Recording of the full conversation from the Shared Values: Conservation, Nationhood and International Leadership panel featuring The Honourable Ethel-Blondin Andrew, The Right Honourable Paul Martin, Ambassador Bob Rae, and Director of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative Valérie Courtois, where they discussed Indigenous-led conservation, climate change and biodiversity loss solutions and more.

National Chief Perry Bellegarde commends the work of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative and shares his support for Indigenous-led conservation efforts in recorded remarks for our online event, Shared Values: Conservation, Nationhood, and International Leadership.

Leadership on the land is a core part of Indigenous Nationhood. That's why many First Nations are establishing Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas and Indigenous Guardians programs. Because after all, healthy lands support healthy communities, which will build a better future for all. We are proud to support Indigenous Nations as they work towards this future.

By caring for the land, we are recognizing our interrelationship. As Heiltsuk Nation Hereditary Chief Brown says, “Indigenous Peoples in the world recognize the critical connectedness we have with all plants and animals.”

For the Taku River Tlingit, giving life to love of land means not just putting lines on a map — that’s just the beginning of the work.

Indigenous Peoples are honouring the responsibility to the land in ways that are informed by the traditions of our ancestors and draw on the tools of the modern world. We do it by conserving and watching over our territories.

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From the Haida Nation off the Pacific Coast to the Innu Nation in Labrador, more than 40 Indigenous Guardians programs are managing traditional territories. They test water quality, restore wildlife, monitor mines and other development and serve as ambassadors when tourists visit.

Indigenous Guardians help communities manage traditional territories. They draft land use plans, study wildlife and monitor development projects. They also honour Elders’ knowledge and connect youth to the land. In this short video, Indigenous Guardians talk about their work.

Indigenous cultures are rooted in the land. We draw vitality and meaning from the land, and we are called on to conserve it. Indigenous Peoples across the country are honoring that responsibility.

Their stories →