Dane Gibson
Northern News Services

NNSL (May 10/99) - Mining activity on the mineral-rich land in the Lutsel K'e region has sparked the small community of Dene living there to monitor how that activity affects them.

The Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation Wildlife, Lands and Environment Committee, is keeping detailed records of how mining activity affects the health, culture and well-being of the community.

Called community-based monitoring, the project is scheduled to run until 2001.

"With monitoring we're able to watch the changes that occur, but I don't think the community will just watch. With the information we collect, we can act," community researcher, Evelyn Marlowe, said.

Every four months, four different categories, called cycles, are initiated. The latest cycle looked at jobs, youth education, healing services and traditional food consumption.

They found that mining company jobs were short-term and seasonal and youth were primarily interested in careers visible in the community.

The results also showed people depend on group meetings, talking to each other, family activities and good role models to give them strength and healing. Traditional food also plays an important role in community health. For example, most community members eat caribou five times a week.

"The protection of our culture, and especially issues surrounding caribou and wildlife, is a concern to our elders," Marlowe said.

"Many in the community eat caribou everyday. If mining affects the caribou, it will eventually affect our people."

Because the Lutsel K'e Dene First Nation is small -- about 300 -- the monitoring program is able to reach most of the members and put together an accurate profile on issues important to the community.

One poll showed 57 per cent of community members feel when workers are away, it increases stress on the family in terms of child care, household responsibilities and individual, emotional well-being.

"For spouses or partners working at the mines, families aren't going out on the land as much," Marlowe said.

"I think it's important for the family to be on the land, to not lose that part of our culture and to stay in touch with nature. That's something we're always careful to watch."

Marlowe hopes the monitoring program, which she thinks is the first of its kind undertaken by a Dene community, will serve as a model for other communities. For the Lutsel K'e Dene, the information they collect will be stored for future generations.

"I think it's a valuable project that delivers valuable information," Marlowe said.

"It's good to store information while we can, and while our elders are still with us."