The Wemindji Protected Areas Project

Caring for Eeyou Istchee: Protected Area Creation in Wemindji Cree Territory Monica E. Mulrennan, Colin Scott and Katherine Scott Until recent decades, management of parks and protected areas tended to focus on the preservation of wilderness, often used to justify the exclusion of Indigenous peoples from their traditional lands and resources. Today, in Canada and elsewhere, Indigenous peoples are major players in the planning and management of protected areas. We report on the recent experience of one such group – the Cree Nation of Wemindji in Eeyou Istchee (James Bay) – in relation to their efforts to secure protected area status on a portion of their lands and seas. Their remarkable achievements over the past decade, which include the establishment of a biodiversity reserve on two major watersheds and the submission of a formal proposal for a National Marine Conservation Area in the adjacent offshore area, reflect the success of a community- based participatory research (CBPR) partnership. This book provides an account of this partnership, outlining its evolution from an initial collaboration focussed on concerns about the protection of a particular watershed to a vibrant reciprocal research partnership. The Cree Nation Of Wemindji •Wemindji is 1 of 10 official Cree communities •Population of 1,450, 1200 km northwest of Montreal Chief Rodney Mark (2004): Henry Stewart (2003) •Ensure the protection of our territory yet “We don’t know what’s remain selectively open to development. going to happen, especially with all the mining coming •Choose and lead our projects, maintaining control and leadership. around, forestry, and God knows what else…” •Framed by our values, knowledge, and practices. Building a research partnership ◦ Existing research relationships ◦ McGill-MSE field school (2003-05) ◦ Multi-disciplinary research team: ◦ 12 co-investigators and 20 graduate students (2003-2010) ◦ McGill University (C. Scott PI) ◦ Concordia U, U Manitoba and UBC ◦ Identification of funding opportunities ◦ SSHRC Aboriginal Research Program (2005-07) ◦ SHHRC Community-University Research Alliances Program (2005-10) ◦ Northern Scientific Training Program (NSTP) Research Partners ◦ Coastal Hunting Territory Stewards (nituuhuu uuchimaauch) ◦ Elders, hunters, youth, women ◦ Community Council ◦ Cree Trappers Association (CTA) ◦ Cree Nation Government (CNG) ◦ Grand Council of the Crees (Eeyou Istchee) ◦ Ministère du Développement durable de l'Environnement et des Parcs [MDDEP] ◦ Parks Canada ◦ Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS/SNAP) Defining characteristics of the research Collaborative Multidisciplinary Field based experiential learning Training and capacity building Sustained Inclusive Flexible Essential elements of protection Management centred on Cree nituuhuu aschii /family hunting territory and nituuhuu uuchimaau /tallyman system Customary Cree hunting, fishing and trapping activities not to be interfered with Development limited to low-impact activities Showcasing of Cree land-based knowledge and values to the larger society Paakumshumwaau Maastuskaau Biodiversity Reserve 20% of Wemindji’s total territory (4700 km2) encompasses the watersheds of the two largest rivers Réserve de biodiversité accepted by MDDEP in July 2008 JBNQA (Category 2 and 3) IUCN Category Proposed Tawich (Marine) Conservation Area Offshore territories of several coastal communities Proposed National Marine Conservation Area (NMCA) – initial proposal January 2009 Parks Canada and GCCIE (MOU – feasibility study) Eeyou Marine Region Agreement IUCN Category Collaborative Archaeological Research, Paakumshumwaau Community members identify sites, participate in excavations, interpret findings with university partners Community engaged in Interactive map with over mapping stories of the land 1000 recorded place names, travel routes and stories Wemindji Knowledge Centre • To celebrate Wemindji • To bring Culture, Wellness and Museum together under one roof • To build local capacity for research according to community needs and values • To support the intercultural transmission of traditional skills and language • To support new ideas, projects, information and skills. • To make a place for telling their stories Accounting for project success . Strong local leadership . Knowledge and authority of Cree Elders and legitimacy of Cree hunting territories . Trust and shared vision of project leaders – co-designed project .Collaborative research process – local training, employment, and capacity building . Coordination and cooperation between local and regional levels of Cree government . Participation of federal and provincial agencies responsible for protected areas development . Alignment with international discourses - indigenous-led protected areas . Meaningful outputs: . protection of Cree lands and waters in perpetuity . Inputs to community planning, mapping and decision-making . HQP training - new generation of researchers committed to community engaged research . “Caring for Eeyou Istchee” (UBC Press 2019), and other scholarly outputs Beyond research ◦ Building of mutually beneficial relationships defined by: ◦ respect and reciprocity ◦ sustained engagement ◦ ‘lifelong bonds of service’ and personal relationships Acknowledgements: Rodney Mark Cree Nation of Wemindji Grand Council of the Crees Team members of the McGill-based Wemindji Protected Area Project SSHRC (Community University Research Alliance Program) Parks Canada Agency Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) UBC Press .

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