In episode 3 of Re-Storying Justice, RAVEN talks with KJ England, Planner and Consultant for Salmon Parks – an Indigenous led organization established under the leadership of the Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation. Their aim is to restore wild salmon populations by recovering key watersheds in Nootka Sound, on Vancouver Island’s west coast. Through this conversation, we will learn about the importance of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and the work that Mowachaht/Muchalaht First Nation are doing to protect the waters and surrounding forest habitat in ways that are consistent with Nuu-chah-nulth knowledge, values and guiding principles. Canada’s history is tainted by stories of colonialism and extractive capitalism, and few know this better than Indigenous Nations. Yet, despite facing the harsh realities of colonialism and its impacts, Indigenous communities have remained committed to safeguarding their ancestral lands and waters for future generations.
Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, though a relatively new concept, are old in practice. Indigenous communities have always maintained strong land and water stewardship roles, and now through Indigenous-led governance and ancestral knowledge systems, they are going beyond European-driven conservation practices and return to Indigenous laws and holistic approaches to conservation initiatives.
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