The Northwest Boreal Partnership is a collaboration of diverse individuals and organizations supporting healthy lands and communities across Alaska and northwestern Canada.
|
|
Partnership members participate in a workshop on the Land & Peoples Relationship Model, led by Joe Copper Jack. Learn more about this model at respectcareshare.ca
|
Steering Committee members visit the Little Tonsina River Fish Passage Project in Copper Center, AK
|
News and updates on what we are up to!
Land and Water Relationship Gathering
Organized by CPAWS Yukon and the Northwest Boreal Partnership, the Land and Water Relationship Gathering on April 20 brought people together to listen, share and learn about the intersection of efforts and opportunities around land and water planning, climate adaptation, conservation, and regenerative economies – with a highlighted focus on Indigenous-led and collaborative efforts.
We brought together a diverse group of representatives from First Nation communities and governments, government agencies, funding groups, academic institutions, conservation groups, the tourism and business sector, and land planning and management organizations. In addition to teaching and inspiring one another with examples of what is possible, we hope this gathering will help everyone work together on future land-water initiatives and planning in the North and beyond.
Speakers included:
We brought together a diverse group of representatives from First Nation communities and governments, government agencies, funding groups, academic institutions, conservation groups, the tourism and business sector, and land planning and management organizations. In addition to teaching and inspiring one another with examples of what is possible, we hope this gathering will help everyone work together on future land-water initiatives and planning in the North and beyond.
Speakers included:
- CPAWS Yukon – Chris Pinkerton, Joti Overduin
- How We Walk with the Land and Water – Colleen James, Mark Wedge, Margaret McKay, Louise Clethro, Jewel Davies, Coralee Johns, Rebecca Kingdon, Roy Neilson
- Yukon Land Use Planning Council – Neil Salvin, Tim Sellars, Nicole Percival, Joe Copper Jack
- Yukon First Nation Climate Action Fellowship – Nika Silverfox, Jewel Davies
- Carcross/Tagish First Nation – Patrick James, Sean McDougal
- Ahtna Intertribal Resource Commission – Karen Linnell
- Northwest Boreal Partnership – Leanna Heffner, Coralee Johns
|
|
US-Canada Transboundary and Indigenous-led Conservation
The Canada-US border is the longest international land border in the world. A more holistic, transboundary approach to conservation across this national border offers a tremendous opportunity for increasing landscape and cultural connectivity, improving the efficacy of existing conservation efforts, and helping both Canada and the US reach ambitious national conservation targets.
|
Throughout 2021, we helped organize a series of four international dialogues around strengthening transboundary conservation in Canada and the U.S. These dialogues had hundreds of participants in attendance, including representatives from conservation organizations, Indigenous communities, government agencies, and civil society.
To better capture the learnings from the Dialogues, a small task force worked together to distill their common themes and key ideas into a summary report. The task force worked closely with Indigenous speakers and participants from the Dialogues to co-produce the report and ensure it appropriately and respectfully reflected the diverse views expressed in the Dialogues. The resulting report is a starting point for launching further conversation and stimulating concrete actions toward achieving durable conservation outcomes for the peoples and ecosystems that span this critical area. Download and read the full report here. |
|
Indigenous Led Land Planning in Alaska and Canada
For three weeks in April & May 2022, the Northern Latitudes Partnerships team, in partnership with US Fish & Wildlife Service and the University of Alaska Fairbanks Tribal Governance Program, offered a 6-part virtual course on “Indigenous-Led Land Planning”. The course, which drew in over 250 registered participants, featured distinguished speakers from Alaska and western Canada and included small group breakout discussions. Topics included Indigenous Worldview, the context for land management in Alaska & Canada, successful case studies and models for Indignenous-led land planning, and ways for various partners including government agencies, conservation organizations, and academia to effectively collaborate with Indigenous groups on land stewardship and planning.
The course was co-facilitated and co-organized by Crystal Leonetti (USFWS Alaska Native Affairs Specialist), Carrie Stevens (UAF Tribal Governance Program), Leanna Heffner (Northwest Boreal Partnership Director), and Hannah-Marie Garcia (Alaska Sea Grant Fellow for the NLP).
The series was a resounding success, with calls for more in-depth courses and gatherings focused on this topic. An example of praise from an anonymous participant: “The facilitators and instructors were excellent, kind, intelligent and respectful. The speakers were amazing. The best class I have had in a long time. Being able to listen and learn from Indigenous program leaders and workers on what works for them and what and how they made it through or around barriers was priceless.”
The recordings from the course are available on our YouTube page. The full syllabus for the series is available for download here, and includes links to many useful resources discussed in the course.
The course was co-facilitated and co-organized by Crystal Leonetti (USFWS Alaska Native Affairs Specialist), Carrie Stevens (UAF Tribal Governance Program), Leanna Heffner (Northwest Boreal Partnership Director), and Hannah-Marie Garcia (Alaska Sea Grant Fellow for the NLP).
The series was a resounding success, with calls for more in-depth courses and gatherings focused on this topic. An example of praise from an anonymous participant: “The facilitators and instructors were excellent, kind, intelligent and respectful. The speakers were amazing. The best class I have had in a long time. Being able to listen and learn from Indigenous program leaders and workers on what works for them and what and how they made it through or around barriers was priceless.”
The recordings from the course are available on our YouTube page. The full syllabus for the series is available for download here, and includes links to many useful resources discussed in the course.
What's changing on our lands, what's driving these changes, and what can we do about it?
This book from the Northwest Boreal Partnership informs sustainable management, stewardship, and research in the north!
If you are a.... resources & land manager, researcher, knowledge holder, subsistence harvester, tribal or First Nation leader, land use planner, or work in conservation... this book is for you!
This coedited volume examines the biological, natural, physical, and socioeconomic drivers of landscape change in the region. Over 65 expert contributors from Alaska and Canada address these themes throughout the text, focusing on issues including but not limited to wildfires, climate change and permafrost thaw, land cover change, and resource extraction as well as the livelihoods of Indigenous and rural people. Watch this webinar with six experts and co-authors of the book!
E-book and hardcopy editions are available for purchase for $30 USD on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble online, and the University of Chicago Press.
If you are a.... resources & land manager, researcher, knowledge holder, subsistence harvester, tribal or First Nation leader, land use planner, or work in conservation... this book is for you!
This coedited volume examines the biological, natural, physical, and socioeconomic drivers of landscape change in the region. Over 65 expert contributors from Alaska and Canada address these themes throughout the text, focusing on issues including but not limited to wildfires, climate change and permafrost thaw, land cover change, and resource extraction as well as the livelihoods of Indigenous and rural people. Watch this webinar with six experts and co-authors of the book!
E-book and hardcopy editions are available for purchase for $30 USD on Amazon.com, Barnes & Noble online, and the University of Chicago Press.
We also work with other regional partnership across the North...
|
|
