Indigenous and decolonial futures: Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas as potential pathways of reconciliation

Abstract

Crown governments, the conservation sector, academics, and some Indigenous governments, communities, and organizations are framing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs)—a newly recognized form of Indigenous-led conservation in Canada—as advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. Yet it is often unclear what is being, or could be, reconciled through IPCAs. While highly diverse, IPCAs are advanced by Indigenous Nations, governments, and communities who protect them, with or without partners, according to their Indigenous knowledge, legal, and governance systems. IPCAs may be expressions of “generative refusal,” visions of Indigenous futures, and commitments to uphold responsibilities to the lands, waters, and past and future generations. IPCAs refuse settler colonial ontologies including the expectation of ongoing white settler privilege, which relies on the continued appropriation of lands and resources. By examining the practical, relational, and systemic challenges Indigenous Nations advancing IPCAs encounter, we discuss opportunities for Crown governments and the conservation sector to cultivate decolonial responses. Indigenous Nations advancing IPCAs may face challenges with resource extraction, laws and legislation, financing, relationships and capacity, and jurisdiction and governance. We contend that IPCAs could be pathways of reconciliation if Crown governments and the conservation sector support IPCAs in ways consistent with the recommendations of Indigenous leaders. This requires dismantling the roadblocks arising from settler ontologies and institutions that impede IPCA establishment and ongoing stewardship. Thus, not only could Indigenous futures be advanced, we might also cultivate decolonial futures in which all peoples and species can thrive.

The potential for Indigenous-led conservation in urbanized landscapes in Canada

“…In it, the Canadian government has emphasized three interconnected objectives to guide policy development: (1) conserving nature; (2) connecting people with nature; and (3) advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples. The federal government's commitment to partnering with Indigenous Peoples in its National Urban Parks Program is consistent with recent developments to decolonize conservation policy and practice globally (Dominguez and Luoma, 2020;Maxwell et al, 2020;Tran et al, 2020), including support for area-based conservation led by Indigenous Peoples; known as Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in the Canadian context (Zurba et al, 2019;Dietz et al, 2021;Mansuy et al, 2023;Townsend and Roth, 2023). 1 Recent research has found that areas of greatest biodiversity overlap with Indigenous territories globally (Garnett et al, 2018) and there is growing evidence that IPCAs and other types of Indigenous-managed areas are as good or better at resisting environmental degradation from human land use, as well as sustaining biodiversity, compared to state-regulated parks (Nepstad et al, 2006;Corrigan et al, 2018;Schuster et al, 2019).…”

“…Indigenous Peoples' existing Aboriginal and Treaty rights are also acknowledged and affirmed in Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution Act (1982). In some parts of the country, First Nations have gained new powers under recent court decisions as well (e.g., Tsilhqot'in Nation v British Columbia 2014 SCC 44;Reo et al, 2017;Townsend and Roth, 2023). In addition, the collective and individual rights of Indigenous Peoples, including Indigenous governance over traditional lands and waters and requirements for free, prior and informed consent for activities happening in them, including conservation, are protected internationally through the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which Canada is a signatory to but has yet to fully implement (Smith, 2015;Artelle et al, 2019).…”

“…Simultaneously, the Government of Canada also declared its commitment to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's (TRC) Calls to Action, guided by the United Nations Declaration of Rights for Indigenous Peoples (Assembly, 2007;TRC, 2015). The Government of Canada created the Pathway to Canada Target 1 to bridge these conservation and reconciliation commitments and established the Canada Nature Fund to support Indigenous-led and other effective area-based conservation initiatives including IPCAs that contribute to achieving Canada Target 1 (Townsend and Roth, 2023). The Pathway explicitly mentions the creation and recognition of IPCAs as a mechanism to achieve the conservation and reconciliation goals in Canada.…”

“…This report also highlights the three key characteristics of IPCAs: (1) they are Indigenous-led; (2) they represent a long-term commitment to conservation; and (3) they elevate Indigenous rights and responsibilities. This report recognized IPCAs as an effective platform to contribute to the resurgence of Indigenous peoples in Canada as rights holders and to advance Indigenous-led conservation and reconciliation in Canada (Townsend and Roth, 2023).…”

“…Other studies have argued that urban parks are often not culturally representative or safe spaces for Indigenous Peoples and other marginalized communities, particularly inner-city youth, furthering the process of erasure and dispossession with settler colonialism (Hatala et al, 2020;Hernandez and Vogt, 2022;Mullenbach et al, 2022). Canadian parks, including in urban centers, most often fail to acknowledge Indigenous Peoples' ongoing custodianship of the land, necessitating structural changes to ensure the inclusivity of Indigenous rights, knowledge, customary use, governance and environmental stewardship systems (Youdelis et al, 2021;Mansuy et al, 2023;Townsend and Roth, 2023).…”