From 2017-2018, Indigenous Circle of Experts (ICE) members led a national effort to consider how Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas IPCAs) could be created and supported in Canada. The idea for the IPCA Knowledge Basket came from the this process. It is meant to be a website for sharing information with Indigenous governments, as well as their partners, to help fulfill their IPCA visions.

The IPCA Knowledge Basket was created through the collective vision and efforts of many, including the IISAAK OLAM Foundation and members of the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership (CRP). The web design was created by Design de Plume, a women-led and Indigenously-owned web design firm based in Sudbury, Ontario. The website project team included Monica Shore, Allison Bishop, Stephanie Siddon, Soudeh Jamshidian, Jena-Lee Ashley, and Kristy Tomkinson. The CRP Leadership Circle, which includes Marilyn Baptiste, Eli Enns, Faisal Moola, Steven Nitah, Robin Roth, and Lisa Young, provided the strategic oversight for the project.   

We are grateful for the leadership of Elders Albert Marshall, Larry McDermott, Marilyn Capreol, and Paulette Fox. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and guiding our Two-Eyed Seeing process. 

We are also grateful for Beverly Jeddore (Eskasoni First Nation) who contributed songs from the eastern gate and Gordon Planes (T’Souke Nation) who contributed a song from the Western gate. These songs help greet IPCA Knowledge Basket users and help send website users on their journey in a good way. 

Many thanks to all of the Indigenous language speakers who contributed the initial greeting and thank you messages to the website: Dolorés André (Innu), Nikki Auten (Kanien’kéha/Mohawk), Lucassie Arragutainaq (Inuktitut), Susie Lulua (Tsilhqot’in), Joe Martin (Nuu-chah-nulth), Dorothy Stewart (Cree), Anne Taylor (Anishinaabemowin), Stephanie Thorassie (Dene). We hope that IPCA Knowledge Basket users will contribute welcome and thank you messages in other languages to help reflect the diversity of Indigenous languages spoken on what is now known as Canada. 

Learn more  about the origin story for the IPCA Knowledge Basket.