Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada)
Conservation initiatives led by Indigenous peoples are a relatively recent phenomenon gaining momentum around the world. Initiatives to establish Indigenous protected areas are also taking root in Canada. We studied the Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (ABR) in the province of Quebec to assess (1) the...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2023-12-01
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| Series: | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423003165 |
| _version_ | 1797653623427039232 |
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| author | Rosalie Champagne-Côté Jean-Michel Beaudoin Louis Bélanger Marc St-Onge Hugo Asselin Pauline Suffice |
| author_facet | Rosalie Champagne-Côté Jean-Michel Beaudoin Louis Bélanger Marc St-Onge Hugo Asselin Pauline Suffice |
| author_sort | Rosalie Champagne-Côté |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Conservation initiatives led by Indigenous peoples are a relatively recent phenomenon gaining momentum around the world. Initiatives to establish Indigenous protected areas are also taking root in Canada. We studied the Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (ABR) in the province of Quebec to assess (1) the approach followed by the Essipit Innu First Nation (EIFN) Band Council to implement the ABR; (2) the EIFN’s vision that led to the creation of the ABR; and (3) the role the EIFN would like to play in the governance of the ABR. Six focus groups conducted with 22 community members have shown that the process which led to the creation of the ABR was fraught with challenges. The EIFN’s vision for the ABR is holistic — “everything” must be protected to respect the memory of the Elders and ensure natural resource sustainability. To ensure the respect of this vision, the community wants to play a leading role in governing the ABR. The EIFN faced many challenges, notably administrative hurdles, opposition due to cultural and value differences, lack of long-term funding, and disregard for the relationship that Indigenous people have with the land. Respecting EIFN’s vision also demands that traditional activities on the land be allowed to continue in protected areas, in order to guarantee that the identity, culture, health, and well-being of current and future generations will be maintained. The community management model developed by the EIFN Band Council provides useful insights on the process leading to the acknowledgement of the Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area status. Moreover, it could be a source of inspiration for other Indigenous conservation projects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:47:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-736878bd87e14a5ba4f09fccd681357d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2351-9894 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T16:47:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Global Ecology and Conservation |
| spelling | doaj.art-736878bd87e14a5ba4f09fccd681357d2023-10-22T04:49:15ZengElsevierGlobal Ecology and Conservation2351-98942023-12-0148e02681Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada)Rosalie Champagne-Côté0Jean-Michel Beaudoin1Louis Bélanger2Marc St-Onge3Hugo Asselin4Pauline Suffice5Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, 2325 Rue de l’Université, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada; Corresponding author.Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, 2325 Rue de l’Université, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaDépartement des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, 2325 Rue de l’Université, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaConseil de la Première Nation des Innus Essipit, 32 rue de la Réserve, Essipit, Québec G0T 1K0, CanadaÉcole d'études autochtones, Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, 445, boul. de l'Université, Rouyn-Noranda, QC J9X 5E4, CanadaDépartement des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Faculté de foresterie, de géographie et de géomatique, Université Laval, 2325 Rue de l’Université, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, CanadaConservation initiatives led by Indigenous peoples are a relatively recent phenomenon gaining momentum around the world. Initiatives to establish Indigenous protected areas are also taking root in Canada. We studied the Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (ABR) in the province of Quebec to assess (1) the approach followed by the Essipit Innu First Nation (EIFN) Band Council to implement the ABR; (2) the EIFN’s vision that led to the creation of the ABR; and (3) the role the EIFN would like to play in the governance of the ABR. Six focus groups conducted with 22 community members have shown that the process which led to the creation of the ABR was fraught with challenges. The EIFN’s vision for the ABR is holistic — “everything” must be protected to respect the memory of the Elders and ensure natural resource sustainability. To ensure the respect of this vision, the community wants to play a leading role in governing the ABR. The EIFN faced many challenges, notably administrative hurdles, opposition due to cultural and value differences, lack of long-term funding, and disregard for the relationship that Indigenous people have with the land. Respecting EIFN’s vision also demands that traditional activities on the land be allowed to continue in protected areas, in order to guarantee that the identity, culture, health, and well-being of current and future generations will be maintained. The community management model developed by the EIFN Band Council provides useful insights on the process leading to the acknowledgement of the Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area status. Moreover, it could be a source of inspiration for other Indigenous conservation projects.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423003165Indigenous peoplesConservationProtected areaGovernanceTraditional knowledge |
| spellingShingle | Rosalie Champagne-Côté Jean-Michel Beaudoin Louis Bélanger Marc St-Onge Hugo Asselin Pauline Suffice Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada) Global Ecology and Conservation Indigenous peoples Conservation Protected area Governance Traditional knowledge |
| title | Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada) |
| title_full | Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada) |
| title_fullStr | Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada) |
| title_short | Indigenous leadership in creating a protected area: The Akumunan Biodiversity Reserve (Canada) |
| title_sort | indigenous leadership in creating a protected area the akumunan biodiversity reserve canada |
| topic | Indigenous peoples Conservation Protected area Governance Traditional knowledge |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989423003165 |
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