The Canadian Mountain Assessment: Walking Together to Enhance Understanding of Mountains in Canada

The Canadian Mountain Assessment is a groundbreaking work of knowledge co-creation that showcases the diversity and significance of mountain areas in Canada, clarifies challenges and opportunities facing mountain systems, and will inform and inspire future mountain-focused research, policy, and action.

The Canadian Mountain Assessment provides a first-of-its-kind look at what we know, do not know, and need to know about mountain systems in Canada. The assessment is based on insights from First Nations, Métis, and Inuit knowledges of mountains, as well as findings from an extensive assessment of pertinent academic literature. Its inclusive knowledge co-creation approach brings these multiple forms of evidence together in ways that enhance our collective understanding of mountains in Canada, while also respecting and maintaining the integrity of different knowledge systems.

The Canadian Mountain Assessment is a text-based document, but also includes a variety of visual materials as well as access to video recordings of oral knowledges shared by Indigenous individuals from mountain areas in Canada. The assessment is the result of over three years of work, during which time the initiative played an important role in connecting and cultivating relationships between mountain knowledge holders from across Canada. It is the outcome of contributions from more than 80 Indigenous and non-Indigenous individuals and contains six chapters:

1. Introduction
2. Mountain Environments
3. Mountains as Homelands
4. Gifts of the Mountains
5. Mountains Under Pressure
6. Desirable Mountain Futures

By way of these chapters, the Canadian Mountain Assessment aims to enhance appreciation for the diversity and significance of mountains in Canada, to clarify challenges and opportunities for mountain systems in the country, and to motivate and inform new research, relationships, and actions that support the realization of desirable mountain futures. More broadly, the Canadian Mountain Assessment provides insights into applied reconciliation efforts in a knowledge assessment context and seeks to inspire similar knowledge co-creation efforts in and beyond Canada.

Canadian Mountain Assessment authors include: Graham McDowell, Madison Stevens, Shawn Marshall, Eric Higgs, Aerin Jacob, Gùdia Mary Jane Johnson, Linda Johnson, Megan Dicker, Dani Inkpen, Michele Koppes, Keara Lightning, Brenda Parlee, Wanda Pascal, Joseph Shea, Daniel Sims, Niiyokamigaabaw Deondre Smiles, Leon Andrew, Caroline Aubry-Wake, David Borish, Ashley-Anne Churchill, Dawn Saunders Dahl, Goota Desmarais, Karine Gagné, Erika Gavenus, Stephan Gruber, Jiaao Guo, Katherine Hanly, Nina Hewitt, Murray Humphries, Rod Hunter, Lawrence Ignace, Pnnal Bernard Jerome, Patricia Joe, Stephen Johnston, Knut Kitching, Douglas Kootenay, Daniel Kraus, Sydney Lancaster, Rosemary Langford, Lachlan MacKinnon, Christopher Marsh, Brandy Mayes, Hayden Melting Tallow, Charlotte Mitchell, Tim Patterson, Sophie Pheasant, Karen Pheasant, Melissa Quesnelle, Rachel Reimer, Lauren Rethoret, Gabriella Richardson, Brooklyn Rushton, María Elisa Sánchez, Richard Schuster, Tonya Smith, Lauren Somers, Chris Springer, Kyra St. Pierre, Karson Sudlow, Yan Tapp, Julie M. Thériault, Andrew Trant, Vincent Vionnet, John Waldron, Gabrielle Weasel Head, Sonia Wesche, Nicole J. Wilson, Matthew Wiseman, Kristine Wray, Stephen Chignell, Thomas McIlwraith, PearlAnn Reichwein, Steven M. Vamosi

Canadian Mountain Assessment is a special collaboration of the the Canadian Mountain Network, the Canadian Mountain Assessment, and University of Calgary Press. It was supported by the Canadian Mountain Network, a member of the Network of Centres of Excellence Canada program.

Acknowledgements
Foreward
Executive Summery
Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction

Chapter 2. Mountain Environments

Chapter 3. Mountains as Homelands

Chapter 4. Gifts of the Mountains

Chapter 5. Mountains Under Pressure

Chapter 6. Desirable Mountain Futures