Advancing Indigenous Stewardship in Conservation

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09/10/2025
14:30 - 16:30
Conference Hall B: Session Room 11 , Onsite
Session with interpretation

Why attend

Join a dynamic forum uniting Indigenous and government leaders from Canada and Australia to explore collaborative conservation. Discover how Indigenous stewardship, rooted in ancestral knowledge, is shaping resilient ecosystems and revitalizing cultures. Learn from hands-on experiences and be inspired to support respectful, collaborative conservation models. Sign up for this session

Session Description

Indigenous Peoples have been living in relation with the land since time immemorial, utilizing systems of laws, practice and knowledge to fulfill responsibilities and support ecological and cultural well-being. Colonization and Western conservation approaches have disrupted these systems, harming both communities and ecosystems. Today, many western nations are renewing approaches to conservation of biodiversity in ways that better respect Indigenous rights and responsibilities to land, water and ice, working in collaboration and co-development with Indigenous Peoples. These partnerships aim to support Indigenous rights, revitalize cultures, strengthen economies, and build resilient ecosystems. This forum brings together government and Indigenous representatives from Canada and Australia to share experiences, best practices, and lessons in supporting Indigenous stewardship. Sharing perspectives from both the governments and Indigenous partners, with interactive engagement the session will showcase diverse strategies and inspire broader adoption of respectful, collaborative and Indigenous-led conservation models.
Organised by
Parks Canada Agency - Agence Parcs Canada ( Canada ) logo
Parks Canada Agency - Agence Parcs Canada ( Canada )
Partners
Parks Canada Agency - Agence Parcs Canada ( Canada )
Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water ( Australia ) logo
Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water ( Australia )
Nyamba Buru Yawuru Limited logo
Nyamba Buru Yawuru Limited
Qikiqtani Inuit Association logo
Qikiqtani Inuit Association
Indigenous Stewardship Circle (Parks Canada)

Speaker

Speaker Zabrina WHITMAN

Parks Canada Agency - Agence Parcs Canada

Speaker Dean Mathews

Assistant Manager - Environmental Services Unit, Nyamba Buru Yawuru, Nyamba Buru Yawuru

Speaker Romaniah Hunter

Ranger, Nyamba Buru Yawuru, Nyamba Buru Yawuru Limited

Speaker Julie MELBOURNE

Manager Environmental Services Unit, Nyamba Buru Yawuru

Speaker Steven LONSDALE

Senior Manager Marine and Research, Qikiqtani Inuit Association

Moderator

Speaker Tia STEVENS

Branch Head, Australian Government. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water

Speaker Nathan CARDINAL

Director, Indigenous Policy, Parks Canada

Session co-organizer

Speaker Laurel MCIVOR

Program Advisor, Conservation Strategy Branch, Parks Canada