This study looks at how to increase Indigenous involvement in planning and managing urban parks, including creating new urban Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). While many IPCAs exist in rural and northern Canada, there are few in cities and towns. All urban areas in Canada coincide with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis territory and the majority of Indigenous Peoples live in cities. The federal government is creating six new urban national parks and plans to work with Indigenous governments in this process.  The report discusses how new ways of managing urban green spaces could be centred around Indigenous rights, responsibilities, knowledge systems, and biocultural priorities. However, it is unclear how Indigenous-led conservation will fit into the government’s current plans for urban national parks, which do not currently prioritize Indigenous-led efforts.

The potential for Indigenous-led conservation in urbanized landscapes in Canada

Author: Faisal Moola, Helina Jolly, Joli Borah, Roth Robin

Year: 2024

Media Type: Reports