Antler River Guardians From The 4 Directions
The Antler River Guardians From The 4 Directions (ARGFT4D) is a First Nations youth engagement program, based in the watershed of Ontario’s Deshkan Ziibi, or Thames River.
ARGFT4D was launched in 2015 by the First Nations Engagement Committee of the Thames River Clearwater Revival (TRCWR) initiative. This committee includes Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Caldwell First Nation, Chippewas of the Thames First Nation, Walpole Island First Nation, and other partners. Deshkan Ziibi flows through the traditional territories of these First Nations.
The Anishinabe call the river Deshkan Ziibi, which translates as Antler River. The “4 Directions” represent the four First Nations who are participating, as well as the four directions of the medicine wheel: yellow (north), red (east), white (south) and black (west).
The goals of ARGFT4D are to provide First Nations youth with work experience and an awareness and appreciation of opportunities in the environmental field; improve connections between communities along the river, both First Nation and non-First Nation; and advocate for environmental issues.
The information that the participants gather, including indigenous ways of knowing that explore indigenous spiritual, historical, and cultural connections to Deshkan Ziibi, will also help inform The Thames River (Deshkan Ziibi) Shared Waters Approach to Water Quality & Quantity, being developed by the TRCWR.
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks provided funding support for ARGFT4D for 2015-2017. In 2018, provincial funding was not available and the program was put on hold until funding could be secured.
Outreach & Sharing
ARGFT4D has reached many audiences, promoting the program widely with presentations to:
• Chiefs and Councils of the participating First Nations, as well as to the Chiefs of Ontario
• International scientists, government leaders (including Glen Murray, Minister of the Environment and Climate Change), and public at the 2016 Great Lakes Public Forum in Toronto
• Thames Valley District School Board’s Secondary School Environmental Symposium
• Youth groups, environmental groups and local businesses
The Guardians participated in a cross cultural exchange with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry’s Rangers program in 2015 and 2016, with traditional teachings, canoe tripping and a cultural day.
In 2016, ARGFT4D was recognized with two awards:
• Award of Merit from Parks Canada’s Canadian Heritage Rivers System
• Carolinian Canada Youth Stewardship Award in the category of Passionate Youth
2017 Activities – Highlights
• Visited Six Nations, where they practiced traditional skills
• Learned about aquatic Species at Risk
• Visited Walpole Island First Nation, where they surveyed mussels in Lake St. Clair
• Visited Aamjiwnaang First Nation, where they toured the greenhouse
• Participated in wetland restoration project, using native plants from Aamjiwnaang greenhouse
• Created a PhotoVoice display of photographs, taken and captioned by the youth, to share their summer experience (PhotoVoice funding provided by Canadian Heritage Rivers System)
• Made traditional flat bread
• Learned traditional hunting and trapping skills