Bison Integrated Genomics
The BIG Project
Community Engagement
Community collaboration is at the heart of all bison conservation work and the BIG Project takes a respectful, flexible, and culturally relevant approach to engagement across the traditional roaming territories of bison.
Indigenous Engagement Approach
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Central to the success of the BIG project is establishing meaningful and equitable partnerships with Indigenous Nations.
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In 2025, an Indigenous Engagement team was established. This team works directly with communities to understand their needs and priorities. The process is different for each community and is an ongoing, flexible, culturally respectful process.
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Key to these partnerships is:
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Transparency and flexibility
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Consistent Communication
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Cultural respect
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Adaptation and reflection
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Current Work
Community-Wide Meetings
The BIG Project works with Indigenous nations and other stakeholders to host community-wide information events.
This can look like bringing in BIG Project research scientists to discuss the scientific activities of BIG.
This can also look like the Indigenous Engagement team meeting with community members to hear about their needs and establish respectful incorporation of said needs into the project.
Leadership Consultations
The Indigenous Engagement team is the point of contact for Indigenous nations and other Indigenous related groups. Briefing notes, consistent updates, and presentations to Chief & Councils are a few ways the Indigenous engagement team has ensured Indigenous leadership bodies are heard and ethically engaged.
Existing Committees
BIG's Indigenous Engagement team works with and within existing bison conservation committees.
Such as the Ronald Lake Bison Herd Cooperative Management Committee, the Mackenzie Bison Herd Working Group, the Wood Buffalo National Park Cooperative Management Committee, and the Slave River Lowlands Bison Working Group.
By working in existing systems and supporting the efforts within those systems, the BIG Project establishes partnerships with people and communities in local contexts to ensure any BIG tools used are done in/with the support of local processes.
Collaborative Opportunities
Groundbreaking generational work the BIG Project offers also brings numerous opportunities for collaboration and learning.
Both from Communities to BIG and from BIG to Communities.
The Indigenous Engagement team and Indigenous communities have highlighted opportunities for youth participation, hunter outings and germplasm collection, long-term visions of food sustainability, and community-wide harvesting.
