A Quick Look Back at COP15: A Case for Indigenous Leadership in Conservation Efforts

Photo: Alpacas and llamas in the Peruvian Andes (Abiran Sritharan)

Abiran Sritharan, Volunteer Content Contributor

On December 19, 2022, representatives from 188 countries gathered in Montreal as part of the UN Biodiversity Conference (COP15) to sign an agreement to protect 30% of land and oceans by 2030. More popularly known as the ‘30x30’ pledge, signees also committed to 22 other global targets all of which are aimed at slowing down severe biodiversity degradation and the restoration of land and waterways. While the pledge is seen as a significant step by some, it has not been without criticism, especially from the global Indigenous community. Although a considerable Indigenous delegation was present and there was some acknowledgement of their rights in the agreement, the summit ended without providing any concrete details on how to work with Indigenous people to achieve the set biodiversity targets. Indigenous civil groups also argue that the 30% goal is not even remotely ambitious enough and should be at least 50% with some even calling for 80% by 2025. The trepidation felt by the Indigenous community regarding conservation-themed global summits and agreements such as COP15 is not unwarranted. Historically, conservation programs geared towards establishing protected areas have had a disruptive effect on Indigenous peoples worldwide and tend to ignore their inherent rights to their lands and waters (1). But why is Indigenous participation and leadership in conservation critical to achieve biodiversity goals and protect the environment?

While Indigenous people only account for less than 10% of the world’s population, the land they inhabit holds over 80% of the planet’s remaining biodiversity. In Canada where nearly 5% of the population identify as Aboriginal (First Nations, Inuit and Métis), biodiversity is much higher or equal in Aboriginal lands compared to state-led parks. A study in 2019 led by researchers at the University of British Columbia showed that Indigenous managed lands in Australia, Brazil and Canada scored much higher in species richness (number of different species) than non-Indigenous lands. The study also found that in Canada alone, threatened birds and reptile species diversity was greater in Indigenous areas than in state-led parks (2). The land rights of Aboriginal people are also increasingly becoming recognized at the national and international level further highlighting the need for Indigenous consent for conservation purposes (3).

But it’s not just that Indigenous land is particularly rich in biodiversity, but also the many ways in which Indigenous people around the world have taken care of their land for thousands of years. This unique intrinsic knowledge referred to as Traditional Knowledge is passed down from generation to generation and encompasses various sustainable practices developed by Indigenous people to live and thrive off the land without disrupting ecosystems (4). Aboriginal people in Canada have a deep understanding of their land and water ecosystems and this wisdom can be pivotal in the success or failure of conservation efforts. There are a growing number of examples across Canada where Traditional Ecological Knowledge in combination with more classical western scientific methods provide the framework for successful conservation programs. In the Torngats Mountain National Park (NL), scientists work hand in hand with local Inuit to preserve and manage the park. The Inuit people of Torngats have lived there for centuries and scientists are able to tap into their wealth of knowledge to inform research projects studying declining caribou populations (5). In 2017, Indigenous governments and elders proposed the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAS) where Indigenous Peoples would take the lead role in managing conservation areas in accordance with their own values, laws, and knowledge systems. Recently the Trudeau government announced $344 million in funding to support indigenous-led conservation efforts with up to $166 million of target towards facilitating the creation of more IPCAs.

Photo: Indigenous farmers shepherd alpacas and llamas in the Peruvian Andes (Abiran Sritharan)

It’s apparently clear why it’s necessary to actively involve and work with Indigenous people when it comes to broader goals of conservation. Without Indigenous participation and leadership, global agreements such as COP15 are likely to fall short of their goals. But the reconciliation of Indigenous values with environmental goals doesn’t necessarily need to be limited to the global stage. Understanding the history, rights and values of Indigenous Peoples can begin at the individual level right at home and this goes a long way.

There are plenty of resources to begin that process and I’ll leave you with two of my favorites. A good start is Home on Native Land, an interactive online course provided by RAVEN, Respecting Aboriginal Values And Environmental Needs, a Vancouver based non-profit. Through this course you can learn about the Indigenous Peoples of Canada and how their laws and values have shaped a connection to lands and waters. If you prefer to hold a book in your hand like I do, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer is a beautiful and often touching book about the value in Indigenous teachings and how bridging them with modern scientific methods can help us foster a better relationship not only with the natural world but also with ourselves. I’d like to end with one of my favorite lines from the book that is rooted in Native American values:

“We need berries, and the berries need us. Their gifts multiply by our care for them and dwindle from our neglect. We are bound in a covenant of reciprocity, a pact of mutual responsibility to sustain those who sustain us”

- Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweet Grass

References

1. Witter, R., & Satterfield, T. (2019). The Ebb and Flow of Indigenous Rights Recognitions in Conservation Policy. Development and Change, 50(4), 1083–1108. https://doi.org/10.1111/DECH.12456

2. Schuster, R., Germain, R. R., Bennett, J. R., Reo, N. J., & Arcese, P. (2019). Vertebrate biodiversity on indigenous-managed lands in Australia, Brazil, and Canada equals that in protected areas. Environmental Science & Policy, 101, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.ENVSCI.2019.07.002

3. Artelle, K. A., Zurba, M., Bhattacharrya, J., Chan, D. E., Brown, K., Housty, J., & Moola, F. (2019). Supporting resurgent Indigenous-led governance: A nascent mechanism for just and effective conservation. Biological Conservation, 240, 108284. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.BIOCON.2019.108284

4. Fraser, D. J., Coon, T., Prince, M. R., Dion, R., & Bernatchez, L. (2006). Integrating traditional and evolutionary knowledge in biodiversity conservation: a population level case study. Ecology and Society, 11(2). https://www.jstor.org/stable/26265998

5. Festa-Bianchet, M., Ray, J. C., Boutin, S., Côté, S. D., & Gunn, A. (2011). Conservation of caribou (rangifer tarandus) in Canada: An uncertain future. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 89(5), 419–434. https://doi.org/10.1139/Z11-025

Additional Supporting References

1. Democracy Now! Major U.N. Biodiversity Deal Recognizes Indigenous Rights But Lacks Critical Enforcement Measures | Democracy Now! (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.democracynow.org/2022/12/21/almost_all_countries_in_the_world

2. National and international frameworks | Australia state of the environment 2021. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/climate/management/national-and-international-frameworks#-cli-21-figure-21-indigenous-peoples-and-the-environment

3. Statistics Canada. Indigenous population continues to grow and is much younger than the non-Indigenous population, although the pace of growth has slowed. Retrieved February 17, 2023 from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220921/dq220921a-eng.htm?indid=32990-1&indgeo=0

4. Government of Canada (2012). Two paths, one destination. Retrieved February 17, 2023 from https://parks.canada.ca/nature/science/autochtones-indigenous/torngat

5. Establishing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas: The Jurisdictional Spectrum | Environmental Justice and Sustainability Clinic. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2023, from https://ejsclinic.info.yorku.ca/2022/03/establishing-indigenous-protected-and-conserved-areas-the-jurisdictional-spectrum/

6. Sivasankaran, J. Government of Canada announces $340 million to support Indigenous-led conservation - Canada.ca. (n.d.). Retrieved February 17, 2023, from https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/news/2021/08/government-of-canada-announces-340-million-to-support-indigenous-led-conservation.html

7. Kimmerer Wall, R. (2015). Braiding Sweet Grass. Milkweed Editions.