Paper short abstract:

Through an interrogation of the Conservation Through Reconciliation Partnership, a network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, conservation organizations and agencies, this paper outline what decolonial partnerships for conservation might look like and their potential for transformation.

Paper long abstract:

Colonial logics have informed the vision and practice of mainstream conservation and helped shape its practice. State-led protected areas have become nearly synonymous with the displacement and marginalization of Indigenous Peoples and can be understood as part of the very fabric of colonialism, used as a means through which colonial and modern states gain and maintain control over Indigenous territory. Moving away from such logics of separation and disconnection towards logics of connection and re-attachment is what drives a movement supporting Indigenous-led conservation in Canada. Through an interrogation of the Conservation Through Reconciliation Partnership, a growing network of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, conservation organizations and agencies, this paper discusses how the support of Indigenous-led conservation in settler-colonial societies marks a shift towards a potential decolonial conservation practice. Engaging Indigenous scholarship and teachings, we will examine the work of the Partnership, which weaves together research, gatherings, capacity building and education in ethical space, to outline what decolonial partnerships for conservation might look like and argue for their potential to catalyze change in the conservation sector and reconciliation more broadly. We will also identify the persistent challenges and potential barriers to such partnerships.