Reflection, Acknowledgement, and Justice: A Framework for Indigenous-Protected Area Reconciliation

Abstract

Protected areas have been both tools and beneficiaries of settler colonialism in places such as Canada, Australia, and the United States, to the detriment of Indigenous nations. While some agencies, such as Parks Canada, increasingly partner with Indigenous nations through co-management agreements or on Indigenous knowledge use in protected area management, I believe such efforts fall short of reconciliation. For protected areas to reconcile with Indigenous Peoples, they must not incorporate Indigeneity into existing settler-colonial structures. Instead, agencies must commit to an Indigenous-centered project of truth telling, acknowledging harm, and providing for justice. I begin this article by outlining what is meant by reconciliation. I then argue for protected area-Indigenous reconciliation. I conclude with a framework for Indigenous–settler reconciliation within protected areas.

People, Fire, and Pine: Linking Human Agency and Landscape in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness and Beyond

“…A unique opportunity exists in the BWCAW to showcase land management that acknowledges cultural history, ecological diversity, and the connections between people and environment. Thoughtful and honest engagement with the past could also contribute to the long process of reconciliation and healing between settler-colonist and Indigenous peoples by offering a space to collectively acknowledge historical trauma, the associated deep cultural impacts, and the integral role of fire in cultural and ceremonial practices (Finegan 2018). If done well, this work could offer a model of how similar approaches could be pursued in protected areas across the United States and around the world.…”

Walking on two legs: a pathway of Indigenous restoration and reconciliation in fire‐adapted landscapes

“…The TRC outlines key principles for reconciliation including respecting Indigenous rights, taking action to address ongoing legacies of colonialism, and supporting cultural revitalization (TRC 2015). However, while reconciliation has been broadly described as an ongoing process of “restoring and rebuilding relationships” (Short 2005, p 268) through truth‐telling and restorative justice, Indigenous conceptualizations of reconciliation extend beyond relationships with humans to include reconciliation with the natural world (Elder Reg Crowshoe, TRC 2015; Finegan 2018; McGregor 2018). Beyond reconciliation, decolonization “specifically requires the repatriation of Indigenous land and life” (Tuck & Yang 2012, p 21).…”

“…As one of myriad pathways of reconciliation, restoration carries the potential to address the impacts of colonial, state‐driven conservation that frequently and often violently dispossessed Indigenous peoples from their/our traditional lands (Finegan 2018; Artelle et al 2019). We build on the recent calls to action for natural scientists (Wong et al 2020) by advocating that restoration scientists and practitioners must better understand the socio‐cultural and political contexts in which restoration occurs, and that restoration and reconciliation must be guided by the Indigenous peoples in whose territories these processes are taking place.…”

New Discourses on Energy Transition as an Opportunity for Reconciliation? Analyzing Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Communications in Media and Policy Documents

“…Observing that none of the TRC Calls to Action are addressed to the general public, Ferrara (2015) posited that reconciliation should start with individuals rather than institutions, as a reflexive exercise whereby one would replace colonial dehumanization with "empathic rehumanization" (p. 87). Finegan (2018) referred to such an exercise as "a humbling act," one that asks settlers to "turn a critical eye on themselves and . .…”