This guide provides an overview of Canadian federal, provincial, and territorial legislation for the creation of protected areas and parks. It is intended to inform Indigenous governments interested in advancing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) through the Canadian legal system.
The Indigenous-led Conservation Reading List is an open-access bibliography that lists academic literature relevant to the Indigenous-led conservation movement. This includes literature relevant to Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs, Canada), Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs, global), Indigenous and Community Conserved Areas (ICCAs, global), or various forms of Indigenous-led co-governance mechanisms that elevate Indigenous rights, responsibilities, and legal traditions.
This resource is intended for Indigenous Nations and governments who are interested or currently engaged in the creation of an Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA) or other Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. It provides a snapshot of how IPCAs are being governed across what is now known as Canada.
Parks Canada is the country’s largest holder of federal Crown land and manages more than 200 sites, including National Parks, National Park Reserves, National Marine Conservation Areas, National Historic Sites, and one National Urban Park.
These guiding principles provide the foundation for a new way of working rooted in reconciliation, healing and collaboration to protect, restore and conserve species and natural environments.
Indigenous Nations and communities lead the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas or “IPCAs,” This is what makes IPCAs so unique. IPCAs vary from territory to territory and nation to nation. Yet, they share features like ecological conservation and elevating Indigenous rights and responsibilities.