"Environmental conservation" has meant many things: the protection of at-risk species and ecosystems, but also the eviction and exclusion of Indigenous peoples and lifeways.

In this episode, Eli Enns and Soudeh Jamshidian (both of the IISAAK Olam Foundation) sit down with anchor Mutuma to discuss new frameworks for conservation that centre Indigenous wisdom — specifically, the concept of an IPCA or Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, which Eli helped to create.

Plus, a multi-layered perspective of jurisdiction; approaching environmental stewardship with both a concept of rights and responsibilities; the importance of good faith dialogue in an "ethical space"; and finally, Eli offers a proposal for how we might fund ecological integrity in False Creek.

Eli Enns is an internationally recognized expert in Indigenous-led conservation. From Tla-o-qui-aht Nation on his father’s side, and of Dutch Mennonite heritage on his mother’s side, Eli promotes holistic solutions for community and ecosystem health and well-being. With a background in political science, Eli is a ‘Nation-builder’ with values and approaches rooted in Indigenous economic theory and practice.

Soudeh Jamshidian is a conservation expert working on Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, or IPCAs, in Canada. She is the coordinator for the Pacific IPCA knowledge hub, and an adjunct professor at Vancouver Island University teaching the IPCA planning certificate. Her PhD research at SFU focused on Indigenous conservation in management of protected areas in India, Iran and Afghanistan.