Indigenous workshop participants conservation groups

How can indigenous peoples and the conservation community overcome the present barriers and share their knowledge to work together for nature conservation? That was the main question asked at a recent dialogue session with representatives from the indigenous and conservation communities, hosted by the World Conservation Union (IUCN) and The Conservation Commons.
Indigenous peoples throughout the world have amassed generations of observational knowledge of local environments. The global conservation community, meanwhile, is active in conservation efforts on or near traditional lands. Barriers exist, including in some case years of distrust, to sharing knowledge and experience between indigenous communities and conservation groups.
The dialogue session held on 13 and 14 March in Canada addressed the following issues:
The notion of traditional ecological knowledge, and the appropriate role of this knowledge in conservation efforts;
Building trust between the indigenous and conservation communities which share many common goals;
A code of ethics for conservation and scientific organizations to ensure respect for the knowledge, culture and heritage of indigenous peoples in the context of biodiversity conservation;
Exploring the notion of a discreet indigenous component to the Conservation Commons.
“Despite many common conservation goals, much distrust remains between indigenous groups and conservation organizations. Adopting a framework code of ethics can help rebuild the level of trust needed between these communities to work together in good faith ,” said Aroha Te Pareake Mead, IUCN Councilor and Special Advisor on Indigenous Issue.
Under the direction of Aroha Te Pareake Mead and Stephen Augustine, Curator of Ethnology and Hereditary Chief of the Mi'gmaq of eastern Canada , a total of 35 individuals participated in this workshop from Canada , the USA , New Zealand , Papouasi New Guinea , and Peru , including representatives from indigenous groups , conservation organizations, the Government of Canada, and the Convention on Biological Diversity. Canadian indigenous groups present included the Assembly of First Nations, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Inuit Cir*****polar Conference, the Grand Council of the Crees, the Metis National Council, and the Mohawk Council of Akwesasne, as well as the Indigenous Peoples Caucus and the First Nations Land Management Resource Centre. This event was made possible through generous contributions from Environment Canada and The Nature Conservancy.