Honouring the Past, Safeguarding the Future: Prioritizing Indigenous Knowledge in Wildlife Conservation: 2024 Scientist in Residence

Public Lecture

January 31, 2024
In response to widespread concerns related to declining moose populations in Manitoba and Ontario, Dr. Allyson Menzies participated as part of a research team that developed a number of Indigenous-led moose monitoring programs. This initiative—-in partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous environmental professionals—-gathered information on moose in a way that weaves Indigenous Knowledge and Western science in a respectful manner.

Dr. Allyson (Ally) Menzies is of mixed Red River Métis and Settler descent, from across Treaty 1 and 2 territory and the homeland of the Métis Nation. She studied hibernation physiology of cave-dwelling bats for her MSc, and winter physiology and behaviour of red squirrels, snowshoe hares, and Canada lynx in the Yukon for her PhD. Menzies’s postdoctoral work aimed to identify the Indigenous values that need to be better prioritized in wildlife monitoring and research, and to determine which methodologies and approaches are most effective at doing so. As Assistant Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Calgary (2024+), she continues to work on developing approaches to environmental research, monitoring, and management that truly respect Indigenous rights and knowledge systems to create a path forward for conservation science that is rooted in mutual respect, reciprocity, and reconciliation.