Remotely connected with the land that gives life

By Henok Alemneh, 2nd year student

I first found out about the Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site from my academic advisor when I was in my very first semester in the MDP program. I have since been building relationships and working with the Pimachiowin Aki Corporation (PAC), which is a non-profit charity organization mandated to coordinate and integrate actions to protect and present the outstanding universal value of a boreal forest Anishinaabe cultural landscape. Through PAC, the First Nations of Bloodvein River, Little Grand Rapids, Pauingassi and Poplar River and the provinces of Manitoba and Ontario, collaboratively manage Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site. Pimachiowin Aki, which is Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) for “the land that gives life”, is one of the world’s few UNESCO World Heritage sites recognized for both its cultural and natural values.

In my current field placement opportunity with PAC, I have been tasked to work on two main projects. The first project has been to undertake a research and present options and recommendations to the PAC Board of Directors, for consideration by the Pimachiowin Aki First Nations, for an Indigenous-owned and controlled economic development corporation with a mission to develop and deliver a for-profit Indigenous tourism facility and experience in the World Heritage Site.

This research project has now been completed, thanks to the continuous inputs and guidance from my supervisors Bruce Bremner, PAC Board Co-Chair & Alison Haugh, PAC Executive Director. Conducting research, report writing, and teamwork are among the key practical experiences I gained through this project. 

The second project I am currently working on focuses on proposing a business plan in accordance with the recommendations of the research project. Once the business plan is finalized, it would be presented to PAC Board who would make decisions on the next steps. So far, the field placement activities have provided me with opportunities to apply some of what I learned in the MDP program, particularly through Research and Business Planning courses.

Unlike my previous field placement that involved travel and in-person community engagement, the COVID-19 pandemic we are in has now forced many of us to work from home. In my view, traveling out to the outstanding Pimachiowin Aki World Heritage Site, getting the opportunity to engage with some community members and connecting with the land and culture would be irreplaceable experiences. However, the stories I get to hear and read, the interactions I have with my supervisors, the articles I reference, and the reflections I make in the papers are helping me connect remotely with Pimachiowin Aki, the land that gives life, until the time and opportunity to go in person arises.