How long have you been a member of SER, why did you join, and what is your best experience with SER far?

I became a member of SER a few months ago, and I am looking forward to this upcoming field season! I am looking forward to connecting with the SER community and sharing my knowledge and experience. I joined SER in hopes to connect with other environmental folks and create culturally relevant programming for First Nation/Indigenous youth. 

Chevaun Toulouse working in the field

What is your current occupation?

Chevaun Toulouse nindizhinikaaz. Sagamok First Nation nindonjibaa. Ginoozhe nindoodem. Anishinaabe kwe ndow. My name is Chevaun Toulouse; I am a mother and a full-time biology and Indigenous environmental science student at Trent University. I am from Sagamok Anishnawbek First Nation. I am currently completing my Biology and Indigenous environmental science undergraduate with Trent University. Furthermore, I recently contributed to a Bilingual (Ojibwe/English) Reptile and amphibian species at risk colouring book for youth in partnership with Magnetawan First Nation.

Please tell us about your career trajectory in the field of ecological restoration?

Sagamok Anishnawbek is situated between Lake Huron and the Spanish River. It is located across from Manitoulin Island, the largest freshwater island in the world. There are many lakes and wetlands in my community, home to many wetland species now at risk.

As an Anishinaabe growing up on the North Shore of Lake Huron in my home community of Sagamok Anishnawbek, the Great Lakes Untamed project has been especially important to me. I am Ginoozhe(pike) clan and as an Anishinaabe kwe, I feel as though I have a calling to try to conserve our fragile water ecosystems.

Growing up on Sagamok Anishnawbek gave me an interest in and respect for the natural environment. As a child, I was outside every day, catching snakes and turtles in the swamps. I was exploring my surroundings, becoming familiar with the plant and animal species that lived around me and in my community.

My connection to the land has inspired me to pursue higher education in ecology and Indigenous science, to conduct extensive work with reptiles in the Great Lakes watershed, and to help others reconnect to the land. I have worked on environmental conservation projects with First Nations; municipal, provincial, and federal governments; conservation authorities; private businesses; and private landowners. I recently held the position of researcher for an incredible TV series just released called Great Lakes Untamed. Bringing an Indigenous scientific perspective to this project has helped me understand the importance of storytelling through film.

Chevaun Toulouse working in the field

How a person perceives the world directly influences the priorities they have in their life. Filmmaking is a way to reach an audience and give them the choice to change their perception, or at least provide them with the information they need to assess their priorities.

Many people do not understand that the land is more than the wildlife it houses. Filmmakers can bring the viewer to eye level with the land itself and those who depend on it to survive. They can bring to light things that are not often seen. Filmmakers can provide a spotlight for those who need to be acknowledged, such as those suffering from environmental loss and degradation. They can frame a cause to not only provide information, but also to facilitate connection and elicit an emotional response. Filmmakers can make viewers care, which can then turn into action. 
 
In this way, filmmakers and other storytellers have a responsibility to share important stories and their truths. Reframing “land use” to “land relationship” or “land connection” may help facilitate viewers’ appreciation for the land and emphasize the imminent crisis we and the rest of its inhabitants are facing. We need to use storytelling to show the relationship we humans have with the land—the relationship we need to nourish for our survival. Once we collectively feel this connection, this relationship, we can then begin to understand the responsibility we have—the responsibility that I feel, and that my ancestors felt.

What do you find most rewarding about working for your organization?

Conservation outreach with First Nations and working for the environment have been the most rewarding experiences I have ever known. 
 
My son inspires me to be the best Anishinaabe kwe (mother) I can be. I want him to know his `language and culture, which is why I am learning it with him. I want to conserve and protect our beautiful land for my little ginoozhe (pike).

What projects are you working on right now?

I recently held the position of researcher for an incredible TV series just released called Great Lakes Untamed. Bringing an Indigenous scientific perspective to this project was important me, while also highlighting the current struggles our Great Lakes face. There is an associated Biinaagami educational campaign which has involved many Indigenous people, and which aims to make sure that the wider community involves First Nations in the decision-making about the Great Lakes. It is planned that this will go out to 25,000 teachers in Canada.

Chevaun Toulouse as a monarch butterfly

How does your work support the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration?

Upon graduation, I am hoping to work as a Species at risk biologist for my community, so I can develop and implement conservation strategies while also developing cultural/land-based outreach materials/resources for First Nation communities. I am a member of multiple Indigenous committees in relation to environmental conservation. Work supports the UN decade in the following ways: language revitalization, reconciliation through conservation, program development, outreach with First Nations and species at risk conservation and outreach.

What does ecological restoration mean to you?

The colonial interference in my family and my environment, and the intergenerational trauma passed down, means I have had to seek out and rebuild cultural connections with people and the land. Although I have grown up in my community, I still do not know my language, and I am just starting to learn more about Anishinaabe culture. This is especially important now that I am a mother.

Regaining knowledge that was lost, I have grown to understand the inherent responsibility I feel to care for the land. The connection to the land is a foundation in Anishinaabe culture, and it is this connection that allows me to care deeply about biodiversity and the importance of healthy ecosystems.

Why would you encourage others, particularly young people, to get involved in this field?

Being out on the land every day was where it all started to make sense. While I was working on the Blanding’s turtle project for the Toronto Zoo Turtle Island Conservation, I collaborated with other Indigenous women interested in conservation. This was the first time I got the chance to work with other Anishinaabe youth who had similar interests as me.

This connection is an ancient one, as Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island (North America) have been caretakers of the land since time immemorial. Many Indigenous people understand that caring for the land and environment is a sacred responsibility. There is an understanding of relation to the land, where the land, humans, and non-human life are all interdependent in a cyclical way. The wetlands of my home are full of biodiversity, and the circle of life is on constant display: the water snakes hunting the frogs, the turtles feeding on carrion, red-winged blackbirds hunting insects. 

With this viewpoint, it is easy to understand why the greatest abundance of biodiverse life is found in places where Indigenous people continue to steward the land, honoring the responsibility of caretaker.

What’s one thing – either industry-related or not – you learned in the last month?

I have been learning the importance of community in the last month.

Chevaun Toulouse with a snake

What’s something about you (a fun fact) that not many people know?

I caught all the snake species in Ontario.

Supporting links:

• Chevaun Toulouse receives Nature Canada’s Young Nature Leaders Grant
• SAY Magazine, Environment, Indigenous Lifestyle: From The Swamp To The Great Lakes, Chevaun Toulouse Brings Indigenous Perspective To Conservation
• Sagamok resident is making a difference, making each day Earth Day
• Native Women in the Arts is pleased to announce the shortlisted nominees and winner of the 8th Annual Barbara Laronde Emerging Artist Award
• 'Speaking from the heart': Magnetawan First Nation releases Anishinaabemowin colouring book: the projects aims to engage youth with the land and preserve language
• Featuring Anishinabemowin names for the creatures, the project is aimed at language preservation
• Woman shines spotlight on species-at-risk around Great Lakes 
• Filmmakers Making A Social Impact: Why & How Filmmaker Chevaun Toulouse Is Helping To Change Our World 
• Documentary Series ‘Great Lakes Untamed’ is a Stunning Look at the Fragility of Nature
• TVO launches ‘Great Lakes Untamed’ series Sept. 26
• BBC to TVO: Canadian director comes home with Great Lakes doc series
• Direct Action Blog: Swamp Adventures Coming Full Circle
• Success Stories—Kassie & Chevaun - Miziwe Biik
• Snakes in First Nation Culture by Chevaun Toulouse
• Guardians of the Bay - Georgian Bay Association
• Protected Areas and Climate Action in Ontario: A Cross-Cultural Dialogue
• Overwintering Ecology of Head-started Blanding's Turtles (Emydoidea blandingii) in an Artificial Wetland Complex
• New tribe Magazine feature and Changemaker award
• STEM Magazine / STEAM Magazine
• 88 youth gathered at Camp Elphinstone to prepare for ocean protection congress