5.0 Forward - A Vision for advancing ecosystem-based management in the Deadman River Valley

The common environmental perspectives among valley residents associated with the resource-based cultures and lifestyles provides the basis for collective environmental stewardship in the Deadman River Watershed. Future collaborations will embrace the environmental culture of the band and the common environmental values of other valley residents. Valley residents share a common vision to share sustainable resource dependant lifestyles and culture as the foundation for ecosystem stewardship.

The valley residents also share a common goal for developing watershed level controls over resource management and environmental protection to advance principles of sustainable use. Future watershed planning work will consider these perspectives as a framework for ecosystem-based management. This framework provides a window into the communities view of their environment. It accommodates thinking around holistic management, organized in a manner that reflects their perspectives, and it will provide for clear interpretation by valley residents of cause and effect relationships arising from their adaptive management approaches in the future. This also provides a thematic approach for monitoring ecosystem health.

By advocating the development of the watershed process, the Skeeetchestn Indian Band and valley residents can extend ecosystem values, knowledge innovations and practices into area management. As in the Secwepemc legend depicting the discovery of the natural environment “Sek’lep Juggles His Eyes” , the development of a collaborative vision in the Deadman River Valley is akin to the coyote recovering his sight. The vision and the process will facilitate important linkages between the valley residents and the ecosystem they live in. This will aid in developing a better understanding of the human-ecosystem linkages in order to sustain the natural resources of the valley and the lifestyles that they support.