Indigenous Leadership in Protecting the Earth

I was fortunate and honored to attend the signing ceremony of the Northwest Territory: Our Land for the Future agreement in Behchoko. The agreement is the result of the NWT Project Finance for Permanence (PFP) leading to a $375 million investment in Indigenous-led conservation. But its true historic significance is not solely on the amount of funding, it is rooted in something much, much deeper. It is an acknowledgement that Indigenous people have the knowledge, understanding and longstanding historical practice of respecting and protecting our natural world. Twenty-two Indigenous governments, N.W.T. governments and the federal government all signed the agreement, which is being noted as one of the largest Indigenous-led conservation initiatives in the world.

Everything about the signing ceremony demonstrated Indigenous values that is foreign to so many (but not all of course) in the conventional mainstream climate and conservation movements. It began with a Feeding the Fire ceremony, with song and prayer. This cultural practice is an expression of respect and gratitude to all who are present and to the land and all life. Then, there was an acknowledgement (of those present and those not present) of all the leaders and communities that are part of the agreement. While a long process by some standards, taking the time to honor and name those who collectively forged the agreement is a sign of respect for the work and leadership needed to create collective durable action . All this was followed by some leader's speaking about the importance of the moment. The Honorable Gary Anandasangaree, Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations stated, "This is about Canada and the territory following your lead, . . . We as a country are counting on you to continue the work you have always done."

The Agreement demonstrates a transformation in thought and action that is occurring in the conservation world which has been propelled by a wider effort to bring a justice-based approach to climate and nature. Canada's underlying principle of reconciliation, the U.S.'s emphasis over the past few years to ensure that a climate agenda must be equitable and just, and many other similar efforts around the world illustrate that old paradigms are giving way to new ones, politics notwithstanding. Geregorio Diaz Mirabal, Coordinator of Indigenous Organizations of the Amazon River, is quoted in the New York Times as saying, “If you’re going to save only the insects and the animals and not the Indigenous people, there’s a big contradiction, . .. we are one ecoystem."

The hope for the future is exemplified by the fact that the agreement is the result of the work of leaders and community members from 22 First Nations, territorial and federal governments, supported and facilitated by an Indigenous nonprofit (Indigenous Leadership Initiative) and with committed funding from several philanthropies (including the Earth Fund, Pew Charitable Trusts, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Wyss Foundation, and ZOMA LAB, and Canadian donors Metcalf Foundation, The McLean Foundation, Sitka Foundation, and Waltons Trust.) Jay Macdonald, the Northwest Territories' Minister of Environment and Climate Change shared that the experience of all the governments working together on the agreement "was nothing like?I experienced in my career before."

This doesn't mean we erase or forget history, however it does mean that we act differently than in the past, and that we continually reflect on the ethical implications of our actions. Dahti Tsetso, deputy director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative stated.?"It is very rare for an opportunity to come along that has the potential to catalyze large-scale, cross-generational impact,"