Piikani Nation Lands Department is embarking on a tree planting program to plant Three Hundred Thousand trees in the Oldman River valley. The project seeks to create a biodiversity reserve that reinstates ecological growth and brings back willow and cottonwood trees in the valley after the river was adversely impacted by the development of the Oldman River Dam. In the long term, the planting of these trees will help to restore the area for local fauna and human use, bringing back recreation and cultural practices back to the valley. Traditionally Piikani Nation community members had access to the vast forest for cultural practises, and safe recreational activities in the river. It is our goal to bring these activities back into the valley after 30 years of unsafe conditions.
Piikani Nation will experience short term benefits that include youth employment and training. The short-term job creation will benefit the community by increasing skills and job experience to the younger generation with hopes they’ll choose a pathway to benefit Piikani’s goals. Our long-term goals and project objectives include the following:
- Cottonwood repopulation
- Willow repopulation
- Perseverance of culture
- Help with erosion mitigation
These goals are important to the Piikani people, as we rely on the usage of willows and cottonwoods to continue our cultural practises. Without these tools we the ability to rightfully practise our ceremonies, without that way of we begin the ripple effect of losing our identity.
