Our Reflections on Budget 2021

The Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership is pleased to see the recognition of Indigenous-led conservation in the Government of Canada’s Budget 2021. We strongly believe that supporting and strengthening Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship is the single most important strategy to conserve 25% of lands and waters by 2025.

With proposed investments in Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) and Indigenous Guardians, we look forward to continued dialogue, engagement and relationship-building in good faith, with Indigenous Nations, to protect the lands and waters that are vital for our future. 

On March 27, 2021, we celebrated the third anniversary of the bundle transfer ceremony in which the Indigenous Circle of Experts (ICE) and the National Advisory Panel presented in both written and oral tradition, their recommendations for the territorial, provincial and federal Pathways initiative for Target 1 of 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets for Canada. We reflected upon and renewed our responsibility to feed this bundle and act on the recommendations set forth by ICE.  

We believe our efforts have been instrumental in influencing the priorities of Budget 2021, but more work is needed to continuously recognize and strengthen Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship to achieve our collective biodiversity and climate goals and targets. We are committed to working with Indigenous Nations and the Government of Canada towards a genuine Nation-to-Nation relationship. 

Indigenous Nations across Canada/Turtle Island come up against challenges and barriers posed by entrenched colonial systems and processes when working to establish, resource and manage IPCAs. To address these challenges and barriers, and more importantly to achieve the goal of reconciliation, Indigenous Nations and their communities require the recognition of their inherent laws, rights, Titles and responsibilities of the lands and waters they have stewarded since time immemorial. We call on Crown partners to implement the recommendations presented by ICE as a roadmap to reach Canada’s biodiversity targets. 

With an historic investment of $2.3 billion in nature conservation in Budget 2021, we look forward to additional details on the implementation of these resources, specifically towards Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship and continuing the path we have forged in the spirit of reconciliation and reciprocity. 

With our partners, including the Indigenous Leadership Initiative and the IISAAK OLAM Foundation, we believe that supporting and amplifying Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship will make Canada an international role model in biodiversity and climate action.