Indigenous peoples have the right … to maintain, protect, and have access in privacy to their religious and cultural sites; the right to the use and control of their ceremonial objects; and the right to the repatriation of their human remains.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
Cultural Heritage Services
Your history, under your care and control.
Reclaiming the use, protection, research, and management of your Indigenous Nation’s cultural heritage can strengthen the connections to land, spirit, and power. Taking control over these precious resources supports your assertion of Treaty and Aboriginal Rights, and can be central in your journey towards self-determination. Our team at SVS stands with you in taking a community-led, holisitic approach to archaeology and heritage projects.
Services:
- Heritage Policy Development
- Data Sovereignty and Digital Archive Support
- Place Naming Initiatives
- Multi-media Storytelling
- Repatriation Support
- Cultural Resource Mapping and Planning
- Socio-cultural Impact Assessments
Why choose SVS?
We understand the deeply connected and relational nature of honouring and celebrating your history and culture. Our commitment is to walk alongside you, ensuring your heritage is preserved and celebrated with the respect and care it deserves.
Funding Support
Data Sovereignty
Pimicikamak Cree Nation
“I hope more people will take the time to be involved in sharing their Traditional Knowledge in the future. It's worth it to collect it. It becomes the most valuable piece of information your community will have to fight with.”
—Lawrence Lefort, Eagle Lake First Nation
Contact
Indigenous Knowledge and Land Use Studies
Channeling the Wisdom of Indigenous Knowledge.
Indigenous Knowledge Studies are powerful tools for protecting and asserting your Rights and interests. Our social research team has had the great honour of interviewing over a thousand land users, Elders and Knowledge Holders from coast to coast to coast. We help you create compelling pictures of land use and occupancy designed to influence regulatory decisions, project planning and design, and the outcome of negotiations with industry.
Tell Your Story with Purpose and Impact.
Each study we conduct is as unique as the Nations we serve. When we work with you to design your study, considering your end goals — the “so what” element of data gathering — is of primary importance. We combine cutting-edge GIS mapping technology with tailored research approaches to produce powerful, legally defensible maps that show the historic and current connection Indigenous Nations have to their lands and waters. We understand the power of story, and how to use Oral History interviews to add colour and depth to your mapped data. Our professional videographers help gather and preserve knowledge for future generations. Community-driven capacity development and a deep commitment to data protection are key elements of each study. And what’s more — we make the research process fun and meaningful for everyone involved! When it comes to Indigenous Knowledge studies, the possibilities, and the benefits, are endless.
Services:
- Land Use and Occupancy Studies
- Traditional Ecological Knowledge Studies
- Field Interviews and Groundtruthing
- Community Well-being Studies
- Oral History Studies
- GIS and Mapping
Want more information? Download our Indigenous Knowledge Studies brochure. [pdf]
Capacity Building
Funding Support
Project Showcase
Mi’gmawe’l Tplu’taqnn Incorporated
Energy East Pipeline: Indigenous Knowledge and Socio-Economic Study
Pimicikamak Cree Nation
Land Use and Occupancy Study
Land Use and Occupancy Study
Storytelling & Engagement
Now that you know who we are and what we do, tell us more about what’s going on in your world..