Centering Indigenous Politics in Collaborative Conservation: Towards Just and Resilient Environmental Governance at the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area

• Main Author: Shutkin, Tal
• Other Authors: Willow, Anna
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: The Ohio State University 2019
• Subjects: conservation; governance; indigenous peoples; First Nations; collaborative conservation; Fuller; Muskwa
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/87547

A section of this thesis won the undergraduate paper competition at the 2019 Dimensions of Political Ecology conference This research examines the Muskwa-Kechika Management Area (MKMA), a collaborative conservation initiative in northeast British Columbia (BC). Established in 1998, the MKMA is a 6.4-million-hectare wilderness with abundant boreal species and cultural values for multiple Canadian First Nations. The region is managed to be preserved in its ecological and aesthetic integrity while allowing for regulated industrial activity. During the summer of 2018, I conducted interviews with past and present members of the Muskwa-Kechika Advisory Board (a body comprised of representatives with diverse interests inside the MKMA), BC government officials, and others involved with the MKMA. Interviewees drew from their experiences participating in MKMA governance to discuss the strength of governance and the complexities of partnering with First Nations who have distinct political and cultural priorities on the land base. Interview results illuminate two major challenges facing the MKMA. Despite low immediate industrial pressures, weaknesses in MKMA governance combined with heightened future pressures may jeopardize the longevity of the management vision. Additionally, despite the MKMA's mission to collaborate with First Nations, such collaboration has declined over time. I conclude that collaborative conservation outcomes could be enhanced by an expanded focus from integrating Indigenous cultural values to prioritizing Indigenous political rights. While cultural recognition is important, it should not be considered the ultimate avenue for Indigenous participation. Rather, collaborative conservation should emphasize the rights of sovereign Indigenous Nations to govern the landscapes with which their nationhood is entwined. A fuller recognition of Indigenous rights could both motivate renewed First Nations participation and offer new strategies towards achieving just and resilient regional environmental governance. School of Environment and Natural Resources Office of International Affairs College of Arts and Sciences No embargo Academic Major: Environmental Policy and Decision Making Academic Major: Geography