Land Governance in Canada: Past, Present and Future

Globally, Indigenous Peoples comprise less than five per cent of the world’s population, but protect 80 per cent of the planet’s biodiversity. Because Indigenous knowledge of lands and waters has evolved over thousands of years, many are looking at Indigenous governance models to help address the global climate and biodiversity crises. To understand how re-establishing Indigenous governance models can support better land-use, we helped create “Land Governance: Past, Present, Future”. We hope this series of videos will promote conversations about land governance in Canada.

“Land Governance: Past”, the first video in series, sets the historical context Indigenous Peoples dispossession from the lands that sustain them. This 12-minute short identifies the legal and policy landscape that created the conditions for today’s environmental and social crises, while exploring the rights and responsibilities of Indigenous Peoples.

“Land Governance: Present”, the second video in the series highlights the current land-management crisis in Canada and how this has motivated the Indigenous-led Land Back movement. It explores what happens when two systems of law and governance come head-to-head and articulates the need for difficult conversations and activism.

“Land Governance: Future”, the third video in the series, explores potential paths toward just systems of land management that honour Indigenous rights and responsibilities. These paths include implementation of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, inclusion of Indigenous systems of governance and stewardship, developing mechanisms to recognize Indigenous land ownership and the need to create meaningful relationships as a foundation for moving forward.