Major Investment Will Support Indigenous Ambitions for Conservation & Stewardship
Montréal: December 7, 2022 Today Prime Minister Trudeau announced $800,000 million in new conservation funding to invest in the design and implementation of innovative approaches to supporting large-scale, regional Indigenous-led conservation and stewardship efforts.
Valérie Courtois, the Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, made the following statement:
“The Indigenous Leadership Initiative welcomes Prime Minister Trudeau’s commitment to supporting Indigenous Nations’ visions for caring for lands across regions. Investing in Indigenous-led conservation is the most effective way to sustain biodiversity and create transformative benefits for communities. Today’s announcement is an exciting milestone in the journey to advance Indigenous-led approaches to conservation and stewardship across the entire country and to create a better shared future for all.”
“Canada has long recognized that partnerships with Indigenous Peoples are essential for sustaining biodiversity and protecting 30 per cent of lands by 2030. The lack of sustained funding for these efforts has been the single biggest barrier to achieving those goals. Today’s announcement shows that the Government of Canada is embracing innovative tools to secure funding—funding not only for establishing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, but also for stewarding those lands into the future and exploring whole-of-government approaches that can sustain these efforts over time.”
“The initiatives these investments can support transformative benefits, because Indigenous-led conservation is good for people and the land. It supports language revitalization, connects youth and Elders, and generates sustainable economic opportunities. It improves health and wellbeing and supports healing from trauma. The benefits ripple out from individuals to families, communities, regions and beyond. It is not often that we get a chance to design initiatives that can accomplish so much at once. That’s why today’s investment is a meaningful commitment not only to conservation, but also to reconciliation and community resilience.”
“It’s great to see the Government of Canada commit to working with Indigenous Governments and other partners on the ground. This announcement recognizes that sustaining biodiversity is an ongoing process. The Indigenous Leadership Initiative welcomes innovative finance tools to support this work and will continue exploring all opportunities to secure permanent funding for Indigenous-led stewardship, in these regions and everywhere that Indigenous Nations wish to create protected areas or Guardians programs.
The Northwest Territories Project Finance for Permanence
The Indigenous Leadership Initiative is also a proud convener of the process underway towards the Northwest Territories Project for Finance for Permanence. Indigenous Governments of the Northwest Territories are leading this collaborative partnership with the Government of the Northwest Territories, the Government of Canada, and private donors.
The Honourable Ethel Blondin Andrew, P.C.,O.C. made the following statement:
“A Project Finance for Permanence initiative in the Northwest Territories would create transformative benefits for communities across the region. It would support community wellbeing and healing, conservation and stewardship, language and cultural revitalization, and new diverse economic opportunities. We have a broad range of partners working together to make this possible, and Prime Minister Trudeau’s announcement today confirms that Canada recognizes Indigenous Governments’ ambitions for conservation.”
Media contacts:
Sean Durkan: sean.sda.inc@rogers.com (613-851-2151)
Jenn Wesanko: jenn@jennwesanko.com (604-347-5988)
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The Indigenous Leadership Initiative is a network dedicated to supporting Indigenous Nations in honouring the cultural responsibility to lands and fostering Indigenous Nationhood. It works with dozens of First Nations to support their stewardship.
