Environmental career brings many challenges

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Naomi Williams, 28, an assistant environmental technologist from Walpole Island First Nation, credits a federal government program called BEAHR with expanding her career options and providing an opportunity to help her preserve her people's natural resource heritage.

BEAHR (Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources) is designed to increase Aboriginal people's employment prospects in the environmental sector. It consists of an internship and wage subsidy program for post-secondary graduates providing both work and networking experience. It can cover as much as one-third of an intern's salary.

Williams has just completed her internship begun in October 2003 with th Walpole Island Heritage Centre's natural resources and environmental division.

Williams said she had been "under-employed" in a three-month contract job at the heritage centre when her employer discovered the BEAHR Web site.

"One of the qualifications for interns is that they're either unemployed or under-employed," she added.

She said her impetus for an environmental career came from fishing and hunting with her grandfather and other family members during childhood in an area rich with abundant natural resources.

"I am from the Potawatomi, Ojibway and Odawa tribes and a member of the Crane Clan.

"It was in these surroundings where the Elders taught me many lessons and shared their traditional knowledge."

She also pointed out that in her culture it is the women's responsibility to protect and keep pure the water. In fact, Williams said the "Ojibway female connection to water" is the most satisfying part of her job.

As Williams matured, however, she saw numerous environmental problems such as chemical spills into the rivers and habitat loss threatening their traditional way of life."Then I no longer took the resources for granted."

A strong desire to protect the natural resources at home set Williams in pursuit of an environmental career. She graduated from Sarnia's Lambton College in July 2002.

While away, she studied water and waste water quality, air quality, toxicology, waste management, environmental law, soils, chemistry and sustainable development. The program was three years with a four-month co-operative education option.

She explained the four months' paid work experience before graduation "makes you more competitive in the marketplace."

Williams plans to further her education, and is considering a new degree program in environmental health and safety offered at Lambton College in September 2005. She is considering working while going to school part-time.

"Not many people at Walpole Island are in environmental fields," she said. "I'm one of the few with an environmental background. I would like to expand my outside knowledge and bring it back to the community."

Williams is particularly pleased with the growth she has experienced more recently through the BEAHR internship, explaining the wage subsidy program allowed her "the opportunity to develop my skills in the environmental field."

With full-time employment came opportunities to conduct presentations, write articles and broadcast on a monthly radio program.

Williams' internship at the heritage centre involved two main projects, she said. One was a study of pesticide use, which was launched in response to concerns about the effects of farming on wetlands. The other study was conducted to "quantify the level of mercury exposure experienced by the Aboriginal community through the consumption of fish."

As a Native person, Williams said she brings a unique perspective to this kind of study, as she understands that many First Nations are dependent on freshwater fish in their diet.

"Most existing fish consumption advisories do not take into consideration the cultural differences between First Nation and non-First Nation people," she said. "The heritage centre is working on a study that can be used to develop guidelines and obtain data at reflects the eating patterns of Walpole Island."

The significance of these projects becomes apparent when Williams reveals the "world-class" wetlands she has been working in comprise 15,000 acres, while another 14,000 acres are given over to agriculture.

For information on the BEAHR internship program, visit the Web site www.beahr.com.