This thesis explores how Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCA) offer the opportunity to strengthen resilience, well-being and continuity of Inuit traditions and customs and move forward from the legacy of settler-colonial structure in conservation practices in Canada’s Arctic marine environment. The author argues that IPCA as a marine protection tool in Canada’s Arctic presents the opportunities to elevate the recognition of Inuit rights, self-determination and knowledge systems, and to promote the creation of Inuit-led protected areas while working towards achieving Canada’s conservation targets. The thesis attempts to identify the challenges of implementing IPCA in Canada’s Arctic and offers recommendations for marine protection that reflect Inuit worldviews, account for the social, cultural, economic, political and ecological implications of conservation in Canada’s Arctic, and build capacity of locally-driven Inuit-led marine stewardship and conservation initiatives adapted to the needs, interests and circumstances of communities within Inuit Nunangat.

Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area: A Tool for Marine Conservation And Steps Towards Reconciliation In The Canadian Arctic