Skitkomiqey Nutankeyutikecik: Freshwater Molluscs & Development of an Indigenous Bioindicator
Community impact
This project demonstrates our ability to translate deeply held community values into sophisticated technical tools that support informed, sovereign decision-making for the Wolastoq watershed. This project empowers the Bilijk Wolastoqiyik to lead environmental stewardship of the Wolastoq River using a non-lethal method that aligns with their cultural ethics. By providing a way to monitor and enhance water quality without harming the ecosystem, the project helps make sure the river remains a healthy source of food, medicine, and connection for future generations.
Client name
Bilijk Wolastoqiyik
Location
New Brunswick
Project Description
(From the Wolastoqey words Skitkomiq means earth, world, planet, and Nutankeyutiket means caretaker, handler, attendant.)
The Wolastoq/Saint John River – the “beautiful and bountiful river” – is a cornerstone of the ecological, cultural, and social identity of the Wolastoqiyik people. However, decades of land alteration and industrial development have left the waterway classified as one of Canada’s most disrupted rivers, facing challenges from harmful algal blooms to emerging contaminants. The primary challenge for the Bilijk Wolastoqiyik community was to monitor these stressors without violating Indigenous values. Traditional Western scientific methods typically require sacrificing the animals for tissue analysis, a practice that contradicts the community’s role as Skitkomiqey Nutankeyutikecik—caretakers of the earth.
SOAR, in partnership with Dillon Consulting Limited, addressed this critical need through Indigenous Knowledge braiding. Our team designed and constructed a first-of-its-kind, non-lethal research instrument for in-situ mollusc study. This innovative tool allows wild molluscs to be safely housed in the river while their feces are collected through a specialized sock filter for contaminant analysis. By shifting the focus from lethal tissue sampling to the analysis of fecal matter, our team provided a technical solution that respects the sanctity of life while delivering high-resolution data on river health.
The engineering of the instrument required overcoming complex hydrodynamic challenges to support scientific accuracy. Our team’s design eliminated “dead zones” within the flow, stabilized the unit against river currents, and integrated sensors to track real-time flow rates and water concentrations. The resulting data allows the community to detect multiple environmental stressors at levels potentially below conventional laboratory limits.