Indigenous Peoples and communities have had long-standing relationships with nature, based on knowledge systems and practices that acknowledge and respect the spiritual environment in which they live (Verschuuren et al., 2012). They have assigned special significance to specific natural areas like mountains, rivers, lakes and forests in accordance with their spiritual beliefs (Wild & McLeod, 2008, p.7; Liljeblad & Verschuuren, 2019). The “areas of land or water having profound spiritual importance to peoples and societies” are defined as sacred natural sites by the IUCN (Wild & McLeod, 2008, p.7). Sacred natural sites, and the rights and responsibilities of Indigenous Peoples towards these places, are recognized both internationally (e.g., Art. 11(1) and Art. 12(1) of the Declaration on Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP, 2007); The Akwé:Kon Guidelines (CBD 2004)) and within Canada’s legal framework.

For 9 years, members of UAPASHKUSS – an Indigenous apolitical group composed of spiritual guides, elders, and culture-specific resources of the Innu First Nation – all guardians of sacred natural sites, have identified, documented and mapped eight sacred natural sites, five of which are located in the province of Quebec and three in Labrador, in eastern Canada. This series of sacred natural sites form part of the Innu Trail (Chemin des Innus) that led our people back to their hunting grounds via rivers, portages, mountains and lakes. The ultimate purpose of this lengthy voyage, which followed the seasons, was to meet the caribou in order to ensure our nomadic people’s existence.

Travelling from the shore up North to our ancestral lands required passing many Pakatakan – the Innu word for portages. Portages are deep routes carved out by our Innu ancestors on foot, canoe, snowshoe or toboggan. We consider the portages and the sites and places that they connect as sacred. They reflect our culture and identity, are testimonies of our history and cultural heritage; they have been walked by our ancestors. The stories, memories, ceremonies and knowledge linked to these sites, and the portages that interconnects them, are passed on to our youth (Vollant, 2011) and confirm that the Innu ways of knowing and living are alive today.

The eight sacred natural sites identified by UAPASHKUSS are located in the boreal forest and arctic tundra, two of the world’s last environmentally intact habitats, and are the result of the Innu First Nations’ millennia-long traditional management practices of these lands. With the Moisie and George River basins – two of Quebec’s largest protected aquatic environments – the sacred sites are also part of an uninterrupted biological corridor.

These sacred natural sites deserve to be recognized and safeguarded in order to ensure the perpetuity of our bio-cultural and spiritual heritage associated with the relationship to the Earth, the caribou, and the Innu circular way of life, and for strengthening our identity. For this, UAPASHKUSS started a close collaboration with Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) – Quebec Chapter (SNAP-Quebec), an NGO that works for the conservation of nature and the values associated to it. Together they created the Pakatakan project in 2019, aiming towards the recognition and protection of the eight Innu sacred natural sites identified by UAPASHKUSS, including the portage paths connecting these sites.

Since 2019, UAPASHKUSS and SNAP Québec organized a series of consultation meeting and activities to develop relationships with representatives of Indigenous organizations, government bodies and with local, regional, national and international actors, to raise awareness at local and national level about the project and the importance of protection of the Innu sacred natural sites.

In 2020, the special consultations on Bill # 46 started in Quebec: Modification of the law on the conservation of natural heritage presented by SNAP to the Transport and Environment Commission (CTE). The Quebec government’s review of the Natural Heritage Conservation Act represented a unique opportunity to include a protected area status that would recognize the uniqueness of Indigenous-led initiatives. We considered that such a status would allow the recognition of indigenous sacred natural sites as protected areas. SNAP and UAPASHKUSS therefore worked together to submit a brief and mobilize other organizations around this issue. In its brief UAPASHKUSS recommended a new category of an Indigenous protected area targeting sacred natural sites (SNAP-Québec, 2020; ITUM, 2020). An Aboriginal-Led Protected Area (ALPA) status was included in the revised Québec Natural Heritage Conservation Act in early 2021 (MLECC, 2021). We wish that this new protection tool recognizes the specificities of Indigenous-led conservation, including the protection of natural sacred sites.

In December 2020, the government also announced the designation of almost 30,000 km² in Nunavik as a reserve of territory for the purposes of protected area (RTFAP)(MELCC, 2020; Shield A., 2020). The designated territory includes a sacred site identified by UAPASHKUSS. Three of the five sacred sites located in Québec were now legally protected, following the government announcements made in 2020.

In October 2022, SNAP Québec and UAPASHKUSS enhanced their partnership with the Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-utenam (ITUM), and the three organisations formed a working committee called Uashkaikan to coordinate their efforts towards the Innu protected area in the territory.

The next step will be to apply for ALPA designation in order to protect the remaining sacred sites, including the portage routes. Furthermore, additional measures are required for all eight sacred sites, including those that are currently protected, in order for them to be legally recognized as such. To reach this aim, four future joint actions will be focussed on (see also UAPASHKUSS & SNAP-Québec, 2021, p.7):

1. Document and draft protected area proposals for identified Innu sacred natural sites and submit the project for the Indigenous-led protected areas designation to the Government of Quebec, so that the sites can obtain legal status in Quebec;
2. Implement the actions proposed during consultations held with members and local Indigenous leaders and other local and regional governments;
3. Continue awareness campaigns for the sacred natural sites identified by UAPASHKUSS;
4. Visit the sacred sites to collect data on their biocultural characteristics.

The work by UAPASHKUSS, in collaboration with its partners, highlights the importance of Indigenous-led governance and conservation systems, including the preservation of natural sacred sites. UAPASHKUSS  continues with its partners, such as SNAP-Québec, the joint efforts to create Indigenous protected areas for the recognition of Innu sacred natural sites as identified by them. It is essential to advance together in protecting the biocultural diversity of our land and waters for current and future generations.

Tshinashkumitinan! Akua Tutuatau Tshikauinnu Assi!

Thank you and Take Care of Our Mother Earth!

Contact :

UAPASHKUSS

155, rue de l’Église

Uashat mak Mani-utenam (Québec)

G4R 4K2

CANADA

Courriel: uapashkuss@outlook.com

Site web: www.uapashkuss.com

References

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) (2004). Akwé: Kon. Voluntary guidelines for the conduct of cultural, environmental and social impact assessments regarding developments proposed to take place on, or which are likely to impact on, sacred sites and on lands and waters traditionally occupied or used by indigenous and local communities. [On-line]. Montreal, Quebec: Secretariat of the Convention on Biological Diversity, 2004. 25 pp. (CBD Guidelines Series). <http://www.cbd.int/doc/book.aspx?id=7358> [Consulted: 19 April 2022].
• Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam (ITUM) (2020). Mémoire quant au projet de loi 46. Mémoire déposé par Innu Takuaikan Uashat mak Mani-Utenam dans le cadre du projet de loi modifiant la loi sur la conservation du patrimoine naturel et d’autres dispositions. 21 p.
• Liljeblad, J., & Verschuuren, B. (2019). Indigenous Perspectives on Sacred Natural Sites. Culture, Governance and Conservation. Routledge.
• Ministère de l’environnement et de la lutte contre Les Changements Climatiques (MELCC). (2020, December 11). Le gouvernement du Québec atteindra son objectif de protéger 20 % du Nunavik d’ici la fin de 2020. Communiqué de presse. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.environnement.gouv.qc.ca/infuseur/communique.asp?no=4438
• Ministère de l’environnement et de la lutte contre Les Changements Climatiques (MELCC). (2021, February 10). Adoption de la nouvelle Loi modifiant la Loi sur la conservation du patrimoine naturel et d’autres dispositions – Le Québec se donne les moyens d’accroître la protection de ses milieux naturels. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.environnement.gouv.qc.ca/infuseur/communique.asp?no=4482
• Société pour la nature et les parcs du Canada – Section Québec (SNAP Québec) (2020). Mémoire présenté à la Commission des Transports et environnement dans le cadre des consultations particulières sur le projet de loi no 46 : Loi modifiant la Loi sur la conservation du patrimoine naturel. 70 p. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://snapquebec.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2020-09-22-Memoire-SNAP-Quebec-PL46.pdf
• Shields, A. (2020, December 5). Le gouvernement protège 30 000 km carrés du Nord du Québec. Le Devoir. https://www.ledevoir.com/societe/environnement/591093/le-gouvernement-protege-30-000-km-sup-2-sup-du-nord-du-quebec
• UAPASHKUSS & SNAP-Québec (2021). Pakatakan project activity report: A partnership between UAPASHKUSS and SNAP-Quebec for the protection and recognition of Innu Sacred Natural Sites. Project report submitted to ECHO-CHAD-CONSECON Foundation. 8 p.
• United Nations (UNDRIP). (2007). United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous Poeples. Available at: https://www.un.org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP_E_web.pdf [Consulted: 19 April 2022].
• Verschuuren, B., McNeely, J., Oviedo, G., & Wild, R. (Eds.). (2012). Sacred Natural Sites. Taylor & Francis.
• Vollant, T. (2011). Ka Kushpian- Mon voyage. Short film, 3’40’’, produced by Wapikoni Mobile. https://vimeo.com/154909234
• Wild, R. and McLeod, C. (2008). Sacred Natural Sites: Guidelines for  Protected  Area  Managers,  Best Practice Protected Area Guidelines Series No 16, IUCN, Gland, Switzerland