Parks Canada launches Indigenous Stewardship Policy

Dear colleagues,

On October 15, Minister Steven Guilbeault, along with Andrew Campbell, Senior Vice-President, Operations, and Nadine Spence, Vice President, Indigenous Affairs and Cultural Heritage, stood with members of the Indigenous Stewardship Circle and Parks Canada team members at Thousand Islands National Park for a ceremony hosted by the Mohawks of Akwesasne. The purpose of the gathering was to honour and enact the Indigenous Stewardship Policy at Parks Canada.

This landmark policy is the result of decades of listening to and working with Inuit, First Nations and Métis partners at local, regional, and national levels, four years of engagement on the Indigenous stewardship framework, and more than a year of building relationships grounded in trust, reciprocity, and respect with members of the Indigenous Stewardship Circle. Co-developed in ethical space with the Circle, the policy will guide the implementation of the Indigenous Stewardship Framework and is Parks Canada’s first step in implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDA) Action Plan.

The enactment of this policy formalizes efforts at Parks Canada to support Indigenous stewardship. It establishes a foundation for more equitable, effective, and collaborative stewardship between First Nations, Inuit and Métis, and Parks Canada, both now and into the future. This policy will apply to all places Parks Canada plays a role in administering, including national historic sites, national parks, national marine conservation areas, and other protected heritage areas.

I would like to recognize everyone at Parks Canada who contributed to the development of the policy, engaged with Indigenous partners on the framework and policy, supported the Indigenous Stewardship Circle, and championed this initiative. We can all be proud of this collective achievement, which represents a significant milestone for Parks Canada.

We invite you to read the final policy on the Parks Canada website and visit the Indigenous Stewardship page on ParksNet, which includes resources about the policy and a guide for the co-development of Indigenous stewardship plans for heritage places and Indigenous stewardship strategies for National Office directorates.

Ron Hallman

President & CEO

#ParksCanadaProud