The Canadian Mountain Assessment is a new work of knowledge co-creation that showcases the diversity and significance of mountain areas in Canada, clarifies challenges and opportunities facing mountain systems, and will inform and inspire future mountain-focused research, policy, and action.
The Canadian Mountain Assessment provides a first-of-its-kind look at what we know, do not know, and need to know about mountain systems in Canada. The assessment is based on insights from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledges of mountains, as well as findings from an extensive assessment of pertinent academic literature. Its inclusive knowledge co-creation approach brings these multiple forms of evidence together in ways that enhance our collective understanding of mountains in Canada, while also respecting and maintaining the integrity of different knowledge systems.
The Canadian Mountain Assessment is a text-based document, but also includes a variety of visual materials as well as access to video recordings of oral knowledges shared by Indigenous individuals from mountain areas in Canada. The assessment is the result of over three years of work, during which time the initiative played an important role in connecting and cultivating relationships between mountain knowledge holders from across Canada. It is the outcome of contributions from more than 80 Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals and contains six chapters:
- Introduction
- Mountain Environments
- Mountains as Homelands
- Gifts of the Mountains
- Mountains Under Pressure
- Desirable Mountain Futures
By way of these chapters, The Canadian Mountain Assessment aims to enhance appreciation for the diversity and significance of mountains in Canada, to clarify challenges and opportunities for mountain systems in the country, and to motivate and inform new research, relationships, and actions that support the realization of desirable mountain futures. More broadly, The Canadian Mountain Assessment provides insights into applied reconciliation efforts in a knowledge assessment context and seeks to inspire similar knowledge co-creation efforts in and beyond Canada.
Resources
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Book Download: Access the book for free through the University of Calgary Press here.
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Physical Copy: Purchase a physical copy of the book here.
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Launch Event: Experience the book's unveiling at the 2023 Banff Mountain Film and Book Festival here.
- On the Blog: A First Look at Canada’s Mountain Research – Building a Roadmap for the Future.
This news was first published by the University of Calgary Press. You can find the original story on their website.
Cover image by Connor McSheffrey
