In our second episode of the RAD Network Moccasin Telegraph, we hear from Steven Nitah, a member of the RAD Network’s Leadership Circle and a proud member of Łutsël K’é Dene First Nation.  Steven served as Chief in 2008 and was the Nation’s lead negotiator in the creation of the Thaidene Nëné Indigenous Protected Area—one of the largest protected areas in North America.  Steven has also been an active member of the Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI) for over a decade, and recently embarked on a new role with Nature For Justice. 

In this episode, Steven shares his perspective as a core member of the Indigenous Circle of Experts (ICE), contributing to We Rise Together, a landmark report on achieving Canada’s conservation goals through the creation of Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas (IPCAs) in the spirit and practice of reconciliation.  This led to the creation of the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership, from which the RAD Network is now emerging.  Steven notes that Indigenous peoples make up about 5% of the world’s population, but steward 80% of the remaining biodiversity on Earth, highlighting that “we’re proven to be the best caretakers of nature; the world needs that”.  Steven speaks of the intent for the RAD Network to help build tools to ensure that Indigenous rights, responsibilities and value systems are centered in nature based solutions and other conservation finance pathways that support IPCAs. 

Music by Lexin_Music from Pixabay.

Keywords: restore, assert, defend, Indigenous, Canada, Turtle Island, environment, climate, reconciliation