Since 2018, Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation (WLON) and KGS Group have developed a strong working relationship built on trust and mutual respect. Together, we have designed, implemented, and performed community information and consultation sessions, traditional knowledge studies, scientific youth camps, field environmental monitoring, data collection programs, and emergency environmental response plans. In 2023 we established Ganaanaagajitoowad Aki, a joint venture that formalizes this arrangement in the field of environmental consulting. We are committed to listening, learning, and merging the traditional and technical such that traditional knowledge is honored and respected, and that all scientific and technical requirements are fulfilled.
This presentation will focus specifically on Ganaanaagajitoowad Aki’s participation in the Stage 2 Archaeological Assessment of Hydro One’s Waasigan Transmission Line, a proposed double-circuit 230 kV transmission line between Thunder Bay and Dryden, Ontario. Portions of this project are situated within WLON tradition territory. Ganaanaagajitoowad Aki is fortunate to be involved in the archaeological fieldwork for the project in 2023 and 2024. This presentation will illustrate how the joint venture is designed and managed, and how the archaeological workplan and fieldwork was organized and developed through a collaborative approach.