Woodland Cree traditional environmental knowledge of critical ungulate habitat in the Caribou Mountains of Alberta

This study documents traditional environmental knowledge (TEK) of critical ungulate habitat for the Caribou Mountains region in northern Alberta. Woodland Cree TEK experts from the Little Red River Cree Nation contributed knowledge of seasonal patterns of habitat use, and local distribution and movement of moose (Alces alces andersoni), woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) and wood bison (Bison bison athabascae) on their traditional lands. The study further examines TEK in relation to existing regional natural resource conflicts and the effects of human and natural disturbances on wildlife and the boreal forest environment.; As a study which acknowledges TEK as a knowledge system in its own right, the field methodology was developed with Little Red River Cree representatives and TEK experts at all stages. Interviews and map overlays were analyzed with the help of QSR*NUDIST and ArcView.; Results include the observation that woodland caribou leave the Caribou Mountain plateau from late winter to early spring to stay in the white spruce zone along the southern rim of the Caribou Mountains to feed on arboreal lichen. This calls for the protection of the last remaining old-growth white spruce zone as critical caribou spring habitat. The accounts of a single encounter of a very large caribou herd in the Caribou Mountains and the past existence of large caribou near the Birch Mountains inspire a variety of new research questions. Participants described behavioural, morphological and habitat selection differences between three local bison herds (two of which are located outside the National Park). The Wentzel Lake bison herd was classified as a wood bison herd whereas bison from the Mikkwa herd were described as plains bison. Of all three herds the Mikkwa herd is the furthest away from the plains bison release site in Wood Buffalo National Park, which raises questions about its origin and challenges some of the assumptions in the political debate about bison eradication. The results for the moose component show that different knowledge systems (TEK and science) are able to independently reach similar conclusions. Finally, a list of recommendations for management considerations and future research is provided.