands. The Creator placed every animal for a particular purpose in relation to the <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Matapiiks \u2014<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> the people,\u201d Tailfeathers said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cThe grizzly bear is known as a protector and is known a powerful animal.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-15px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;23px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||14px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Rob&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/0A006A6B-E54A-4F27-8DB5-5F8A68467E9A_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Rob Found&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Rob Found&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||4px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||14px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Rob Found is the wildlife ecologist at Waterton Lakes National Park. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614219&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/rob-founds-story\" title=\"Rob Found&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Rob Found&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||11px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Kelly&#8217;s Story<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/955E2D7D-1B8B-4D15-9080-138290A007BD_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Photo of Kelly Tailfeathers&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Kelly Tailfeathers&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;13px||1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||15px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly Tailfeathers was the Wildlife Guardians Program lead at Waterton Lakes National Park in 2022. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_code _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"100%\" height=\"166\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"no\" allow=\"autoplay\" src=\"https:\/\/w.soundcloud.com\/player\/?url=https%3A\/\/api.soundcloud.com\/tracks\/1487614240&#038;color=%23ff5500&#038;auto_play=false&#038;hide_related=false&#038;show_comments=true&#038;show_user=true&#038;show_reposts=false&#038;show_teaser=true\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<div style=\"font-size: 10px; color: #cccccc;line-break: anywhere;word-break: normal;overflow: hidden;white-space: nowrap;text-overflow: ellipsis; font-family: Interstate,Lucida Grande,Lucida Sans Unicode,Lucida Sans,Garuda,Verdana,Tahoma,sans-serif;font-weight: 100;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\" title=\"Joy SpearChief-Morris\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Joy SpearChief-Morris<\/a> \u00b7 <a href=\"https:\/\/soundcloud.com\/joy-spearchief-morris\/kelly-tailfeatherss-story\" title=\"Kelly Tailfeathers&#39;s Story\" target=\"_blank\" style=\"color: #cccccc; text-decoration: none;\" rel=\"noopener\">Kelly Tailfeathers&#39;s Story<\/a><\/div>\n<p>[\/et_pb_code][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-13px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;5px||7px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tailfeathers said respect for bears, and wildlife generally, in the Blackfoot culture guides his work each day.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEvery morning before I leave, I&#8217;ll smudge and say my prayer for the day to be safe, my coworkers to be safe, and that&#8217;s a part of our way of life is prayer, and we pray for the animals as well,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tailfeathers said the all-Indigenous wildlife guardians team has been a meaningful employment opportunity by Parks Canada. \u201cWe bring our way of life here every day, and it&#8217;s a good way to show respect for the many cultures that visit the park here,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">From May through September, Waterton Lakes brought on six people from the Blood Tribe, Saskatoon and Calgary to staff the guardians program for a six-month contract. Operating in teams of two, the wildlife guardians patrol the park, the Blood Tribe Timber Limit and the bison padlock in specialized vehicles. In shifts they monitored for potential incidents and educated park visitors along the way.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row column_structure=&#8221;1_2,1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;14px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;3px||23px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/31528FC8-4B64-4D95-B28A-1582F5A5BC12_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Kelly Tailfeathers rides around in his vehicle as part of his position as a resource management officer within Waterton Lakes National Park.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Kelly Tailfeathers Drives&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||-1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||15px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly Tailfeathers rides around in his vehicle as part of his position as a resource management officer within Waterton Lakes National Park. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/73BDD2C0-2A1B-4B22-B800-4A18FA5C05C4_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Kelly Tailfeather\u2019s drives in his car is equipped with a radio.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Inside Kelly&#8217;s Car&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||2px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly Tailfeather\u2019s car is equipped with a radio to communicate with the human-wildlife officers and others on the resource management team. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=&#8221;1_2&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; min_height=&#8221;800.9px&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;0px||0px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Although they deal with general park safety, such as hiking in groups and having a safety plan, they also monitor wildlife like deer, elk and the very familiar bighorn sheep that like to wander into town. Bears appear to take up the most of their efforts as they are the largest attraction for visitors, Tailfeathers said.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guardians check campgrounds to make sure there is no garbage out that can attract bears and clear out bear jams \u2014 a traffic jam caused by a bear being on or by a road \u2014 on roadways. Many of these incidents, Found said, are caused by human negligence.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe&#8217;re trying to educate the people to be bear conscious, be bear safe and watch your food. Keep your food secured and not to be throwing garbage out of vehicles or feeding bears on the parkway, just to be cautious of all your activities,\u201d Tailfeathers said. \u201cThere are park rules that need to be followed for the safety of both the animal and the tourists that visit the park.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The guardians have also been involved in bear safety workshops in the Kainai and Piikani nations as well as workshops with the Blackfoot Confederacy surrounding wildlife scenarios.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Found said Waterton Lakes is also forming a resource conservation Indigenous advisory group with the motivation of continuing initiatives with the Blackfoot people including managing shared bear habitat in the Blood Tribe\u2019s timber reserve, which resides within the park\u2019s boundary. The group is currently in discussions with the park.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe want bears across this whole habitat, and that&#8217;s one of the motivations for having a joint advisory group where we can actually have Indigenous people talking with us \u2014 so we&#8217;re not just making all these decisions \u2014 but also that we&#8217;re getting informed from Indigenous perspectives and also the Indigenous objectives as well,\u201d Found said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-22px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;1px||6px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;8px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019m very hopeful that with the development of this new advisory group, that&#8217;ll also help us get some of this other forms of knowledge.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tailfeathers feels the recent movement towards reconciliation in Canada, particularly the Truth and Reconciliation Commission\u2019s 94 Calls to Action and Orange Shirt Day, are showing more inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and stories in mainstream culture.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWe&#8217;ve always been here and I don&#8217;t think we&#8217;re leaving,\u201d he said. \u201cAs Blackfoot people, our language is still here, our way of life.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=&#8221;https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/43\/2023\/04\/D58D9F55-E0C8-49A9-BFBE-A180F120EC84_1_201_a-scaled.jpeg&#8221; alt=&#8221;Kelly Tailfeathers stands in the road in Waterton\u2019s townsite.&#8221; title_text=&#8221;Kelly Tailfeathers Road&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;||1px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; text_font_size=&#8221;14px&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Kelly Tailfeathers stands in the road in Waterton\u2019s townsite. The lead for the all-Indigenous wildlife guardian team for 2022, he says bear management was most of his team\u2019s efforts. Photo by Joy SpearChief-Morris.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;Conclusion&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; background_color=&#8221;#fdfdf6&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;5px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;-3px|auto||auto||&#8221; custom_padding=&#8221;4px||13px|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_text _builder_version=&#8221;4.18.0&#8243; _module_preset=&#8221;default&#8221; custom_margin=&#8221;15px|||||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<h1><strong>Conclusion<\/strong><\/h1>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Misconceptions about the nature of grizzly bears led to a system which continuously treated them as dangerous man eaters to be managed with fear and aggression. But the inclusion of Indigenous knowledge and a better understanding of how to respect the role bears play in the prairie and foothill landscape is changing how they can be managed in the future.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indigenous understandings of bears as beings to be treated with respect has led to the shifting of both public and institutional understandings of grizzly bears within Parks Canada. As the wildlife guardians program shows, the more people respect bears, the better chance Parks Canada has of shifting the public\u2019s attitude to how they, and their natural territories, are treated.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pa\u2019ks\u00edkoyi<\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> has lived on this landscape before humans and they have had more to teach us, as the Blackfoot stories have said, then we can ever hope to teach them through our own actions.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Bear DilemmaBy Joy SpearChief-MorrisHow storytelling impacts bear conservation strategies in the Rocky Mountains\u201cGrizzly Family.\u201d A grizzly bear sow and two cubs walk in a row. Photo courtesy of Parks Canada.When Kevin Van Tighem was working at Waterton Lakes National Park in southern Alberta in the 1980s, he spent most of his time as a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":46,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-6","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Home - The Bear Dilemma<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/cusjc.ca\/mrp\/paksikoyi\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Home - The Bear Dilemma\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"The Bear DilemmaBy Joy SpearChief-MorrisHow storytelling impacts bear conservation strategies in the Rocky Mountains\u201cGrizzly Family.\u201d A grizzly bear sow and two cubs walk in a row. 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