The first national park in Canada was located in Banff, Alta.
The first national park in Canada was located in Banff, Alta.
GATINEAU, Que.-Parks Canada has developed a new strategy for working alongside Indigenous communities to conserve nature and culture.
The policy objectives, according to the Parks Canada website, are to have a framework for Indigenous stewardship and to support cultural continuity, cultural safety and healing.
Parks Canada says the Indigenous Stewardship Policy recognizes and supports Indigenous stewardship in all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering. It is designed to not only strengthen the connections between Indigenous people and the protected lands, waters and ice located within their traditional territories, treaty lands and ancestral homelands, but to also advance measures identified in the Government of Canada's United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan.
The Indigenous Stewardship Circle, an advisory group of First Nations, Inuit and Metis people from across the country worked with Parks Canada in creating the policy. This group will guide the implementation of the policy and create conditions that support cultural continuity, cultural safety, and healing for Indigenous People.
"The Indigenous Stewardship Policy is a significant step by the Government of Canada to meet the commitments made through the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan," said the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada. "This policy represents a true partnership between Indigenous Peoples and Parks Canada, where Indigenous knowledge systems, governance structures and stewardship practices will guide our collective efforts."
Parks Canada was created in the 1880s with the establishment of the country's first national park in Banff, Alta. Now the government agency manages more than 200 sites including national parks, historic sites and protected areas.
The government agency has not always been supportive of Native communities. At times, First Nations people, Métis and Inuit were displaced or banned from traditional hunting and harvesting lands.
But now, Parks Canada says the Indigenous Stewardship Policy is innovative in its approach, in that it was developed in ethical space and reflects Indigenous and western worldviews of stewardship and conservation. Values and principles will guide implementation of the proposed policy through place-based Indigenous stewardship plans and strategies.
"Parks Canada is acknowledging the wrongs of the past and how they did things and are making it right," Cindy Boyko Haida Nation Member and chair of the Indigenous Stewardship Circle told Jenna Dulewich of CBC Manitoba.
Nadine Spence, the vice president of Indigenous affairs and cultural heritage for Parks Canada also told CBC News, "We wanted to be able to demonstrate that we've been listening for decades and we've heard the feedback that's been provided and we needed to be able to demonstrate a tangible and concrete commitment moving forward," Spence also told CBC that all Canadians benefit when listening to Indigenous stewardship practices and that making space for Indigenous knowledge is important.
The new policy is grounded in four key principles:
1. Respect for Indigenous Rights, duties, and responsibilities: Acknowledging and respecting Indigenous rights and titles as recognized by Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, both historic and modern treaties, and by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This includes supporting Indigenous-led conservation and ensuring Indigenous voices are at the forefront of decision-making.
2. Fostering ethical spaces: Establishing and maintaining respectful relationships, grounded in truth-telling and culturally safe spaces. This also means that Parks Canada will work with Indigenous Peoples to support stewardship that is informed by Indigenous knowledge and worldviews.
3. Nurturing healthy, respectful relationships: Supporting co-management arrangements where Indigenous governments and communities and Parks Canada work together as equals and in ways that respect Indigenous laws and protocols.
4. Ensure continuity of Indigenous culture and language: Indigenous stewardship of lands, waters and ice is place-based and distinct. This means that approaches will be shaped by the local context and will foster the safeguarding of cultural practices, languages, and ways of life.
This policy will apply to all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering, including national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas, and other protected heritage areas. It furthers Parks Canada efforts to pursue a respectful approach to the management and governance of protected areas that aligns with Indigenous ways of stewarding lands, water, and ice. This renewed approach is based on what Parks Canada has heard for years from Indigenous partners, the evolution of Parks Canada's relationships with Indigenous Peoples and the legal landscape of Indigenous rights.
Parks Canada and Indigenous tribes have already been learning to work together the past few years with two other similar agreements. Examples of Indigenous-led conservation include Thaidene Nëné National Park Reserve in the Northwest Territories, where the Łutsël K'é Dene First Nation leads stewardship efforts, and in Prince Edward Island where the establishment of Pituamkek National Park Reserve has been made possible with Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nations.
"In numerous heritage places and in a variety of ways, First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners have resumed the stewardship of lands, waters and ice with Parks Canada's support," said Boyko. "This policy formalizes Parks Canada's role in supporting Indigenous stewardship, and ensures more equitable, effective and collaborative stewardship between Indigenous communities and Parks Canada at all protected places from coast to coast to coast. Members of the Indigenous Stewardship Circle are proud of the relationships we've developed with Parks Canada."
