Many families in the Saugeen Ojibway Nation and Chippewas of Nawash rely closely on whitefish populations in Lake Huron and Georgian Bay for their culture, sustenance and livelihoods. As wind speeds increase and temperatures rise due to climate change, fishers have begun to notice changes to the fish in these areas. The Bagida-waad Alliance was founded by these fishing communities to serve as a local research organization, with the aim of establishing a baseline for fish populations, tracking climate change impacts on Lake Huron and Georgian Bay and documenting Indigenous knowledge of fishers. Leveraging the stories and experiences of fishers and Elders is expected to help the community develop its climate change adaptation capacity, as well as preserve place-based knowledge systems for future generations.
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