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Researchers say that government-funded Indigenous-led conservation efforts in Canada are having a sustained impact in the fight against climate change.
A recent report in the journal Earth’s Future found that these initiatives — such as Indigenous protected and conserved areas or land guardian programs — tend to perform better than federally and provincially protected areas when it comes to limiting carbon emissions.
They also perform just as well when it comes to maintaining biodiversity, the researchers say.
“Canada is still in the process of reconciliation with Indigenous peoples,” said Camilo Alejo a post-doctoral fellow at Concordia University and the lead author of the study. “When the federal government has the initiative to support Indigenous stewardship you get all this positive environmental and social outcomes.”
The report studied Indigenous guardian programs and Indigenous protected and conserved areas in Canada and the impact of government funding on these initiatives.
Alejo also indicated that the positive effects of these programs aren’t limited solely to the environment.
Indigenous-led nature-based solutions typically take a more holistic approach than federally and provincially protected areas, he said. They are used to connect youth and elders, Indigenous knowledge to Western knowledge, and Indigenous governments with local and provincial ones.
“It’s not only about conserving biodiversity or achieving biodiversity outcomes, but it’s about bringing culture, bringing social cohesion and bringing economic outcomes,” he said.
Jurisdiction as a key issue
In the Northwest Territories, there are currently three Indigenous protected conserved areas that are recognized by public governments in Canada, said Steven Nitah, managing director for the non-profit Nature for Justice.
Nitah is from the Łutsël K’é’ Dene First Nation and has been a leader in Indigenous-led conservation for over a decade.
He said government funding for Indigenous-led conservation efforts “is essential and 100 per cent required in certain jurisdictions.”
Steven Nitah of the non-profit Nature for Justice says Indigenous-led conservation efforts often involve questions of jurisdiction. (Sheldon Alberts/Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership)
However, he said the question of jurisdiction is “the biggest challenge” when it comes to Indigenous conservation efforts. He said there are hundreds of Indigenous protected areas across Canada and that “provincial and territorial governments are not recognizing them.”
The Earth’s Future report echoes that, and suggests that unresolved land rights, power imbalances in participation and decision-making, and restrictive legislation are issues that pose “significant challenges” to Indigenous-led nature based solutions.
“In many cases land rights are not very clear,” Alejo said. “The environmental and social outcomes are very constrained if there are no clear land rights for Indigenous peoples.”
Alejo said the government should look into investing more long-term funding in these projects.
“It should continue to be expanded and supported,” he said.
