HEALTHY LAND, HEALTHY PEOPLE
INDIGENOUS-LED CLIMATE ACTION: Links between carbon capture and storage and health Prepared by Rebecca Zalaski and Denise Webb
Whitefish Lake First Nation #128 (WFL #128) is a vibrant and culturally rich First Nations community in Treaty Six territory within northeastern Alberta. WFL #128 is a self-governing community covering an area of over 50 square kilometres with a population of approximately 3,237 members, two-thirds of whom reside on reserve (WFL #128, personal communication, May 2025). WFL #128 is a leader in environmental stewardship and sustainability for both current and future generations. Goodfish Lake Business Corporation, a development corporation within WFL #128 that employs much of the WFL #128 population, recognized the need for an environmental division to be created directly in the community.
In response to this need, Mother Earth Environmental Services was established to work towards remediating and protecting the environment of WFL #128, while also establishing environmental career opportunities for both WFL #128 members and nonmembers within the community. In 2024, WFL #128 commenced plans for a baseline assessment to forecast potential effects on environmental and human health from a large-scale and complex Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project that is proposed to take place within the WFL #128 territory.1 This fact sheet summarizes WFL #128’s plans for the baseline assessment, highlights links to human health and well-being, and looks to related research for potential next steps. Unless otherwise cited, the
information presented in this fact sheet is sourced directly through personal communications with Mother Earth Environmental Services of WFL #128. This resource is one in a series of fact sheets that showcases WFL #128’s climate action and sees the climate crisis through a public health lens. These resources are intended for First Nations communities, policy- and decision-makers, and other readers interested in the vast connections between climate action and protecting and promoting the health and well-being of Indigenous Peoples 2 and communities.
This project is in partnership between WFL #128, WSP Canada, and the University of Saskatchewan (USask) Toxicology Centre, with financial contributions from the Indigenous Services Canada (ISC) First Nations Baseline Assessment Program on Health and the Environment (BAPHE). The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent the views of WSP Canada, the USask Toxicology Centre, or ISC. 2 The term ‘Indigenous Peoples’ is used here to refer to First Nations peoples, Inuit, and Métis peoples collectively. 1