Bonaparte Indian Band


Based in Kamloops, British Columbia, Certes Applied and Natural Sciences Ltd. (Certes),provides professional resource consulting services throughout western Canada. Our multi-disciplinary team applies a collaborative approach with our clients, drawing from specialized education and experience in Natural Resource Management, Engineering, Traditional Land Use Studies, and Information Management.


In 2016, Certes undertook a GIS Data Management Services project for the Bonaparte Indian Band in Cache Creek, BC. This work comes under the Information Management/ Geomatics area of expertise Certes offers by a team of individuals trained and experienced in spatial management. Due to ever changing GIS technology, our team is committed to continually furthering their training and integrating new and better technologies in web mapping and web GIS.


The Information Management Challenges and Needs Faced by Bonaparte Indian Band


The Natural Resource Management (NRM) department of the Bonaparte Indian Band (BIB) is tasked with monitoring land use, safeguarding BIB rights and titles, and ensuring the forests, water and lands within the territory are healthy and productive. The department had identified some challenges around organization and retrieval of existing and new spatial data about the lands and resources throughout their traditional territory.


Review of the challenges and needs between Certes and the NRM staff identified immediate priorities that involved assessing the current state of GIS data and creating a database to store new and existing data, and allow for easier data retrieval. Our teams also determined the need to establish baseline data, and design structures and processes to help the BIB Natural Resources Management department with their GIS work flow.


Objectives and Solutions Developed by Certes and NRM


Certes identified objectives that would be imperative for allowing the Bonaparte Indian Band to effectively manage their GIS data, thereby providing up-to-date information to assist them in their land and resource use decision making. From conducting a thorough inventory of existing GIS datasets, and downloading/organizing basic data describing the traditional territory to designing a data model and folder structure to store and organize geographic data, to providing NRM staff with a GIS data management work flow diagram and training, Certes worked closely with NRM to facilitate set up of an effective GIS data management system.


The strength of our GIS expertise at Certes Applied and Natural Sciences is in collecting, storing, analyzing, managing and presenting geographically linked data. Within this project for the Bonaparte Indian Band, we were able to efficiently identify the strengths, challenges and gaps of the current state of each dataset, and to present spatially linked solutions.


Certes Values our Work with Indigenous Communities


Certes values the work we are invited to undertake with First Nations communities throughout western Canada, and the projects allow us to contribute to long-term relationships and successes built on trust and respect. Increased capacity for effective natural resource management in our First Nations clients, such as Bonaparte Indian Band, directly strengthens communities and their members.


Other specialized services offered by Certes that bring us into many collaborative projects with First Nations communities include Traditional Knowledge Studies, such as Traditional Land Use, Strategic Planning, Economic Development, Title and Rights, and Resource Management Planning. Contact Us at Certes to discuss how our resource consulting services may be of service.