Bridging Relations Podcast
Hello and Welcome to the Bridging Relations Podcast. We're bringing you stories from the first and only Indigenous-led Living Lab in Canada.
This Living Lab is a collaboration of producers, scientists, and Indigenous land managers, working together to develop and test innovative solutions in real-world conditions to improve the environmental impact of current farming practices.
Here we're exploring diverse perspectives, stories, and experiences, to better understand one another and to enhance agricultural practices for healthy land, water, and sky that support all of our relations now and in the future.
Additionally, we delve into Indigenous-led regenerative agriculture and land management, sharing insights from Indigenous and non-Indigenous producers, consumers, scientists, land managers, community members, and youth on the prairies.
Thank you for joining us, we're so glad you're here!
The Bridge to Land Water Sky living lab is part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s nationwide network of living labs, under the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program. Each living lab brings together farmers, scientists and other partners to develop and improve on-farm solutions that will help store carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address other environmental issues – such as soil health, water quality and biodiversity.
Bridging Relations Podcast
Building Bridges: The Power of Partnerships | S1 Ep. 1
In this inaugural episode of the Bridging Relations podcast, Anthony Blair Dreaver Johnston, a descendant of Chief Mistawasis, shares the visionary journey behind Bridge to Land Water Sky—Canada’s first Indigenous-led living lab. Discover how the fusion of Western science and Indigenous wisdom is revitalizing sustainable agriculture, from building partnerships rooted in historical treaties and ceremonies to engaging youth in transformative agricultural initiatives. Anthony's insights, including the reintroduction of buffalo as a symbol of restoration, highlight the power of diverse partnerships and cultural values in driving reconciliation and a hopeful future for sustainable land and community relationships.
The Bridge to Land Water Sky living lab is part of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada’s nationwide network of living labs, under the Agricultural Climate Solutions – Living Labs program. Each living lab brings together farmers, scientists and other partners to develop and improve on-farm solutions that will help store carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and address other environmental issues – such as soil health, water quality and biodiversity.
Hosted by: Michelle Brass
Produced by: Maddie Gould
Hello and welcome to the Bridging Relations podcast. Here we dive into diverse perspectives on agriculture and land management, blending Western science and farmer expertise with Indigenous wisdom and knowledge. Together we can address challenges and opportunities that enhance agricultural practices to support healthy land, water and sky for future generations. Thank you for joining us on this journey. Welcome to the first episode of the Bridging Relations podcast. Today we're going to learn about Bridge to Land Water Sky, the first Indigenous-led living lab in Canada. We're going to discover what a living lab is, how this project came about and learn more about the vision and goals of this organization.
Speaker 1:My guest today is Anthony Blair Drever Johnston. He's a member of Mistawasis and he's also a descendant of Chief Mistawasis, who was his great-great-great-grandfather, and so Anthony likes to sayant of Chief Mistawasis, who was his great-great-great-grandfather, and so Anthony likes to say he's from Mistawasis and of Mistawasis. Anthony spent the first half of his life living off-reserve but returned to Mistawasis in 1995 to work in service of his community. Today he holds an important and valued role with Bridge to Land Water Sky, and he's with me today to share more about the groundbreaking project. Hi, anthony.
Speaker 2:Hi Michelle.
Speaker 1:So tell us what is Bridge to Land, water, sky?
Speaker 2:The Bridge to Land Water Sky is an Indigenous-led initiative as part of the Agriculture Climate Solutions Living Lab Initiative that's administered by Agriculture Agri-Food Canada. Mr Walsh is the lead First Nation. The idea to be part of this federal initiative sprang mainly from years of collaboration amongst neighboring First Nation communities, various non-government organizations that are within and operate in our traditional territory, and years of partnership and projects with the University of Saskatchewan and different levels of government. I believe as an individual First Nation, we wouldn't have had the resources to consider applying to the Living Lab initiative. It's only because we had years of collaboration with various partners that we felt equipped and we were all pleased to be the first and only Indigenous-led Living Lab in Canada. Ageless-led living lab in Canada.
Speaker 2:The name Bridge to Land Water Sky comes from two or three related ideas. One is a bridge connects people, communities and land. A bridge can also connect generations, so the name comes from ideas of the past, the present and hopes for a shared good future. Bridge to Land Water Sky also hopes to revive the ancient connection and relationship all people had around the world to land water sky and, as part of the Agricultural Climate Solutions, we believe that that's one of the solutions to the climate world that we find ourselves troubled by today is there's need for a more intimate connection relationship to land, water, sky.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's wonderful. I love the name and how it's come about, and the purpose of looking into these issues that we're facing today is really important and I want to ask you more about that. But first I want to ask what a living lab is for people who haven't heard this term before, what is a living lab?
Speaker 2:The idea of a living lab has been around for a number of years, not just in Canada but around the world. So the idea of a living lab. Of course, in a lab, experiments are undertaken. So, with the focus on agriculture and the shared wish for good soil, good land for future generations, there's likely need to change some current farming practices and so, by working with all of our partners, including people that work the land, that have cattle, look for ways together where practices might be changed to still be productive.
Speaker 2:We all need to make a living, but at the same time, from discussions, we realize that everyone wants a good future. So if somebody is growing crops, raising cattle on the land, they want that land to be healthy for future generations. So, again, for us it's all about collaboration, relationships and finding ways to work together, because we can easily realize that we want the same thing and that's the good future. Also, as part of the Agricultural Climate Solutions Living Lab initiative, part of the objective is to collect data on greenhouse reduction and carbon capture. So, while we have partners that take care of the science aspect of the initiative, we want to place an equal focus on social aspects, social sciences, the relationships, working with neighbors, working with partners and working with friends.
Speaker 1:And tell me a bit more about that. Why is that so important as part of this organization and the vision a bit?
Speaker 2:more about that. Why is that so important as part of this organization and the vision? Well, I'm sure it would be easy to realize or discover that over the years, over the decades, over the generations, we find that single solution ideas to problems almost never work. Single solution ideas to problems almost never work. That by sitting down together and understanding one another, we likely need a multitude of solutions or changes.
Speaker 1:Right, so tell me a little bit more on the vision and the goals for Bridge to Land Water Sky.
Speaker 2:In many ways, ancient people around the world, I believe, look to the past, the present and the future in individual and collective action. There's need to hear stories, have data about how things were in the past, what worked, what didn't work, in order to be more successful today, and, at the same time, there's need to combine our understanding of the past with present day realities in order to make that better future. And so, for me, part of the vision is to think and prepare and plan like our ancestors, like by looking at the past, trying to understand what's happening today, in order to make that good future.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful. So how long has everyone been working together, how long has the bridge to Land, water, sky been in existence, and how long have you all been working together?
Speaker 2:Well. For me and the work that I've been doing in recent years, it began around 2010. From 2010 to 2015, missed Oasis, like many communities in central Saskatchewan, saskatchewan and the Prairies, had problems with high water and flooding. It seemed each year there was different extreme weather events that we were trying to adjust and adapt to. In 2013, mr Walz was considering applying for federal funding support, but we realized that we could not act alone. We needed partners. We needed certain partners, and so we decided not to apply for funding that year but the following year, because we made connections with different non-government organizations, the University of Saskatchewan, different provincial federal agencies, as well as connections with our non-Indigenous and First Nation neighbors, with our non-Indigenous and First Nation neighbours. We called these different people to Mistawas to talk about our shared concern for high water and flooding and the need to all work together because we were all having the same problems. A result of that gathering was a three-year project funded by Environment Canada that we called Honour the Water. I felt that Mistawas was having problems with the water because we didn't understand the landscape that we call home. We lost the connection. So, through Honor the Water, we hope to re-establish that connection.
Speaker 2:From that three year Honor the Water we found we strengthened some partnerships and friendship that we had with different organizations, but we also found new friends and new partners and over the years since 2015, different partners at times approached Mr Walses to partner on new initiatives. Or, in the case where Mr Walses wanted to lead certain projects, or in the case where Mr Wassis wanted to lead certain projects, we had partners that we could call on to join us and work with us. Sometimes things begin with problems and, of course, I might have my own solutions that might work for me, but it doesn't necessarily work for someone else. It doesn't work for my neighbor, it doesn't necessarily work for someone else. It doesn't work for my neighbor and on most environmental, climate, landscape matters, our neighbors are impacted. Different organizations working within the region are being impacted, so it's important to collaborate and work with others to find solutions to problems that impact all of us.
Speaker 1:Exactly right. And when you're thinking about the climate and the changing landscape and the impacts, it is all interconnected right. So there is this viewpoint of how can we address issues just in our own little parcel of land when the waterways, the soils, the air, the communities are so intertwined and interconnected. It just makes sense to do it this way, and yet we haven't really seen that happening. Tell me a little bit about how it's working at Bridge to Land, Water, Sky, to have this collaboration.
Speaker 2:Well, I think for us it's working and for our partners it's working and for our partners it's working. We have a number of organizations, communities that are part of our core team and, of course, we've all worked together for a number of years. We have a larger group of supporters that are regional in scope, provincial and national in scope. We also have individual producers that are in crop production on Mistawasas, nehe Yawak and on Muskeg Lake, cree Nation that are working with us.
Speaker 2:As part of the Bridge to Land, water Sky and, as mentioned earlier, with the Living Lab Initiative and the need for certain scientific data, we have a team of scientists and researchers based out of the University of Saskatchewan. That team of scientists researchers works with federal scientists and researchers. We also have a couple of very large grain producers that farm land on Mistawossalsh's and Musk Egg. They have their own scientists' advisors and the three different groups of scientists have been looking for ways to work together, which is, of course, the basic idea of the bridge just different groups that have different interests finding ways to work together. And I believe from this initiative, the bridge, but also past initiatives, projects, we've been attracting the attention of different non-government organizations, different federal departments. So, despite the bridge to Land border sky having five years of funding through our partnerships and friendship, we hope to continue on after the five-year period.
Speaker 1:So I'd like to go back to the vision after five years. But just before that, can you tell me who your partners are? You mentioned Muskeg Lake Cree Nation University of Saskatchewan. Of course you're with Mr Wassis. Who are the other partners involved with this?
Speaker 2:Today and in recent years, we've been working with three schools and colleges that are based out of the University of Saskatchewan.
Speaker 2:That are based out of the University of Saskatchewan. A number of years ago, we partnered and have what's normally called a Memorandum of Understanding with the School of Environment and Sustainability, but we didn't like the phrase Memorandum of Understanding, so we gave it a Cree name. That, in simple English, means make a promise. So we have a make a promise agreement with the School of Environment and Sustainability, the College of Arts and Science and most important for the bridge, the College of Agriculture and Bio Resources. These agreements these make a promise agreements are fairly general in nature, in that the agreement simply states that we'll look for ways to work together. We also have Redberry Lake UNESCO Biosphere Region as one of our key partners and, although it's not a direct partner because it doesn't really exist anymore, we have the North Saskatchewan River Basin Council, and the former manager of that River Basin Council is now the project manager for Bridge to Land Water Sky. So not only do we partner and make friends with different organizations, we also steal their people to come and work full time for us.
Speaker 1:That's awesome. Well, it just sounds like it's a passion project for a lot of people too, that they really believe in it.
Speaker 2:Yes, is the Saskatchewan Aboriginal Land Technicians. The acronym S-A-L-T is a group that has representatives from each First Nation in Saskatchewan, and some of the members of the core team may have two or three people that represent their community, nation or organization.
Speaker 1:Okay, and tell me a bit about how did you get involved?
Speaker 2:Well, some of my work that I describe the different projects, the different initiatives, the different partnerships. I worked out of a department that was called Special Projects and in many ways I feel that I was very fortunate to be given the freedom to explore possibilities on behalf of Mr Wallace's council and our different Mr Wallace's departments. I quickly realized that not only provincially but nationally, I had a special position because I was given that freedom just to explore possibilities. Quite often when Indigenous communities undertake environmental projects, they're often assigned to people that already have a full-time job and aren't able to dedicate time to certain special projects. But I had that freedom. And because I work on other projects, we realized because we had existing partners that had collaborated on environmental matters, we were a good fit for the Living Lab initiative.
Speaker 1:And what is it that made you a good fit?
Speaker 2:I think maybe simply that we were open to working with others. We didn't limit who we worked with and over the years, I would sometimes get a tap on the shoulder and say, hey, anthony, would Mr Walsh's be interested in this or that? Or get an email or a phone call, anthony, I have an idea. Do you think Mr Walsh would want to be part of this? And it's because we are open to working with others, I think, makes us a good fit for many different things, and those same ideas, I think, can be applied to other issues that communities are facing.
Speaker 2:When I mentioned back in 2013, 2014, that we needed to find partners because we couldn't handle matters of high water and flooding on our own, we realized that in many ways, we lacked the resources and expertise.
Speaker 2:So that's why we sought out partners that may have had experience, expertise and resources to deal with some of the problems we were facing. And at that time, problems we were facing and at that time, we were looking at what made our ancestors strong, successful people, and we realized that back in the day, our ancestors followed the buffalo. There was need for a great number of people to work together, sometimes people from different nations, from different tribes, there was need to work together in order to follow and harvest a herd of animals that numbered in the tens of millions, and so, of course, we realized well, our ancestors found strength by working with others, and now, in the 21st century, the example of our ancestors is today we find strength by working with others well, I just love that, and it reminds me of something you had said earlier about signing the memorandum of understandings with the different departments at the university of saskatchewan, and that you used a cree term that would translate to a make-a-promise agreement.
Speaker 2:A Sota is a sacred term. It's not used in everyday language, but because I explained the meaning and intent of make-a-promise, I can share that.
Speaker 1:Wonderful Thank you.
Speaker 2:I did not grow up speaking my language, but through a different project or different work, I was looking for a word. In our language that means treaty, and so a sota, or make a promise, is the term. And again, our ancestors made treaty with one another, between different tribes. Before there was a country called Canada, before treaties with the crown, our Indigenous nations made treaties with one another, and when we made treaties we lifted the pipe. And in our treaties, when we made promises, the creator was our witness.
Speaker 2:So for us, our ancient methods and methods ceremony that we use today when we lift a pipe and make a promise, those actions, those ceremonies are more important and more true than simply putting your signature on a piece of paper. So when we had these Make a Promise agreements with the different schools and colleges, at the university and as part of the bridge, we also had a Make a Promise agreement with Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, one of our core partners, and although we did sign a piece of paper, it is the 21st century we also included ceremony. So for us, the ceremony is just as important, if not more important, than what's written on a piece of paper. And when I speak about partners, sometimes I say friends. Some of our present day partnerships began off in friendship. We would meet one another and then think about and talk about different ways that we can work together. So some of our current partnerships, I'd like to say, began off in friendship and I think those types of partnership are much more true and long-lasting.
Speaker 1:So tell me a bit about how important is it to you that we are bringing this way of doing things an Indigenous way of doing things to these projects and collaborations.
Speaker 2:Well, I think that in the 21st century, without realizing it, we always undertake ceremony, whether it's simply a handshake, sitting down, having coffee together or, at different meetings, sharing a meal. Those are ceremonies, and perhaps in the 21st century we're so caught up in things that we don't realize it. And Indigenous First Nations ceremony aren't too much different from those simple acts that we all have today. And also the ceremonies can be individual undertakings or group undertakings, and it's through ceremony that we connect with the past, that we connect with Land, water, sky and everything that has been provided for us.
Speaker 1:So, anthony, I'm curious about your involvement with Bridge to Land Water Sky. What is it about this project that you're passionate about? What is it that you really that you're passionate about? What is it that you really enjoy about working with this organization?
Speaker 2:Well, as we mentioned in the introduction and said a few words about being the first and only Indigenous-led living lab in Canada. So when we first heard and started talking about applying to the initiative, I wanted to do something different. So there's X number of living labs across Canada. For me, they were all doing relatively similar things and although we are one of the smallest living labs in Canada, again we are the only Indigenous-led. So I felt we need to do something different to be funded and, although we're not completed the five years, I hope the end result is that we are different, that we are very different. There's need to do something different.
Speaker 1:And what makes it different here?
Speaker 2:Again, I guess that it is Indigenous-led. We've worked with our partners for a number of years, so we have that understanding that there are likely times where I can't go to a meeting, but one of our partners knows what Anthony will say and I know what our partners will say. So I think we're quite comfortable to some extent of being able to speak with one another because we know and understand one another and our different perspectives and different interests, and so we all, despite individuals wanting things their own way, as a collaboration we realize there's need to include or ensure that everyone at the table is represented and has a voice.
Speaker 1:And tell me about your role with Bridge to Land Water Sky. What role do you play?
Speaker 2:Well, I'm trying to retire Right. When we first applied for funding for the Bridge to Land Water Sky, I was working full-time as a special projects worker for Mr Wallace's Nehe Yawak. That was close to the time where this thing called COVID came to Canada and, maybe partly because of my age and some minor breathing problems, covid scared me quite a bit and I had thoughts of slowing down and maybe retiring full-time. And just after having those thoughts and I did take a six-month break from full-time employment I received this email from Ottawa from this person that I had never heard about before and said Anthony, can we have a phone call? And of course that was news that Mr Wallace's Bridge to Land Border Sky was successful.
Speaker 1:And what was that like? What was that call like for you?
Speaker 2:Well, I sort of had to keep it secret for a little while so I couldn't tell our friends and partners right away. But once it was officially announced and I found sneaky ways to drop hints, and most of our friends and partners understand when I'm hinting at something. But at the same time I was still thinking about slowing down in retirement. But then I quickly realized that amongst our partners there was a certain person that might be able to step in and be a full-time project manager. I knew it might have been a little bit too much for me. And again, this was still during times of COVID, where we weren't able to connect in person all the time. And for me and again, this was still during times of COVID, where we weren't able to connect in person all the time.
Speaker 2:And for me, much of our success has been because of in-person connections with current and new partners and friends. And so, despite the technology, I think those in-person meetings, I think those in-person meetings gatherings, chats, coffee are most important to strengthen partnerships but also in finding new partnerships. And so I've been missing that part of things. But I feel fairly comfortable with the management of the Bridge to Land, water, sky and am most comfortable because of the partners that we have. When we were first talking about what we will do in the first year of the Bridge to Land Water Sky, my hope was for myself to take one or two steps back and be the old man sitting in this chair banging his cane when there's need to correct the collective. So to some degree I think I'm being allowed to do that, but I still miss being not necessarily the frontline person but someone close to the front.
Speaker 1:I just love that imagery of the wise man in the corner with his cane holding people you know, keeping people on track and making sure things are done right image, and it just reminds me of the different roles that people in partnerships play and and how to collaborate and and the different needs of a group and the different perspectives to always keep in mind maybe just one thing to add, and I guess contrast to the old man image is that for the bridge to land water sky we're also looking for ways to as much as possible include community youth, high school and elementary kids.
Speaker 2:They are the future and by including our youth or school children in some of the work on the Bridge to Land Water Sky we hope to inspire our young people to consider post-secondary education, to considering getting their truck driving license, to work for a farmer, or maybe somebody wants to drive a combine. So we hope to look for ways to bring our young people from Muskeg Lake and Mistawasas into the bridge project and connect them to some of the scientific work, or maybe through discussions with local producers that are looking for certain workers. That might be inspiration enough for our young people to consider those different possibilities. At one time in the late 1800s and early 1900s, our ancestors, because of the loss, the near extinction of the buffalo, needed a new way to provide for themselves, to provide for a community, and because of our ancestors, like Mr Wallace's, realized that settlement was coming. Different forms of agriculture were coming to the Prairie Provinces, saskatchewan, to Treaty Six territory, and our ancestors wanted to learn about these new and different forms of agriculture and in the late 1800s, early 1900s, our ancestors were very successful producers, I believe, because they had that intimate relationship with land, water, sky. We didn't have a small garden plot, relationship with land, water, sky. We didn't have a small garden plot. Our garden was thousands of square kilometers in which we harvested plants, animals, hunt, trap and fish, and that is an ancient form of agriculture. And so when settlers came west from a different continent, a different climate, they struggled on the prairies because of the harshness of the prairies.
Speaker 2:But our ancestors, my ancestors, were successful because they had generations of living on the prairies and, again, that intimate relationship with land, water, sky. And that's what we hope to revive today, especially with our young people. Missed Awases, like many First Nations, including Muskeg Lake Cree Nation, has what's called land-based programming, where schoolchildren will still learn in the classroom but they learn out on the land and they learn from the land. As Neheyoak people and many other tribes, our language comes from the land, so we're also reviving our language through land-based programming and I guess these are the other things that we hope to bring to the idea of a Living Lab initiative. So when we talk about Indigenous traditional knowledge and ways of being. These are some of the things we hope to bring to the table and bring into the thoughts of others.
Speaker 1:That's wonderful and so needed right now with our youth, with the issues that we're facing in our communities and with the health of the land and with the changes that we're seeing to climate. So it's such wonderful work that you're all doing in your communities and with the partnerships. Looking to the future, so you mentioned that it's five years of funding for Bridge to Land Water Sky. What year are you currently in?
Speaker 2:We are about to end, in March, our third year, so we go to 2026, I believe is the final year, which happens to be the 150th anniversary of Treaty no 6. And through another initiative similar to the bridge that we call Buffalo Trace to Land Water Sky, we hope to bring Buffalo back to Mr Wass' lands by 2026.
Speaker 1:Oh, that's wonderful and I hope that comes to fruition for everybody and again.
Speaker 2:I think everything fits and, as I mentioned earlier, our ancestors, my ancestors, entered treaty with the crown because of the near loss of the buffalo, we had to find a new way to provide for ourselves, and now, in the 21st century, we're looking for ways to bring the buffalo. We had to find a new way to provide for ourselves and now, in the 21st century, we're looking for ways to bring the buffalo back to be part of that equation once again. So, for us as a First Nation, and as we look to define ourselves as a people and as a nation in the 21st century, and as we work towards self-determination and self-government, we often feel there's something missing, and what's missing is the buffalo aren't with us, aren't beside us. So we're working to bring the buffalo back to our lands in order to better define ourselves as a people and as a nation.
Speaker 1:Mm-hmm, oh, how wonderful. And to have the return of the buffalo too. What would, in order to better define ourselves as a people and as a nation, how wonderful. And to have the return of the buffalo too.
Speaker 2:What would that mean to you to be able to see something like that? Well, it could be seeing, but I think it's more simply being aware that buffalo are nearby, that I could go out every day and see them, or just knowing that they're there, I think would be a comfort, similar to a tree Knowing there's trees about is a comfort.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah, and just being surrounded by our relatives in that way.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, exactly. And at one time, when we first began to talk about the bridge to Land Water Sky and applying for the funding, we had thoughts about including the buffalo Because the buffalo themselves if you place buffalo on the land, they're a living lab unto themselves. Yes, place buffalo on the land, they're a living lab unto themselves. But back then we decided that the Mr Ross' work for the buffalo should be a separate project, a separate initiative, and not tied down to certain deadlines, certain data requirements, et cetera, et cetera. We want to take our time bringing back the buffalo. We want to take our time bringing back the buffalo. We want to do it right. But I still stole part of the name to create Buffalo Trace to Land Water Sky and a buffalo trace, or rather a trace, is simply a trail, a path that was created by the buffalo when there were tens of millions of buffalo moving across the Great Plains of what we now call North America. So the Buffalo Trace and Bridge are sort of very similar meanings.
Speaker 1:I love the thought that was put into the name of Bridge to Land Water Sky and I love the example of Buffalo Trace as well and the meaning behind that. But I love that because with this organization, with you talking about the importance of partnerships, talking about reconciliation, coming up with solutions for the future, just the intent and intentions put behind the name and the work that everyone is doing I think is just wonderful and I'm so glad to hear all of that.
Speaker 2:Well, I think for the living labs across Canada, I think we have the best name and the best logo.
Speaker 1:I would agree. That's wonderful. So, with the five-year deadline coming up, what is it you hope to achieve? What would you like to see happen by then?
Speaker 2:Well, we were just talking about Buffalo and even though it's not directly part of the Bridge to Land Water Sky, the same ideas are there.
Speaker 2:So, at the end of five years, buffalo on Mr Wallace's lands, our school children, our school kids being part of Bridge to Land Water Sky or there's other initiatives that will be waiting for them, or there's other initiatives that will be waiting for them, or by simply being, by our young people being involved with the bridge, it might spark their own interest to determine other similar projects.
Speaker 2:For Mr Walses, it could be simply a young Mr Walsh's person getting their truck license to be able to drive semis or combines or tractors for a neighboring farmer. Or it could be somebody starting a family garden or maybe having access to a few acres and grow some specialty crop For me, few acres and grow some specialty crop For me. I hope that we spark the imagination of community members but also spark the imagination of our current partners and future partners that we might acquire over the next couple of years and that could include other living labs. And that could include other living labs Once we learn more about each other, the living lab community, we may see other things being done in other regions that could work for us and, as I mentioned earlier, I believe because of our partners maybe because the name.
Speaker 1:Mistaw Walses is becoming known that there will be something more after the five years ends. Yes, you had mentioned that earlier, the hope that this would carry on, and do you see that hopeful, with either more funding or just carrying on the work in another capacity? Do you know at this point what that might look like beyond the initial five-year commitment?
Speaker 2:Well, today, despite my so-called retirement, I'm still getting ideas of new things from our different partners, and so we'll find a way. Don't tell the federal funders that, though.
Speaker 1:My lips are sealed.
Speaker 2:We still want their money and over the years or I guess, recent years we're looking at different sources of funding as well. Quite often, first Nation communities simply depend on federal funding and of course we're realizing through our partnership that there's other possibilities outside of government. Whether they're private foundations or universities have access to research funding that we're not eligible for as a First Nation. Some of our non-government partners as well can access certain funding that a First Nation can't or would have difficulty accessing.
Speaker 1:Yes, yeah.
Speaker 2:So, again, there's many different possibilities out there that we haven't fully explored yet, but maybe that's our next step.
Speaker 1:Anthony, it doesn't sound like retirement is happening for you anytime soon.
Speaker 2:Sometimes I tell people that I might have to live till I'm 100.
Speaker 1:We'll see how that goes. Right, we'll see how that goes right. Well, I think there would be many, many of us thrilled to have you continue to do this work. It's such important work and your passion for it is really apparent and highly valued from everyone that I've spoken to that's involved with the bridge. Anthony, is there anything about the bridge to Land Water Sky initiative that I haven't asked you yet that you feel is really important for people to be aware of?
Speaker 2:I think for me and I did mention it earlier is the importance of, even in day-to-day thought and day-to-day action, to connect the past, the present and the future. That type of, I guess, thought and action in everyday matters was important to our ancestors and that ensured their survival.
Speaker 1:And we find ourselves here again, right looking at challenges that threaten our survival and the health of our waters and communities and relatives.
Speaker 2:That's why I have to last till 100.
Speaker 1:We need you, anthony. Well, I really appreciate your time today, your generosity and sharing about the bridge, how it came about, the value of the partnerships, the perspectives that are being brought forward and just the collaborative efforts. And congratulations on being part of the first Indigenous-led Living Lab in Canada. I think that's truly an accomplishment and I'm excited to see and hear more about where this project goes and what it comes up with, and excited for the future.
Speaker 2:Quite often I think that I'm doing nothing special. It's the partners and friends that I find that are doing special things, and with one or two friends, we quickly realized that we were looking for each other quickly realized that we were looking for each other and we found each other and that's what made things special and what makes things work.
Speaker 1:That's perfect. I love that.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much, Anthony.
Speaker 1:Yes, thank you. Thank you. Thank you for listening. This is the Bridging Relations podcast. Looking forward to connecting with you next time. Funding for this project has been provided by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada through the Agricultural Climate Solutions Living Labs program.