The Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP) is supporting the Indigenous conservation leadership movement through a community-led, place-based approach. Through our legacy projects, we aim to build a solid foundation for Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, including IPCAs, to emerge and thrive. In addition, we aim to support the transformation of the conservation sector.
Specifically, the CRP strives to:
Support the conservation sector to take up recommendations set out by the Indigenous Circle of Experts in their We Rise Together report.
Establish and contribute to our three legacy projects: the IPCA Knowledge Basket, the IPCA Alliance/Network, and regional IPCA Centres of Innovation. These projects will support Indigenous Nations and governments with the development and implementation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).
Our legacy projects are interconnected, feeding life into one another and nourishing the broader Indigenous conservation leadership movement.
An image of a campfire, with the wood representing the Centres of Innovation, the fire representing the IPCA Knowledge Basket, and an arch representing the IPCA Alliance. Arrows point from one legacy project to the other to represent how they connect or feed into each other.
Our Legacy Projects
IPCA Knowledge Basket:
The IPCA Knowledge Basket is a digital space that holds and shares resources to inform, guide, and advance Indigenous-led conservation initiatives, including Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). It was created to honour, celebrate, and catalyze a larger, national movement of Indigenous leadership in conservation.
Inspired by the practice of basket weaving, the IPCA Knowledge Basket represents the strength, beauty, and abundance we can create by weaving together Indigenous and western science, innovation, and knowledge. It is a space for reciprocal knowledge-sharing and collaborative learning in the spirit of ‘We Rise Together’.
To learn more, visit the IPCA Knowledge Basket, gather resources, and contribute to our collective knowledge: https://ipcaknowledgebasket.ca/
IPCA Innovation Centres:
IPCA Innovation Centres are regional places and spaces that host relationships and give life to the ideas that will shape the future of nature conservation in Canada and around the world.
The first Centre, called the Pacific IPCA Innovation Centre Knowledge Hub, was created in 2021. The work of the Pacific IPCA Hub aims to serve Indigenous Nations and governments in the establishment of IPCAs by coordinating knowledge sharing activities, curriculum, research, and events with partners from academia, Indigenous NGOs, civil society, all levels of government, and the private sector.
The Pacific IPCA Hub’s story is being documented to be shared with Indigenous leadership and communities interested in exploring the IPCA Innovation Center model for their area(s).
The CRP is committed to supporting conversations with Indigenous governments, communities, and organizations in several regions, including Ontario, the East Coast, and the North to explore interest in creating regionally focused IPCA Innovation Centre models. More information to come!
The IPCA Alliance/Network:
The IPCA Alliance or Network will support the movement of solidarity among Indigenous Peoples from across what is now known as Canada who are actively working toward creating and maintaining IPCAs within their traditional territories. The co-creation of the IPCA Alliance or Network is in the very beginning stages of discussions and dialogues. Stay tuned for updates!