Together for Wildlife - Goal 5
Last updated on July 24, 2024Collaboration advances reconciliation with Indigenous governments
We will endeavor to improve government-to-government relationships; support training and capacity; inform ourselves about Indigenous worldviews, perspectives, and approaches; and ensure that all British Columbians understand the rights of Indigenous peoples and their integral role in wildlife stewardship.
The Together for Wildlife strategy will create new opportunities to work collaboratively with Indigenous governments to effectively and efficiently deliver wildlife stewardship. We will know that our work together is successful when Indigenous rights are recognized by society as foundational to how the province and Indigenous governments steward wildlife and when Indigenous peoples can meaningfully practice their traditions and customs.
The province has a special constitutional relationship with Indigenous peoples. The Constitution Act, 1982 recognizes and affirms existing Aboriginal and treaty rights.
It is the province’s intention to shift our relationship with Indigenous governments to ensure our work is based on recognition and respect for the inherent right of Indigenous peoples to govern themselves and play an integral role in the stewardship of our shared natural resources.
The province acknowledges that, consistent with existing laws and provincial policy, First Nations have first access to wildlife to meet their food, social and ceremonial needs, now and in the future.
Success also means that wildlife stewardship is delivered in partnership with Indigenous governments and that we continually endeavour to help build their capacity. Together, we must always work to improve government-to-government relationships, inform ourselves about Indigenous worldviews, perspectives and approaches, and ensure that all British Columbians understand the rights of Indigenous peoples and their role in wildlife stewardship.
We commit to the following Actions 18-24 to achieve Goal 5
Action 18 - Advance co-management and shared decision-making with Indigenous governments
We will continue to advance policy and legislative analysis to more fully understand and advance co-management and shared decision-making models and approaches with Indigenous governments in British Columbia. As co-management partners, Indigenous governments and the province will together define the scope, mandate and function of the arrangements to be used.
Work completed and underway
- Established a Working Group of the First Nations Forum to enhance co-management and shared decision making on wildlife and habitat. Co-developed draft policy on non-statutory Shared Decision Making and accompanying guidance on ethical space
- Reviewed the Wildlife Act and policy to identify both constraints and new opportunities for change to support and enable co-management with First Nations
- Inventoried fish and wildlife tables under existing Government to Government (G2G) agreements
- Created educational materials to build public awareness and understanding of the T4W shared decision-making approach
- Under the B.C. Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Act) work to more clearly define shared and consent-based decision making and how it can be put into action
- Identify governance approaches and capacity needs to ensure Indigenous governments can fully participate in shared decision-making
- Drafted a set of principles for co-governance of wildlife between First Nations and the province
Action 19 - Promote the importance of Indigenous peoples and wildlife
With the First Nations–B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum, we will jointly develop communication and extension materials to educate and inform British Columbians about the nature of Aboriginal rights and title, modern and historical treaties, Indigenous worldviews, and Indigenous use of wildlife and wildlife stewardship approaches. We will engage with Indigenous governments on draft communication materials.
Work completed and underway
- Established a working group of the First Nations Forum to discuss education materials on the importance of Indigenous peoples and wildlife
- Educate interested parties and the public about Indigenous Knowledge and culture as it relates to wildlife, habitat, and traditional knowledge
- Create First Nations cultural educational materials and questionnaires for licensed hunters and trappers
- Work to actively dismantle discriminatory and racist systems to support reconciliation with First Nations
- Established a Working Group consisting of the First Nations Forum, Minister's Wildlife Advisory Council, and the Provincial Hunting and Trapping Advisory Team to discuss shared priorities for the Wildlife Act Review
Action 20 - Incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into decisions
We will incorporate Indigenous knowledge into statutory and non-statutory wildlife stewardship decision-making through the collaborative development of policies and procedures. These policies and procedures will provide direction and guidance for provincial government staff in order to ensure a consistent approach across the province. Jointly with the First Nations–B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum, we will draft a policy and engage with Indigenous governments.
Work completed and underway
- Established a Working Group of the First Nations Forum to determine how best to incorporate Indigenous Knowledge into wildlife and habitat decisions
- Shared Indigenous Knowledge with operations staff and statutory decision makers to inform both statutory and non-statutory wildlife decisions
- Make amendments to the Wildlife Act requiring decision makers to consider Indigenous Knowledge
- Create a policy and procedure manual for including Indigenous Knowledge in wildlife decision making and identify priority opportunities for this to happen at the Provincial level (statutory and non-statutory)
- Build on existing strategies and approaches developed collaboratively with First Nations
- Continue to work to make sure that the voices of First Nations are heard when decisions about wildlife and habitat are being made
Action 21 - Support Indigenous guardian and compliance programs
We will evaluate, in collaboration with participating Indigenous governments, existing guardian and compliance projects with a focus on wildlife and habitat stewardship. Building on successes identified in the evaluation, we will develop an approach for a formal compliance program that will be implemented locally with Indigenous governments at their request. ‘‘Guardians” is a term used to describe trained members of First Nations who undertake a wide variety of stewardship activities on the land base.
Work completed and underway
- Inventoried the current suite of provincial Indigenous Guardian Programs, and recommended possible aspects and enhancements of a future program
- Worked with the BC Ministry of Indigenous Relations and Reconciliation to secure funding to implement Indigenous Guardian programs
- Reviewing existing Guardian and integrated monitoring programs, from an Indigenous perspective to determine how these programs are working for First Nations participants
- Launched the Guardians and Stewardship Training initiative ($8.9M over three years) and held engagement for co-development
- Create partnerships with other initiatives to leverage knowledge and funds
- Apply Indigenous Knowledge to the provincial compliance and enforcement regime
Action 22 - Share wildlife and habitat data and information
We will invest to develop models and approaches for sharing wildlife and habitat data and information with Indigenous governments. These models and approaches will include agreements and technologies that allow Indigenous governments to share Indigenous knowledge and community and food-security needs with the Province in order to support co-management and shared decision-making.
Work completed and underway
- Engaged with First Nations Forum about sharing wildlife and habitat data and how best to bring that information to land and resource management decisions
- Created a data management framework to meet the needs of wildlife and habitat management
- Conducted policy analyses to support short-term Wildlife Act amendments and started to compile issues and recommendations for longer-term improvements
- Sharing wildlife data and information with the First Nations Forum to build on existing work in a way that works for the Together for Wildlife strategy and forum members
- Update the Species and Ecosystems Data and Information Security (SEDIS) policy, and tools for sharing secured species datasets to better align with the Declaration Act
- Support implementation of a Data Management Framework
Action 23 - Invest in capacity for Indigenous governments
We will invest in capacity to ensure Indigenous governments can effectively and efficiently participate in all aspects of wildlife stewardship. We will develop pilot initiatives to involve collectives of Indigenous governments to deliver trusted information to support shared stewardship.
Work completed and underway
- Reviewed existing systems for generating revenue and analyzed whether community needs were being met
- Looked at leveraging other sources of funding as a way to support Government to Government agreements and collaborate on wildlife and habitat management
- Obtained funding through the Habitat Conservation Trust for Indigenous-led projects
- Awarded student research grants prioritizing Indigenous students and Indigenous co-led projects
- Created the BC First Nations Caribou Recovery Implementation Fund
- Continue to explore sources of funding for capacity building for Nations through the Tripartite Framework Agreement on Nature Conservation
- Identify opportunities for long-term capacity support for First Nations
Action 24 - Support the First Nations-B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum
We will create and support the operation of a formal First Nations–B.C. Wildlife and Habitat Conservation Forum to provide Indigenous perspectives on the development of policies and legislation that will support wildlife and habitat stewardship across provincial government programs and with Indigenous governments throughout British Columbia.
Work completed and underway
- Reviewed Forum governance
- Updated Terms of Reference
- Developed a work plan and began delivery of priority actions
- Continue to support all aspects of the FN Forum and continue to involve the Forum in consultations about policy work, including in-person meetings on potential changes to the Wildlife Act and biodiversity and ecosystem health framework
- Creating a Forum Strategic Plan to guide work of the Forum over the next 3-5 years