March 12, 2024
Thaïs Bernos collaborates with the Cree Nation of Mistissini to find innovative ways to manage the fisheries in line with their values
Thaïs Bernos, a postdoctoral researcher in Concordia’s Department of Biology, is breaking new ground in fisheries research working with Indigenous communities.
In cooperation with the Cree Nation of Eeyou Istchee, in Northern Quebec, Bernos seeks to draw on multiple knowledge systems to better understand the relationships between culturally important fish species and the people that depend on them.
“I’m part of the FISHES project, a major collaboration between Indigenous communities and researchers from several universities,” she explains.
“Although I normally work with fish, my role in the FISHES project is more to establish the link between Indigenous and Western science, which means I mainly work with people.”
Bernos works in close collaboration with the Cree community of Mistissini, who lives in, owns, and manages some of the vastest areas of freshwater ecosystems and boreal forests in Quebec.