Today, The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change and Minister responsible for Parks Canada, announced his support of the Indigenous Stewardship Policy-prior to participating in a Ceremony at Thousand Islands National Park to honour and enact the policy with members of the Mohawks of Akwesasne and members of the Parks Canada Indigenous Stewardship Circle.
This policy, which recognizes and supports Indigenous stewardship in all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering, will strengthen the connections between Indigenous Peoples and the protected lands, waters and ice located within their traditional territories, treaty lands and ancestral homelands-and advance measures identified in the Government of Canada United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act Action Plan.
Co-developed in close collaboration with the Indigenous Stewardship Circle, a diverse group of Indigenous leaders, the Indigenous Stewardship Policy will guide the implementation of the Indigenous Stewardship Framework and create conditions that support cultural continuity, cultural safety, and healing for Indigenous Peoples.
The new policy is grounded in four key principles:
1. Respect for Indigenous Rights, duties, and responsibilities: Acknowledging and respecting Indigenous rights and titles as recognized by Section 35 of the Canadian Constitution, both historic and modern treaties, and by the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). This includes supporting Indigenous-led conservation and ensuring Indigenous voices are at the forefront of decision-making.
2. Fostering ethical spaces: Establishing and maintaining respectful relationships, grounded in truth-telling and culturally safe spaces. This also means that Parks Canada will work with Indigenous Peoples to support stewardship that is informed by Indigenous knowledge and worldviews.
3. Nurturing healthy, respectful relationships: Supporting co-management arrangements where Indigenous governments and communities and Parks Canada work together as equals and in ways that respect Indigenous laws and protocols.
4. Ensure continuity of Indigenous culture and language: Indigenous stewardship of lands, waters and ice is place-based and distinct. This means that approaches will be shaped by the local context and will foster the safeguarding of cultural practices, languages, and ways of life.
This policy will apply to all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering, including national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas, and other protected heritage areas. It furthers Parks Canada efforts to pursue a respectful approach to the management and governance of protected areas that aligns with Indigenous ways of stewarding lands, water, and ice. This renewed approach is based what Parks Canada has heard for years from Indigenous partners, the evolution of Parks Canada's relationships with Indigenous Peoples and the legal landscape of Indigenous rights.
