A Step Forward in Creating the Seal River Watershed IPA
Montreal: December 14, 2022: Today the Seal River Watershed Alliance, the Government of Canada, and the Government of Manitoba committed to working together to conduct a feasibility study towards establishing an Indigenous Protected Area in the Seal River Watershed.
The announcement tool place at the COP15 United Nations biodiversity summit—a recognition of the Seal River Watershed’s significance in the global effort to sustain intact lands, clean waters, and healthy communities.
Stephanie Thorassie, the Director of the Seal River Watershed Alliance, made the following statement:
“The Seal River Watershed Alliance welcomes this step in the journey to protect the watershed. The Sayisi Dene First Nation, Northlands Dene Nation, Barren Lands First Nation, and O-Pipon-Na-Piwin Cree Nation have come together to create an Indigenous Protected Area. We are asserting our inherent right to steward these lands for our communities, for the caribou, and for all people.”
“Eighty per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity is on lands cared for by Indigenous Peoples. Recognizing and respecting Indigenous decision-making on the land is essential for our shared future. The four First Nations of the Seal River Watershed Alliance are offering a gift to the world—the gift of sustaining one of the largest intact watersheds left on the planet.”
““The health of our lands and the health of our people are intertwined. Our cultures and languages are rooted in our relationship to the caribou and the land, and protecting the watershed means protecting the spirit of our people. The Indigenous Protected Area will help us honour our Elders and create opportunities for our youth. And it will generate jobs and sustainable prosperity for our communities.
“Today we remember our Elders and the places we come from. Creating the Seal River Watershed Indigenous Protected Area will help ensure the history of relocation and imposed decision making remains in the past. Now we are charting a course for the future, and it begins with First Nations, the Government of Manitoba, and the Government of Canada working together as partners. We look forward to having real Nation-to-Nation-to-Nation decision making as we move forward.”
Media Contact:
Sean Durkan: sean.sda.inc@rogers.com (613-851-2151)
