b'How Sumas First Nation isAdvertorialCollaborating with Arcadis to Advance Ecological Reconciliation Sumas First Nation is restructuring their land, economy,and the future of their community one truckload of soil at a timeBy Jennette Pierre, Lands Manager, Sumas First Nation & Lance Hunt, National Indigenous Relations Lead, ArcadisW hen we talk aboutLake was drained by colonialto monitoring environmental environmentalgovernments in the name ofimpacts, notes Jennette Pierre, rehabilitation, we rarelyagriculture. What was once aLands Manager for Sumas First think of a soil truck pulling intolife-giving ecosystem and culturalNation. Each step reflects our a First Nation reserve. Yet inheartland to the Nation was turnedresponsibility not only to the Abbotsford, BC, Sumas First Nationinto marginal farmland. As a result,land, but to our Elders, youth, and is doing just that to set a newthe Nation lost its lake and with it,ancestors.precedent for what it means toa central part of its identity. Their restore their land one load of clean,community was displaced, and theirAt Arcadis, we pride ourselves regulated soil-fill at a time.land was altered, permanently.on our ability to deliver programs and support that align with local This innovative approach to landNow, Sumas First Nation is workingcommunity values and uphold development and reuse carries awith Arcadis to write a new chapter. their interests. This is self-deeper meaning for the Nation:determination in action, rooted in one centered around the revivalThrough the implementation oftradition, guided by science, and of a culture, the rebuilding of anan environmental framework thatled by communities restoring the economy, and the reassertionregulates the type, quality, andland. Its environmental progressAn RCMP helicopter surveys homes and farms in the community of Sumas Prairie during flooding in Abbotsford, B.C.,of Indigenous governance andsource of soil that can be depositedthats sustainable, inclusive, andon Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. (Ben Nelms/CBC)sovereignty. on their lands, the Nation is makinggrounded in place, said Hunt. strides towards establishing new Sumas First Nation has workedgrounds for development andAt the heart of this system is an with Arcadis since 2006, steadilysecuring their reserve lands fromall-women Indigenous compliance nurturing its capacity to take onthe impact of climate-relatedteam trained in environmental new jobs in land managementdisasters, like the floods thatmonitoring and enforcement. Theythe land, the water, the fish, andWith every truckload that meetsbuilding services, while deferring to and environmental stewardship.devastated the Sumas Prairies insupport inspecting every load ofthe future. Weve written it not fortheir standards, opportunities grow:the Nations leadership and law.In 2017, the Nation enacted its2021. soil and upholding the integrity ofthe next fiscal year, but for the nextyouth employment, Nation-owned pioneering Soil Deposit, Removal,our law. seven generations. businesses, and a sustainable pathThis work may not look like and Transport Lawa first-of- With Arcadiss support, the Nationfor future generations. And others its-kind regulation grounded inhas developed a comprehensiveWe didnt always have thisrestoration in its traditional form; Indigenous governance. It laidenvironmental framework thatcapacity. But we werent lackingThe soil project is part of a broaderare taking notice. there are no salmon habitatsthe legal foundation for a boldensures soil brought onto theirabilityjust opportunity. So, [witheffort to reclaim and repurposeyet, no flourishing wetlandsyet. shift: protecting Sumas lands notlands is safe, traceable, and alignedsupport from Arcadis] we cultivateda southern parcel of landonceAcross British Columbia, other FirstInstead, there are dump trucks, only from contamination, but fromwith their long-term vision.our own, said Pierre. overlooked and degradedintoNations are exploring how to adoptsafety vests, and digital compliance exploitation. a future hub of economic activity,and adapt similar soil managementmaps.The Soil Law has also helpedBut this is more than a regulation,cultural gathering, and food securityframeworks, inspired by Sumas. The Commenting on thisreframe how soil is perceived,Pierre explains: This soil law is thefor centuries to come. Nation shares its knowledge freely,But underneath it all, something accomplishment, Lance Hunt,positioning it as more than justfoundation for our future. Whileas it values knowledge-sharingdeeper is unfoldinga foundation National Indigenous Relations Leada physical material, but as awere not physically restoring ourJennette frames the effort as ato support Indigenous resilience,is being laid.at Arcadis, said, The Sumas Nationcarrier of potential. Healthy soilancestors laketheir source ofworking lands visionrevivingself-governance and sovereignty in didnt just pass a law, they built aholds the promise of ecologicallivelihood for centurieswereboth the ecological integritycommunities from coast to coast. regulatory system that reflects theirrenewal, economic prosperity, andrestoring our independence. and economic potential thatLand being filled with purpose. identityrooted in cultural values,generational wellbeing. were stripped away when theArcadiss role throughout the entireLaw rising from tradition. A Nation family structures, and a deep ethicWe have a deep-rooted respectlake was drained. It starts withprogram has been intentionallyrebuilding its future, literally from of stewardship. Thats why weve worked tofor the land, she added, which isclean, responsibly managed land,supportive, walking alongside thethe ground up.integrate cultural protocolswhy the law itself is designed withwhere healthy soil serves as theNation, not ahead, explains Hunt. This didnt happen in a vacuum.into every part of the process,a deeply inclusive and forward- foundation for long-term economicWe provide technical expertise,This isnt just a soil law.Almost a century ago, Sumasfrom screening soil supplierslooking view in mind. It considersrevitalization. permitting advice, and capacity- Its a path to healing.'