Our Second Year

In 2020, we were faced with many challenges. However, through a resilient governance structure and strong relationships with our partners, we adapted quickly and found ways to engage, innovate and connect. What resulted was a deep sense of gratitude for the opportunity to spend time around our home fires and still come together through digital gatherings and virtual campfires with good hearts and minds to advance our shared vision.

This report provides an overview of the second year of the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP) from May 2020 to May 2021. In an attempt to practice Ethical Space and Two-Eyed Seeing, this report combines written, video and audio knowledge-sharing and storytelling. We take you through our reflections on our journey thus far in which we strengthened our circle and community, built and shared knowledge and set the foundation for our lasting legacy.  

The CRP was birthed out of love for all creation and hope for a better future. While each of the Seven Grandfather and Grandmother teachings are always present in our work, the second year of our seven-year walk was guided by the gift of truth. We look ahead with bravery as we work together to amplify the voices of those who had forged a path before us and push more boundaries to advance Indigenous-led conservation and reconciliation.

We wish to share our gratitude and thank the Elder's Lodge, the Leadership Circle, Stream Leads, our partners and all contributors who have supported our work.

Wela'lin – Miigwetch – Marsi – ᖹᒧᐧᖹᖱᔪᒣᖽ – Kleco, Kleco – Sechanalyagh – Nakurmiik –Thank you – Merci

Reflections: Celebrating Our Partnership

On May 8, 2021, CRP partners and friends gathered virtually in ceremony to celebrate, reflect upon and renew our commitments. It was a day to remind ourselves of the CRP’s origin and vision, which is to help build capacity for implementing the recommendations set forth by the Indigenous Circle of Experts.

The Spirit of the Fire began at daybreak and was fed life until dusk by Firekeeper, Grandfather Jimmy Dick Eagleheart. A Celebration of Niibii/Water was offered by Grandmother Elder Maria Gaudet. In keeping with our Sacred Thirteen Moon governance, water was offered 13 times to acknowledge the Moons.

After a prayer, the ceremony opened with a steady heartbeat from coast to coast to coast, with seven drummers, starting in the East Gate, traveling to the North Gate, and ending in the West Gate. We are humbled and grateful for the songs and drumming from Sara Swinamer (East gate), Barry Sarazin, Elder Marilyn Capreol, Ernesto Bussidor (North Gate), Jacqueline and Dallas, Marilyn Baptiste and Chief Gordon Planes (West gate).

Reflections From the Leadership Circle

From East to West, members of the CRP Leadership Circle were invited to reflect and share on the past year and on how the sacred gift of truth has guided their work within the partnership.  

The following themes emerged: the opportunity to gain clarity and strength; nurturing relationships and a sense of community; speaking your own truth; emphasizing the process over the outcomes; the interconnection between truth and bravery – all with the vision and objective to advance Indigenous leadership in conservation efforts across Canada/Turtle Island.  

The ceremony was closed with a traveling song offered by drummer, singer and Firekeeper Jimmy Dick, Eagleheart. As part of our Spiritual responsibilities, berries were fed to the Spirits of below and above the water, Earth, Air and the Sacred Fire Bundles in the Sky World.  

Transcribed from audio: “In my experience working with the CRP has been that – the process in which we work together in many ways is far more important than the outcomes of the different projects and partnerships that we have. And in many ways, the process, the relationships – the deep, meaningful relationships that we’ve established, are going to outlive the outcomes.

And in many ways, I think that’s actually wonderful because that sets the ground for future initiatives to work together in other projects. So, I am very, very grateful for the opportunity that I’ve had to work with my colleagues and friends within the CRP. Thank you.”

– Faisal Moola, CRP Leadership Circle; Biocultural Indicators and Outcomes Stream Lead

Reflections from the Elder’s Lodge

The Elder’s Lodge also had an opportunity to share their reflections which centred around connection and unity, sharing our wisdom and strength with the next generation and resilience.

Strengthening Our Circle

Streams of Work

For the past two years, the CRP has been building the foundation for a collaborative and reciprocal space where Elders, Indigenous leaders, university and community-based researchers, conservation practitioners and community partners work together to inform, support and amplify Indigenous-led conservation.  

The CRP is not a typical university-based research project. Research is done collaboratively and in service of Indigenous-led conservation. The streams of work are dynamic spaces for intergenerational, intercultural and cross-sectional learning. Our work is emergent and will respond to community-driven priorities. The seven interconnected streams of work include:

• Ethical Space

• Knowledge Systems

• Conservation Governance

• Domestic Law and Policy

• International Policy

• Biocultural Indicators and Outcomes

• IPCA Economics, Infrastructure and Finance: newly launched in 2020.

There are more than 30 ongoing projects within the streams. While each stream has its own focus, they connect to form a collaborative and reciprocal space where Elders, university and community-based researchers, conservation practitioners and community partners work together to inform, support and amplify Indigenous-led conservation.

Learn more about CRP’s streams of work here.

The CRP Student and Postdoctoral Community

The CRP Student and Postdoctoral researchers’ community is comprised of university students across Canada. This co-learning peer group first gathered in June 2020, creating a space for student researchers affiliated with the CRP to share ideas, projects and resources to inform their research. The community has grown from 10 to 27 members from universities across Canada. Their monthly meetings created a social relationship among the members who found the gathering as a place of solace amidst the COVID19 pandemic challenges.

Members have participated in several conferences and have published blogs, op-eds and peer-reviewed articles on reconciliation, decolonization and Indigenous-led conservation. They have also created an online library to share and exchange knowledge. We look forward to more collaborative work from the CRP Student and Postdoctoral Community in the years to come.

Land Trust Co-Learning Circle

The Land Trust Co-Learning Circle was created for Indigenous and non-Indigenous conservation policy-makers, practitioners, researchers as well as Indigenous Nations to collectively network and share knowledge in support of Indigenous land trusts in Canada. It is a safe space for members to bring diverse perspectives and experiences to advance understanding and approaches to establishing Indigenous-led land trusts. The co-learning circle has met four times and has helped to increase knowledge at the institutional and organizational levels at various agencies to better engage with and support Indigenous-led conservation.

The circle has identified priorities going forward, including a collaborative research project, hosting regional sharing circles and engaging law students into their work.

Building Knowledge Together

The second year of the CRP focused heavily on knowledge building and sharing. We had the opportunity to host several webinars, virtual gatherings and co-learning circles which reached students, Indigenous Nations, environmental agencies and organizations, Crown governments and interested members of the public.

In addition, several educational videos, articles, books and reports were developed, from which key lessons will be distilled into a variety of accessible co-developed resources. These resources cover a variety of topics, all centred around building capacity for and increasing understanding of Indigenous-led conservation. Key themes include: operationalizing Ethical Space; colonial impacts on conservation practices; Indigenous and natural law in the context of protecting lands and waters; land planning, governance and management; natural climate solutions; and Indigenous use of fire.

Five focused workshops on IPCA establishment with Williams Treaty Nations (in collaboration with partners Ontario Nature and Cambium Aboriginal) and one week-long intensive course for CRP student researchers (in collaboration with partners Coastal Routes and CESI) were other ways the CRP directly shared knowledge and created spaces for co-learning.

In addition, curriculum was developed for the IPCA Planning Certificate, Indigenous-led Conservation program for the University for Peace, and the Masters in Conservation Leadership program at the University of Guelph.

Virtual Campfire Series

The Virtual Campfire Series of webinars was launched in April of 2020 to create a space for learning, dialogue and storytelling in support of Indigenous-led conservation and establishing and maintaining IPCAs. Topics have ranged from demystifying the doctrine of discovery and Indigenous law, to concrete examples of Indigenous-led natural climate solutions and IPCA establishment.

The webinars were also used as educational tools for a course taught by CRP researcher Jeji Verghese, entitled “Indigenous-Settler Relations in Canadian Society.” As part of their final assessment, students were asked to review a portion of Virtual Campfire Series recordings to curate videos that focused on a specific learning outcome or theme identified by the CRP.

The webinars provided an opportunity for students to hear from diverse perspectives – from Elders to youth – on a variety of topics to better understand the breadth of knowledge, culture and heritage of Indigenous communities across Turtle Island. Students were able to learn from real-life, timely examples of the opportunities, tensions and challenges within Indigenous-led conservation and reconciliation efforts, breathing life into their discussions and reading materials.

Several of the final, curated videos will be published and accessible on the CRP website and eventually the Solutions Bundle.

Our Legacy

The CRP has three legacy projects that will continue to advance Indigenous-led conservation once the initiative has come to the end of its seven-year journey. The legacy projects include: the Solutions Bundle, the IPCA Alliance, and IPCA Innovation Centres:

 Solutions Bundle:

The Solutions Bundle will be a digital space to honour, celebrate and catalyze Indigenous-led conservation in Canada. It is being developed in collaboration with the CRP Elder's Lodge, the CRP Leadership Circle, the IISAAK OLAM Foundation and other partners. A physical bundle will be created and birthed in ceremony to ensure the spirit of the Solutions Bundle is maintained and nurtured.

Weaving together the Western concept of a library and the Indigenous concept of a sacred bundle, the Solutions Bundle will be a digital representation of Ethical Space. It will hold stories, videos, songs, reports, resources and artwork to support Indigenous-led conservation, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).

As a precursor to the Solutions Bundle, the CRP website search engine was created for ease of access to an extensive database of resources in support of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). Since October 2020, the search engine has garnered 2, 224 visits, with "Ethical Space" being the highest searched term on the site. Overall, the CRP website garnered 22,000 visits and 44,000 page views.

The Solutions Bundle will be launched in late 2021 to early 2022.

 IPCA Network (working title):

The host organizations of the CRP are collaborating to create a lasting network for continuing the momentum of the Indigenous Circle of Experts for the Pathway to Canada Target 1 and the CRP after its seven-year walk. The members of the network itself will drive its governance structure and mandate.

IPCA Innovation Centres:

IPCA Innovation Centres are physical spaces for relationship-building, creative problem-solving, knowledge-sharing and land-based learning for Indigenous-led conservation. Strategically located in regions across the country, these hubs will bring together the best of Indigenous knowledge and modern science to shape the future of conservation in Canada and abroad.

The very first Innovation Centre will be located in British Columbia, strongly anchored at the Clayoquot Campus with programming rooted in Nuu'Chah'Nulth knowledge and teachings. The CRP is also seeking to engage Nations in Southern Ontario, the University of Guelph and Dalhousie University for the establishment of IPCA Innovation Centres in Ontario and Nova Scotia.

Our Message of Healing and Hope

In 2020, the CRP was guided by the sacred teaching of truth. While the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in uncertainty, illness and loss, we were also gifted with the opportunity to pause and reflect on how we live on this Earth and how we engage with each other.

During the curation of this report, many painful truths came to light: the horrific discoveries of mass and unmarked graves of children, tragic crimes fueled by hate, and intensifying devastation wreaked by climate change to name a few. Instead of despair, what we have witnessed is people coming together from diverse communities, groups and Nations in solidarity, support and love. Through these painful truths, we have been given the gift of bravery to rise together in support of a larger vision to create a brighter, bountiful and more inclusive future for all that is free of fear, hate and injustice.

As CRP Researcher and Knowledge Systems Stream Lead Deborah McGregor shared with us, we’re not finished with truth quite yet. We are guided by all of the Seven Grandfather/Grandmother Teachings at any point in time. Click below to hear more (see full transcription at the end of this page):

Upon reflection of the past year, CRP Leadership Circle member Steven Nitah reminded us of the primary and original purpose of the CRP, which is to build on the groundwork of the Indigenous Circle of Experts and National Advisory Panel through the Pathway to Target 1 process. This is done through advancing reconciliation and decolonizing existing parks and protected areas, as well as supporting Indigenous Nations as they establish Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). There will be moments where we bump up against truth and tension, but it is within this space where we have an opportunity to learn and grow.

Elder Albert Marshall asks us to find the bravery required to amplify Indigenous voices and push boundaries within Crown governments and agencies, environmental organizations, and academic research and institutions to advance Indigenous-led conservation.

We continue to be guided by our message of hope: to inspire reconciliation, not reaction. By enacting our collective responsibility to care for, nurture and create abundance of life on Earth, we aim to bring back into balance the relationships between ourselves and the natural world.

Closing Words

Elder Larry McDermott offers closing remarks on how many truths have come to light, how we must transform those truths into healing, and how to look to the strength, courage, and bravery of the Mother Bear into the next year of the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership.

Transcription of Deborah McGregor’s Reflection on Truth and Bravery:

“I think, for me bravery, like I always go back to, because I work with this story a lot especially with young people, is the re-creation story of the Anishinabek – where the muskrat has to, being the most humble and supposedly the weakest, is the one who comes up with the soil. But I don’t really see the teachings as being distinct, or being separate, they all connect to each other. The muskrat does it because of love for future generations and for Sky-Woman. So, part of it is being selfless and thinking, or keeping your eye on the bigger vision: to support all life. That’s the ultimate purpose of the Anishinabek. That’s what those teachings are supposed to teach you.

I think the other thing about them is, they’re basically ideals. You’re never really going to achieve them. The whole point is, because we weren’t perfect. I always say this: Indigenous People were not perfect. And so, a lot of our stories are facing destruction, having had destruction, food insecurity – but what the difference is what we do to deal with it, right, through our own governance and legal traditions. As opposed to colonization where you’re stuck with other people’s laws and trying to solve the problems that we face, which from Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) don’t work.

To me, bravery is understanding what the bigger vision is and doing what you need to do to get there. So that’s what I think, I always go back to that story because I work with it a lot. Students are pretty creative in coming up with what it means to be brave, because if you’re not challenged, if it’s not – you know because the muskrat in this story could die and in some he does, in other ones he doesn’t. So, you don’t know what’s going to happen, but you do it anyway. Because you have these higher principles that you’re focused on. You understand what your vision is. You understand what your roles and responsibilities are. So that’s how I kind of think about bravery and you do it because you are scared.

The other way I think about it is that it’s not all done. You don’t say, ‘We did truth this year, and we don’t need to think about it.’ It’s always continually being revealed through the other work that you do because you can’t possibly know everything. To me, we’re not done with truth.”