Skagit Headwaters Indigenous-led Conservation

UNDRIP and the Aichi Biodiversity Targets have increased consideration of Indigenous Rights and Title and the role of Indigenous Governance in land protection and conservation.

The Skagit Headwaters is an area of overlapping significance to many First Nations and Tribes in Canada and the United States. This region presents a unique opportunity to consider the creation of a culturally informed, cross-jurisdictional Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area (IPCA). Given the diversity of stakeholders and rights-holders with interests in the region, there is a need for a collaborative approach to respect the various beliefs systems, while understanding what jurisdictional options exist to potentially establish an international IPCA of this complex nature.

The objective of this research is to identify various governance mechanisms that can be used to create an IPCA in the Skagit Headwaters. The broader project is led by the Stó:lo Research and Resource Management Center (SRRMC) which is supporting operations of the S’ólh Téméxw Stewardship Alliance (STSA), and in conjunction with the Province of British Columbia. This research directly contributes to the broader project by providing the foundations to create a framework for the Skagit Headwaters IPCA, tribal park or other Indigenous-led conservation mechanism.

Applying methods established through the Collaborative Stewardship Forum’s S’ólh Téméxw Integrity Analysis ensures that the project is Indigenous-led and representative of Stó:lo principles. By doing so, this project works to take a holistic, interconnected, intergenerational and cumulative approach to relationships, that operates on a watershed-based scope, representative of the Stó:lo worldview.

Faculty Supervisor:

Clifford Atleo

Student:

Partner:

Stó:lo Service Agency Society

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

Administrative and support, waste management and remediation services

University:

Simon Fraser University

Program: