Background
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In response to the UN commitment on Biological Diversity, Canada established the 2020 Biodiversity Goals and Targets. Of those, Canada Target 1 seeks to protect 17 percent of terrestrial and inland waters. To help guide this, the Indigenous Circle of Experts (ICE) was created. The goal of ICE was to create a pathway for Indigenous communities to form protected areas that can be counted toward Canada Target 1. However, two years to the deadline, the province is far from meeting its goal.
Currently, less than 11 percent of Canadian land and water is protected. The task ahead therein lies to establish a new pathway that will help the province reach an increase in wild spaces for not only 2020, but for many generations to come. |
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What Is Currently Recognized as Protected in Canada?
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In order to reach Target 1 it is vital that Indigenous protected areas be recognized, but for an area to be protected in Canada it must fall under one of the top three categories set by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUNC) that include:
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Recognizing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas
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Although the MNRF has made an effort to account for land in Ontario that is already protected, and land that may be considered protected such as private nature reserves, conservation authority lands and municipal parks, more is being done to support Indigenous- led conservation efforts within the province. With support from national leaders, communities, and both Indigenous and non- Indigenous partners ICE have created what is being referred to as Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs).
Following four regional gatherings held across Canada that brought together all four directions and included voices from diverse communities and governments about their thoughts on IPCAs, a frame work to do this was established. Additional sub committees acquired data that informed a set of recommendations for the Government of Canada. (See end of document). Examples of IPCAs will include, but are not limited to, Tribal Parks, Indigenous Cultural Landscapes, Indigenous Protected Areas, and Indigenous Conserved Areas. They are defined as being lands and waters where Indigenous governments have the primary role in protecting and conserving ecosystems through Indigenous laws, governance and knowledge systems. Culture and language are the heart and soul of an IPCA, and share three common elements:
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Moving Forward
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ICE recognized that following the endorsement of the United Nations Deceleration to Indigenous Peoples, the notion of governance started to shift to include Ethical spaces. This recognizes the inherent rights of Indigenous peoples which derive from their political, economic and social structures and from their cultures, spiritual traditions, histories and philosophies, especially their rights to their lands, territories and resources.
With the concerns of Indigenous peoples being heard across a series of gatherings held at national, and provincial levels, the Indigenous Circle of Experts encourages all leaders and community member to become aware of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, how they can help meet Canada Target 1, and the recommendations offered to the Government of Canada moving forward on this issue. – Ethical Space was a concept developed by Indigenous philosopher Willie Ermine, from the Sturgeon Lake First Nation in Saskatchewan, in his paper “The Ethical Space of Engagement”- ethical space refers to a cooperative model or framework for engagement between two societies with different world views. |
