DUC recognized with Knowledge Braiders’ Award for Indigenous collaboration on Yukon Wetland Field Guide

EDMONTON, AB, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ – Ducks Unlimited Canada (DUC) has been recognized with a prestigious Knowledge Braiders’ Award from Braiding Knowledges Canada at their inaugural annual gathering held in Gatineau, QC on March 6, 2025. The award celebrates DUC’s collaborative work with Indigenous partners on the Yukon Wetland Field Guide, released in 2024.

The award honours individuals and organizations that are braiding Indigenous and western knowledges to create meaningful change. James Kenyon, DUC’s Head of Conservation Partnerships – Boreal Yukon and the Northwest Territories, accepted the award on behalf of DUC, alongside Copper Joe Jack, Traditional Knowledge Holder, Land Relationship Planner and a key collaborator on the guide.

“Indigenous Peoples have been stewarding wetlands since time immemorial because wetlands are so important for ensuring clean water and providing food and medicine, as was shared by the Indigenous Knowledge Holders on this project. The Knowledge Holders worked alongside Ducks Unlimited Canada to incorporate both Indigenous and Western knowledges in this guide to help educate people on why wetlands are important, and the traditional laws used to safeguard these important areas.”

– Copper Joe Jack, Traditional Knowledge Holder, Land Relationship Planner.

“Ducks Unlimited Canada is honoured to receive the Knowledge Braiders’ Award. The Yukon Wetland Field Guide reflects the timeless value of Indigenous knowledge and the commitment of Ducks Unlimited Canada to work in meaningful collaboration with Indigenous peoples to help bring together Indigenous ways of knowing and western science and to advance the understanding and conservation of nature. When we listen, learn and work together, we deepen our relationship with the land and with one another and help to shape the future of conservation in the spirit of reconciliation and greater understanding.”

~ Michael Nadler, Chief Executive Officer, Ducks Unlimited Canada

The Yukon Wetland Field Guide is a visual, plain-language resource designed to help identify and classify wetlands throughout the Yukon. It weaves together Indigenous Traditional Knowledge, stories and artwork contributed by local Indigenous Knowledge Holders and artists, alongside scientific information. The guide offers invaluable cultural perspectives, deepening the understanding of the intrinsic relationships between Indigenous Peoples and wetland ecosystems.

Developed through DUC’s National Boreal Program, the project demonstrates a practical and collaborative approach to conservation that honours reconciliation and respects Indigenous wisdom and caretaking. The guide was developed to support the Yukon government’s Policy for Stewardship of Yukon’s Wetlands, helping readers appreciate the cultural and ecological significance of wetland landscapes.

“With over 25 years of experience working with Indigenous communities, governments and industry, Ducks Unlimited Canada is committed to creating comprehensive solutions that braid knowledge systems working to further advance boreal wetland conservation in Canada,” said Kenyon. “We are honoured to receive this award in partnership with the Indigenous Knowledge Holders who shaped this important work.”

About Braiding Knowledges Canada
Braiding Knowledges Canada (BKC) is a not-for-profit corporation established in 2019 to continue the groundbreaking work of the Canadian Mountain Network (2019–2024), expanding its impact beyond mountain landscapes across Canada. Dedicated to advancing Reconciliation through Research, BKC focuses on understanding and monitoring environmental change to inform conservation, restoration, and adaptation strategies. BKC promotes inclusive, decolonizing practices through place-based, community-driven environmental research and cultivates authentic, reciprocal relationships. Supported by a five-year grant from the Government of Canada’s Strategic Science Fund Program (2024–2029), BKC aims to enhance the well-being of our environment and its people by integrating Indigenous and local knowledge into public policy and decision-making.