Shawanaga First Nation

Shawanaga Island Indigenous Protected and Conserved Area

Shawanaga First Nation secured funding from Environment and Climate Change Canada to create an Indigenous and Protected Conserved Area (IPCA) for Shawanaga Island. SVS was selected to support Shawanaga in the planning and development of an IPCA which is grounded in Shawanaga’s laws, governance, and knowledge systems. To ensure that Shawanaga’s culture, language, and values are embedded within the IPCA structure, SVS worked with the community through engagement sessions and a Traditional Knowledge study to gather information about the use of the island. We used input from this engagement to develop a Management Plan, which included the project vision, guiding principles, plans for managing the lands and waters of Shawanaga Island, the goals and objectives for the IPCA along with key metrics for evaluation.  The IPCA team provided information and gathered input from the community through social media, workshops, a project website and story map, and a colouring book. The project also included capacity building through the hiring and training of an IPCA coordinator to lead the project.

SVS worked alongside Shawanaga to regularly engage project partners and stakeholders to secure external support and funding for the IPCA.