Paper: Decolonial conservation: establishing Indigenous Protected Areas for future generations in the face of extractive capitalism

This paper explores two instances where Indigenous governments have established, or are establishing, IPCAs as novel strategies for land and water protection within long histories of resistance to colonial-capitalist exploitation.

This paper argues that there is a tension in Canadian conservation, whereby Indigenous-led conservation is promoted in theory, but is being undermined in practice. IPCAs offer glimpses of productive, alternative sustainabilities that move away from the colonial-capitalist paradigm, but are being challenged by governments and industries that still fail to respect Indigenous jurisdiction.

Youdelis, M. & Townsend, J. & Bhattacharyya, J. & Moola, F. & Fobister, J., (2021) “Decolonial conservation: establishing Indigenous Protected Areas for future generations in the face of extractive capitalism”, Journal of Political Ecology 28(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.2458/jpe.4716