Indigenous Leadership
Indigenous Leadership in the Pathway
As a part of Canada’s Pathway initiative, Indigenous leadership plays a vital role in achieving biodiversity and conservation goals.
The Indigenous Circle of Experts (ICE) was formed through the Pathway process to make recommendations and offer guidance on how Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) could be realized in Canada and contribute towards Canada’s conservation goals. Members included a core group of Indigenous experts from across Canada and officials from federal, provincial and territorial jurisdictions.
Regional Gatherings
The Indigenous Circle of Experts held 4 regional gatherings in each of the cardinal directions to hear from communities and governments on IPCAs.
For more ICE videos, see River Voices Productions
Ethical Space in the Pathway
Aspects of Ethical Space
- It is a process and is built over time
- It elevates Indigenous systems to a position of equality to non- Indigenous systems (makes room for multiple ways of knowing)
- It allows for new innovative forms of collaboration and co-creation
- It unfolds at multiple scales, everyone has a role Pathway to Canada Target 1
- It requires a commitment to ongoing dialogue and a willingness to learn
Ethical Space was introduced to the Pathway to Canada Target 1 initiative by Dr. Reg Crowshoe (Piikani Nation), a member of the National Advisory Panel, and Danika Littlechild (Ermineskin Cree Nation), Co-Chair of the Indigenous Circle of Experts. It was identified as a fundamental component of achieving success in Canada’s conservation initiatives.
Ethical space has been developed in different ways through collective commitment to transform relationships – between and amongst Indigenous Peoples, non-Indigenous peoples and the natural world. An Ethical Space of engagement requires contributions from multiple languages and cultures coming together to co-create solutions to common challenges.
“The focus of ethical space is on creating a place for knowledge systems to interact with mutual respect, kindness, generosity and other basic values and principles. All knowledge systems are equal; no single system has more weight or legitimacy than another.
One system does not need the other to “corroborate” it to achieve internal validity. For example, the written system does not always need archaeological evidence to provide sound “proof” of an Indigenous practice or story.
While agreeing to formally enter ethical space may be straightforward for most parties, actually being within that space together requires flexibility. Parties may frequently need to adjust to change, surprise, and other factors that cannot be envisioned at the initial stage.
While engaged in ethical space, no party can claim to have achieved (or even entered into) processes of consultation or accommodation as defined under existing or previous provincial or federal legislation or policies. That is not the purpose of ethical space.”
[We Rise Together. p. 7]
This two-pager introduces the concept of Ethical Space and how it is used in the Pathway to Target 1 Initiative. It is informed by the Enacting and Operationalizing Ethical Space Report (see Partner Resources).
