Overview

On April 15 to18, 2019, members of approximately 15 First Nations and representatives of Canada’s Environmental Non-Governmental Organization (ENGO) community gathered in Victoria BC for a series of workshops to discuss the how ENGOs can better support Indigenous Nations in the establishment of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in Canada.

The purpose of this Dialogue was to build on initiatives such as the Indigenous Circle of Experts’ report, We Rise Together, in order to achieve the Pathway to Canada Target 1 in the spirit and practice of reconciliation.

More than 30 participants contributed to the Dialogue, which was guided by three key questions:

1. What are the success stories of collaborations between Indigenous Peoples and ENGOs?

2. What are the lessons learned?

3. What are the outstanding questions?

Outcomes from these discussions will inform ongoing development of the Solutions Bundle (renamed and launched as the IPCA Knowledge Basket in 2022), a tool that helps foster relationships and collaborations in support of IPCAs.

In conjunction with this Dialogue, Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks Allies and the IISAAK OLAM Foundation organized a Meares Island Tribal Park 35th anniversary celebration. By demonstrating what is possible, this celebration was intended to inspire other Indigenous Nations to undertake their own IPCA projects.

This Dialogue was hosted by the IISAAK OLAM Foundation, core members of the Indigenous Circle of Experts for the Pathway to Canada Target 1, and Tla-o-qui-aht Tribal Parks. Chief Gordon Planes of T'Sou-ke Nation welcomed participants to Coast Salish territories on behalf of his Songhees relatives.

Main Themes and Insights from the Dialogue

This Dialogue aimed to illustrate how ENGOs can be good allies to Indigenous-led protection and conservation of nature. The following themes, insights and ideas, which emerged from workshop sessions, will help inform and further develop the Solutions Bundle.

1. Importance of Ceremony

Throughout the workshop, ceremony was emphasized. Ceremony strengthens and reaffirms relationships in Ethical Space, both between people and with the land. Ceremony grounds us to the land in whatever we are doing. This is the medicine bundle aspect of the Solutions Bundle, part of creating this process in a good way.

2. Respecting Natural Law and Indigenous Law                                                                                    

The primary treaty with the Creator is reflected in Natural Law. Natural Law, instructions from the Creator, responsibilities to the land, and treaty relationships with other species formed the basis for the original Peace and Friendship Treaties between Indigenous nations and newcomers, and these still hold today. Newcomers are also subject to Natural Law and bound to these original treaties. Everyone is a treaty person; however, treaties are inter-species as well as inter-societal. Upholding relationships and responsibilities to the Creator, the land, and other species is the prerequisite to making treaty with other human societies.

The Nuu-cha-nulth concept of Iisaak embodies respect for natural law: to observe, appreciate, and act accordingly. Many other cultures have equivalent philosophies.

3. Grounding Collaboration in Treaty Relationships

It is essential for all ENGOs working within Indigenous Peoples' territories to know the history of the land where they work, to find out whether there are treaties governing relationships and understand the nature of those treaties, and if there are no treaties to at least know and understand what protocols exist to guide relationships.

The first treaties between Indigenous Peoples and newcomers were Peace and Friendship Treaties. Algonquin Elder Larry McDermott and Haudenosaunee Elder Dan Longboat shared about these original agreements, including the Two-Row Wampum and the 1764 Treaty of Niagara. As Art Napoleon from Saulteau First Nation explained, the so-called numbered treaties such as Treaty 8 were also Peace and Friendship Treaties, not land surrenders as the government's written text suggests.

These treaties are nation-to-nation negotiated agreements, and they include reference to Natural Law and Indigenous Peoples' concerns with depletion of fish, animals etc. They are also Multilateral Environmental Agreements.

Peace and Friendship: "True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice."(Martin Luther King, Jr.)

4. Conservation and Reconciliation

Truth-telling is necessary before reconciliation. ENGOs need to acknowledge history of conservation in colonialism and displacement of Indigenous Peoples from their lands.

It is important to define reconciliation and know where your organization stands: Does reconciliation mean transfer of decision-making power to Indigenous citizens, equitable working partnerships, shared benefits, etc.? Understand reconciliation as a verb, an ongoing process and participatory action with value in itself, rather than an end state or condition where we've arrived. Reconciliation is a two-way street, not a destination. It is, however, not up to Indigenous governments/Peoples/communities to initiate reconciliation.

Following are some suggested actions for ENGOs.

a. Consider various ways that reconciliation may be undertaken:

• It is important for ENGOs to investigate and understand the governance structures in place within Indigenous Nations and communities: Are there traditional governance structures, and/or Chief and Council from the Indian Act-created Band Councils? Consider also the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and Free Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) and whom you need consent from.

• Are Impact and Benefit-Sharing Agreements (IBAs) true reconciliation? Or do they reinforce capitalism? (Many are starting to understand that capitalism is wreaking havoc with Mother Earth and relationships between societies). Such "agreements" can work to further assimilation rather than reconciliation.

b. Consider what ENGOs can do to advance reconciliation

• ENGOs should understand the place where they work. They should consider whether they have consent to do that work (FPIC), and from whom this consent has been obtained (see governance and reconciliation above). ENGO representatives need to ask themselves: are the people with whom they are engaging the relevant Indigenous title-holders?

• ENGOs should not only advocate for new IPCAs in partnership with Indigenous Peoples – they should also advocate for Indigenous Peoples' rights to traditional territories long alienated in earlier protected areas such as national parks.

• ENGOs need to educate donors about the places in which they work. The shift in what a protected area should look like needs to be communicated to funders and other supporters of protected areas to shift expectations in line with reconciliation on the land.

• Support Indigenous Peoples' acts of resistance that refuse colonial laws. 

c. Become a Better Ally

• For ENGOs, collaboration with Indigenous Peoples should be understood as more than merely a means to achieving campaign goals. It is important to figure out how to be a true ally, and if appropriate then form mutually beneficial collaborations.

• ENGOs have grant-writing skills and can support Indigenous Nations in securing funding for projects. ENGOs can also support Indigenous NGOs to develop and build capacity, as well as amplifying the scope and impact of Indigenous Nation-led initiatives such as IPCAs.

• Collaboration and allyship in the spirit of reconciliation for mutual benefit: For example, ENGOs might publicly indicate support for reconciliation, defining it in terms of land and biodiversity goals which may overlap with the Nations' goals. Then Indigenous Nations may be able to draw on the specific skills and expertise that ENGOs bring, to match skills together and achieve shared conservation goals.

• Finally, through their communications channels, ENGOs have the ability and responsibility to educate non-Indigenous Canadians about treaty obligations to the land and to Indigenous Peoples; as good allies they also have a moral imperative to work with Indigenous Peoples to counter racist attitudes in relation to conservation.

5. Principles for Engagement and Building Relationships

It is important that ENGOs "do their homework" and due diligence around geopolitics and the history of Canada before asking for mentorship and additional support from Indigenous conservation leaders. Particularly since the publication of the ICE report, there has been a huge demand on the time of core ICE members and other key knowledge holders. Be sure to read the report and other existing resources first!

Personal relationships in the community are vital. It is important to spend time in community without an agenda, taking the time to build relationships and get to know the community, including governing bodies like the hereditary /traditional leadership and Chief and Council.

The value of this relationship-building as a project outcome and foundation for long-term engagement needs to be communicated to funders. Industry groups have established paid positions for this sort of engagement, and they often reach out to Indigenous Nations early on, signing agreements that may constrain conservation relationships.

Recognize that community members' priorities might not be the same as yours. Spend time and engage with people as citizens of Nations, not as members of an Indian-Act band. Consultation with Chief and Council is not sufficient. Don’t expect uniformity and consensus in First Nations communities, any more than you would expect it in any other town or city. It may be possible to work with community members whose goals are aligned those of the ENGO, and these people may be able to convince the leadership to support the project. Recognize that sometimes you need to wait if the community is not ready to engage on your proposed project.

Relationship, relationship, relationship: deep relationships are essential to do this work properly. And attain Free, Prior and Informed Consent.

Long-term relationship-building: Reconciliation Zones. These are pilot projects of the Iisaak Olam Foundation to create shared workspaces for collaboration and relationship-building between Indigenous organizations and non-Indigenous organizations, including ENGOs.

6. Sacred Urgency

Several ENGO staff expressed a sense of immediate urgency, as so many species and habitats are in danger of being lost. Honest relationship-building takes time, but how is it possible to speed up and scale up the process? More discussion between ENGOs and Indigenous Nations about how to manage this sense of urgency is needed.

Building relationships takes time but is vital for long-term success. This is sacred work; it is a time of sacred urgency. Good processes will lead to good and lasting outcomes.

7. Holistic Conservation and Indigenous Economics

Indigenous economics is about nurturing abundance – it is not merely about sustainability. It is about caring for land, caring for people, and sustaining livelihoods. Not only about survival, but living an abundant, beautiful life. IPCAs become "beacons of teachings" – models for living in and with place. But protected areas, including IPCAs, are not enough because not everywhere will one find an IPCA. The long-term goal is to heal and to relearn how to live in reciprocal relationship with the world wherever you are. It is necessary to rethink what it means to protect and preserve. The environmental movement has long focused on protecting wilderness as nature without humans.

Follow-up and Future Actions

ENGO Capacity-building

• ENGOs, including senior management, are encouraged to familiarize themselves with the (2018) ICE Report, We Rise Together.

• Reconciliation group:  ENGO staff are encouraged to meet together, both within their own organizations and with other ENGOs, to read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's 94 calls to Action, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the ICE Report, reflecting on how these principles apply to their conservation work.

Strengthening ENGO-First Nations working relationships

• At future gatherings, each ENGO could explore bringing Indigenous community partners

• Development of Solutions Bundle curriculum for ENGO audiences is ongoing, based on feedback from this workshop.

Sponsors

Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the University of Guelph (Geography), the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Advisory Committee on Climate Action and the Environment, and the IISAAK OLAM Foundation.