This National Indigenous Peoples Day, we come together to celebrate the diverse cultures and histories of Indigenous peoples, and their monumental achievements in watershed stewardship. We also recognize that centering Indigenous Rights in our work and practices is an enduring commitment that requires ongoing action, learning, and reflection.

To support that commitment, the Healthy Watersheds Initiative (HWI), administered by the Real Estate Foundation of BC, is excited to release and share the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People: Healthy Watersheds Initiative Evaluation Framework and Report by Tara Marsden, Naxginkw / Senior Indigenous Advisor.

A key objective of HWI is to advance the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). The purpose of this report is to hold ourselves accountable to that commitment, and to transparently document where we’ve made progress or fallen short, and where further action can and should be taken to build on the challenges and successes, new relationships, and rich learning.

The report also offers a framework that we hope governments, environmental funders, and conservation organizations will draw upon in evaluating their own commitments to advancing UNDRIP. By sharing approaches, processes, templates, and tools, we hope to share and learn from each other’s efforts and work together to support better policies, practices and relationships — that meaningfully uphold commitments to UNDRIP and healthy watersheds for all.

Download the Report

“This is an important piece of work. We couldn’t be more honoured to be receiving and sharing the wisdom and reflections it contains. This report shares significant analysis and learnings along a path that many people and organizations – public, private, non-profit – may recognize from their own journey, and we hope that it helps develop and move us towards better policies, practices, and relationships. It underscores the importance of centering permanent, unextinguished Indigenous rights and title, relationships, and ways of knowing in work where water, land and people and living systems are connected, protected, and affected.”

Mark Gifford, CEO, Real Estate Foundation of BC