On August 9th, 2025, the International Day of Indigenous Peoples, members of the Indigenous Action Committee, including Troy Abromaitis and Daniel B. Sarvestani, gathered at Harrison Hot Springs to inaugurate the establishment of the Indigenous Peoples Conservation Area (IPCA) across the unceded territories of the Xa'xtsa (Douglas First Nation).

​

During this gathering, we were deeply honored to meet with Former Chief Darryl Peters. Alongside us was a dedicated marketing team and camera crew, including Cindy Melissa Vargas, as we worked to document and share the IPCA initiative taking shape on Xa’xtsa territory.

​

However, that day was not only about conservation. It was just as much about healing. Walking with us, Chief Darryl, carrying the grief of losing his wife only months before. Beside him, Troy carried the memory of losing his mother the year prior. Troy and Darryl, both leaders in their own right, walked these lands as mourners and defenders, finding in the earth beneath their feet and the waters around them a way to carry loss forward. This was just as much a ceremony of healing and learning as it was about conservation.

​

The IPCA represents far more than an environmental conservation plan. It embodies a philosophy and worldview that incorporates Indigenous Peoples’ ways of being and land-based learning into the conservation process (Artelle et al., 2019; Borrows, 2010). At its core, the IPCA works to preserve Indigenous sovereignty while promoting environmental sustainability and biodiversity. It is well known that some of the richest biospheres in the world, here in Canada and globally, are located on Indigenous lands (WWF, 2022; United Nations, 2021).

For too long, Eurocentric conservation systems-imposed models of national parks and protected areas that excluded Indigenous Peoples. These “fortress conservation” models alienated the original stewards of the land by portraying nature as separate from people and human activity (Brockington, Duffy, & Igoe, 2008). This reflects a Cartesian worldview that positions humans apart from nature (Latour, 1993). Historically, colonial authorities used conservation as a tool to dispossess Indigenous Peoples of their territories and disrupt ceremonies and cultural practices that connect them to the land (Simpson, 2014; Coulthard, 2014).

​

The IPCA, by contrast, builds upon Indigenous worldviews, which see humans as an integral and inseparable part of the land and natural world (Simpson, 2017; Wilson, 2008). This perspective does not place humans at the center of the universe or above nature but situates them within a web of life intricately woven through land and ecosystems (Kimmerer, 2013). The IPCA recognizes that Indigenous communities have always been the stewards of their territories, and that natural biospheres thrive when cared for through respectful, sustainable practices where humans coexist as part of the ecosystem (Artelle et al., 2019).

​

This approach aligns with international standards for Indigenous rights, such as the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) (United Nations, 2007) and ILO Convention 169 (International Labour Organization, 1989), which unequivocally protect Indigenous Peoples and their right to live and thrive within their own territories. These frameworks acknowledge the vital role Indigenous communities play in protecting and sustaining some of the world’s most sensitive and biodiverse regions—from the Amazon Basin to cloud forests, boreal forests in British Columbia, and the vast savannas of Central Africa (United Nations, 2021; WWF, 2022).

​

Here on Turtle Island, this focus on sustainability resonates deeply with many First Nations communities. It reflects our shared responsibility to care for the land and all beings, and to ensure we pass it on in a good way to future generations (Borrows, 2010). For many First Nations in British Columbia, the land is a source of ceremony, medicine, and healing, not merely a place for recreation or “getting away” (Simpson, 2017; Wilson, 2008). Through conservation efforts that integrate Indigenous cultural revitalization and sovereignty, the IPCA fosters pride, resilience, and regeneration on traditional territories.

​

We were profoundly honored to walk these lands with Chief Deral, who shared stories connected to every landmark. Harrison Hot Springs holds a wealth of history and cultural meaning, from legendary Sasquatch sightings during full moons to tales of mermaids dwelling in the crystalline waterways. These stories reflect the deep interconnection between the land and the cultural knowledge it holds. Indeed, both Darryl and Troy found themselves held by these teachings. Their mourning became a form of land defense. Their steps across Xa’xtsa territory were both personal and a visible gesture of continuity, remembrance, renewal, and resistance. Conservation is a ceremony.

​

It was a privilege to have University Canada West (UCW) present in solidarity on this important day. Standing together on these traditional territories with Chief Deral symbolizes our shared commitment to honoring Indigenous sovereignty, advancing cultural resurgence, and implementing the IPCA in ways that uplift and empower the Xa’xtsa and First Nations across Turtle Island.

​

References

​

1. Artelle, K. A., Zurba, M., Bhattacharyya, J., Chan, D. E., Brown, K., Housty, J., & Moola, F. (2019). Supporting resurgent Indigenous-led governance: A nascent mechanism for just and effective conservation. Biological Conservation, 240, 108284. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2019.108284

2. Borrows, J. (2010). Drawing Out Law: A Spirit's Guide. University of Toronto Press.

3. Brockington, D., Duffy, R., & Igoe, J. (2008). Nature Unbound: Conservation, Capitalism and the Future of Protected Areas. Earthscan.

4. Coulthard, G. S. (2014). Red Skin, White Masks: Rejecting the Colonial Politics of Recognition. University of Minnesota Press.

5. International Labour Organization (ILO). (1989). C169 - Indigenous and Tribal Peoples Convention, 1989 (No. 169). Retrieved from https://www.ilo.org

6. Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions.

7. Latour, B. (1993). We Have Never Been Modern. Harvard University Press.

8. Simpson, L. B. (2014). Land as pedagogy: Nishnaabeg intelligence and rebellious transformation. Decolonization: Indigeneity, Education & Society, 3(3), 1–25.

9. Simpson, L. B. (2017). As We Have Always Done: Indigenous Freedom through Radical Resistance. University of Minnesota Press.

10. United Nations. (2007). United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP). Retrieved from https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples

11. United Nations. (2021). The State of the World’s Indigenous Peoples: Rights to Land, Territories and Resources. United Nations Publications.

12. Wilson, S. (2008). Research is Ceremony: Indigenous Research Methods. Fernwood Publishing.

13. World Wildlife Fund (WWF). (2022). Living Planet Report 2022. Retrieved from https://www.worldwildlife.org