Conserving Alberta’s Grasslands: A Win for People and the Planet

Conservation discussions have long focused on only advocating for the protection of ecosystems from degradation. This video project uses art and storytelling to educate viewers on the connections between the loss of grasslands and social injustices, as well as, the importance of frontline communities leading grassland conservation efforts.

In this captivating short film, you will learn why grasslands are being lost, its impact on native species and the role this landscape plays in climate mitigation. It features Ninna Piiksii, Dr. Mike Bruised Head, a Blackfoot Elder from the Kainai Nation. He discusses the cultural and ecological significance of the bison (the Iinniii in Blackfoot) to the land and the rematriation efforts taking place on the Kainai Nation.

Watch this mini documentary to learn about the importance of conserving Alberta’s native grasslands for people and the planet! 

Visit these resources to learn more on grassland conservation and bison rematriation projects:

• The Buffalo Treaty
• Dr. Mike Bruised Head
  • Ninna Piiksii, Micheal Bruised Head. 2022. The colonial impact on the erasure of Blackfoot Miistakistsi place names in Paahtomahkikimi, Waterton Lakes National Park. Doctor of Philosophy in Cultural, Social and Political thought. University of Lethbridge.
• Raven, Karen, Livio Fent, Ian Dyson, and Barry Adams. March 2022. The State of Alberta’s Prairie and Parkland: Implications and Opportunities. Published by Prairie Conservation Forum. Occasional Paper Number 6, 30 pgs.
• History of Re-introduction Efforts in Alberta
• Bison and Truth and Reconciliation
• University of Alberta research on the Bison

About Hadeel

Hadeel Abbas is a fourth-year Environmental Science undergraduate student at the University of Calgary. She is passionate about environmental and climate justice issues which has led her to volunteer with local and global advocacy organizations. During her free time, she enjoys spending time outdoors, hiking and cycling, and (of course) painting!