Grant: Canada Research Chairs

Indigenous communities maintain deep connections to cultural keystone sites and species, fostering resilience and healing. These connections face dual threats from ongoing environmental changes and settler colonial legacies. Protected areas are crucial for ecosystem stability and as refuges for vital species in the context of global change. Furthermore, Indigenous-led protected areas can protect important cultural heritage. Yet, the high frequency of unique ecosystem clusters in protected areas can make them vulnerable to climate warming and human development pressures, resulting in habitat fragmentation and species loss. Environmental changes within Canada's National Park system have already affected places, ecosystems, lands and waters valued by Indigenous Stewards throughout Canada though less resources are available to assess remote alpine parks. As a consequence, the Indigenous Circle of Experts has recommended collaboration between governments, academic institutions, and Indigenous communities to address climate change impacts within Indigenous Protected Areas. This proposal is a response to this call to action. In coastal Labrador, two alpine national parks (Torngat Mountains National Park [TMNP] and Akami-Uapishkᵁ-KakKasuak Mealy Mountains National Park Reserve [AUKMMNP]) are largely stewarded by Labrador Innu and Inuit. In partnership with regional stakeholders, this program will investigate how environmental change in these unique Arctic and Subarctic parks will manifest for culturally important places, ecosystems, and lands, with the goal of facilitating community-led climate change monitoring, adaptation and resilience in TMNP and AUKMMNP. The program encompasses three key objectives: firstly, understanding the present use of culturally important areas and activities that could be at-risk of environmental change; secondly, to evaluate historic and ongoing to changes to sensitive ecosystems and landscapes; and thirdly, to anticipate and co-develop strategies for assessment and mitigation of future risks of climate and environmental change in both parks. Combining Indigenous and Western Science methodologies, this program seeks to empower communities, safeguard cultural heritage, and support sustainable management of Arctic and Subarctic resources. Through collaborative partnerships and innovative methodologies, this program will contribute to enhance resilience in the face of ongoing environmental and societal pressures.