Survey Background and Purpose
The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) is a national advocacy organization that works to advance the collective aspirations of First Nations individuals and communities across Canada on matters of national or international nature and concern. Every Chief in Canada is entitled to be a member of the Assembly, and the National Chief is elected by the Chiefs in Canada, who in turn are elected by their citizens. The AFN has more than 634 member nations within its Assembly. The role and function of the AFN is to serve as a nationally delegated forum for determining and harmonizing effective, collective, and cooperative measures on any subject matter that the First Nations delegate for review, study, response or action, and to advance the aspirations of First Nations.
The AFN acts as a key institution in supporting First Nations by coordinating, facilitating and advocating for policy change, while the leaders of this change are the First Nations themselves. Chiefs, and the First Nations they represent, must be an integral part of meeting the challenge of sustainable, transformative policy change.
The AFN Water Sector advocates for First Nations inherent and Treaty rights, title and jurisdiction related to water stewardship, which includes all aspects of environmental protection and conservation of both marine and freshwaters. Additionally, the AFN Water Sector’s work includes the traditional deep-rooted kinship between First Nations and water. The AFN Water Sector has various mandates from the First Nations-in-Assembly that work to advocate for First Nations priorities related to Marine Conservation and Biodiversity, Sustainable Development, and Freshwater Protection. For more information, please visit
https://afn.ca/environment/water-stewardship/.
The purpose of this survey is to build an understanding of marine and freshwater stewardship, governance, priorities, and capacities from a First Nations perspective. This survey is not intended to gather information about drinking water and wastewater and is instead focused specifically on First Nations environmental water stewardship. Examples of water protection and conservation initiatives may include (but are not limited to): aquatic habitat restoration, development of water laws, marine spatial planning, or climate change adaptation, mitigation and nature-based solutions with a focus on water.
Who Should Complete This Survey?
This survey is intended for First Nations leadership, technicians, and community members who are working on either marine waters or freshwater protection and conservation. This survey is also intended for those working for a First Nations Alliance, Tribal Council or other organization that supports First Nations’ marine and freshwater protection and conservation.
Prizes!
In recognition of your time to complete this survey, respondents will be entered into a draw for one of the following prizes:
- For leadership and technicians, there is an opportunity to win 1 of 2 prizes for your First Nation/Organization towards an ongoing or new water initiative valued at $2,000.00 each.
- For community members, there is an opportunity to win 1 of 4 prizes of $250.00 each.
Please complete this survey by August 31, 2024 to be entered into the prize draw!
Note: Individuals eligible for both categories (technician/leadership and community member) can complete the survey twice, once in each category, using separate web browsers (Google Chrome, Bing, Safari, etc.) for entry into both draws.
For more information about this survey, please contact Jamie Lavigne, Assembly of First Nations, Director of Water at [email protected] or Kate Cave, Centre of Indigenous Environmental Resources, Senior Project Manager at [email protected]
Survey Instructions and Consent
What Will Happen with the Information I Share Through This Survey?
The information collected through this survey will be compiled by the Center for Indigenous Environmental Resources with guidance from the AFN Water Sector into both a summary and final report. Individual survey responses and names will remain confidential and will not be shared beyond the project team.
By completing the survey, you consent to the information you provide being used in the above manner.
This survey adheres to the First Nations principles of Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession (OCAP). The information from the survey results will not reflect individual participant’s identifying information or a First Nation/Organization’s identifying information. For open-ended survey questions, we may reach out to you to quote respondents. In this case, we will reach out directly to request permission, and only if we receive consent will the information be used in the report.
Survey Instructions:
- This survey will take approximatley 30 minutes to complete.
- When you press next at the bottom of each survey page your answers for that entire page will save.
- You are able to change and review your responses by pressing the blue NEXT and PREV icons at the bottom of each survey page.
- If you are unable to finish the survey in one sitting, you can exit the survey and complete it at a later time provided you return to the survey on the same device.
- Once you complete the survey and press the final blue submit icon at the end of the survey, you will not be able to make changes to your responses.
- Please note, you are unable to use the back browser button throughout the survey.
- Press ‘Next’ to begin and to be entered into a draw to win a great prize!
