Federal recognition of Indigenous Peoples as stewards and protectors of the lands has expanded substantially over the past five years through a combination of co-developed policy, dedicated funding programs, and Indigenous-led conservation initiatives. Parks Canada’s Indigenous Stewardship Policy, co-developed with the Indigenous Stewardship Circle and adopted in 2024, formally affirms Indigenous stewardship of national parks, national park reserves, and national marine conservation areas through a framework grounded in Trust, Respect, and Reciprocity. Canada’s 2030 Nature Strategy, released in 2024, states explicitly that “there is no path to 30×30 without Indigenous leadership,” and the April 2026 announcement of $3.8 billion to support Canada’s 30×30 conservation commitment under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework directs significant funding to Indigenous Guardians programs and Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs). More than 50 Indigenous-led conservation initiatives are underway across Canada, supported through Indigenous-Led Area-Based Conservation funding, Project Finance for Permanence, the Indigenous Guardians program (47 First Nations Guardians initiatives funded for 2025-2026), Indigenous-led Natural Climate Solutions, and Indigenous Partnerships for Species at Risk.
Substantive affirmation of Indigenous stewardship rights in legislation has occurred most consequentially through the 2024 Haida Nation Recognition Acts (BC Bill 25 and federal Bill S-16) and the Gaayhllxid / Gíihlagalgang “Rising Tide” Haida Title Lands Agreement, which recognize Haida Aboriginal title across 100 percent of Haida Gwaii (covered in the assessments of Calls 35 and 45). Federal IPCAs include Saoyú-ʔehdacho, Thaidene Nëné, and Ts’udé Nilįné Tueyata in the Northwest Territories (totaling 24,715 km²), and recent additions include the Seal River Watershed National Park Reserve in Manitoba and the Wiinipaakw Indigenous Protected Area and National Marine Conservation Area in Eastern James Bay (co-developed with the Cree Nation). Persistent gaps remain in legal recognition of Indigenous jurisdiction (as distinct from Indigenous participation), in the share of Canadian land base under Indigenous-led conservation (under one percent as of 2022), and in the consistency of provincial and territorial implementation across the country.