Incorporation of indigenous approaches to guardianship and stewardship in Canada’s resource management policy framework
In this report, the researchers identify 5 elements to consider for developing EBM that successfully incorporates Māori perspectives and aspirations.
Power dynamics – Canada’s ‘enabling’ legal framework supported transformative shifts in policy making, engagement between First Nations and government, and decision-making.
Jurisdiction – Any party that has jurisdiction over the location, resource and/or activities should be involved in developing EBM otherwise there is a risk of conflict and ineffective co-governance.
Adaptive management – ‘Learning by doing’, ie an iterative process that feeds back into future decision-making and adapts to uncertainty and/or changes in the ecosystem.
Agency – Ensuring indigenous people are able to participate in decision-making.
Recognition of indigenous knowledge – Acknowledging traditional ecological knowledge as a legitimate body of knowledge, and using it alongside science through shared governance and participative bottom-up planning processes and monitoring.
November 2016
Related projects & activities
Credit: Zack Embree Greenpeace
Incorporation of indigenous approaches to guardianship in Canada
We evaluated how indigenous approaches have been incorporated into Canada’s marine resource management policies.
