In a ceremony that began with prayer songs and drum dancing, federal, territorial, and Indigenous leaders gathered in Yellowknife to launch what experts are calling one of the largest Indigenous-led conservation efforts in the world. The groundbreaking agreement, known as “NWT: Our Land for the Future,” brings together the federal government, territorial government, and 21 Indigenous communities to protect nearly 380,000 square kilometers of pristine wilderness in Canada’s Northwest Territories. To put that in perspective, this protected area is roughly twice the size of Florida and represents more than two percent of Canada’s entire landmass.
The partnership comes with $300 million in federal funding plus an additional $75 million from philanthropic partners, creating a conservation trust that will generate hundreds of jobs while supporting Indigenous-led stewardship, Guardian programs, and ecotourism initiatives. As Chief Ernest Betsina of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation explained, this agreement recognizes what Indigenous peoples have always known: that they are the natural stewards of the land, and it’s time for that responsibility to be properly supported. The initiative represents a “generational investment” that puts community and cultural values at the center of conservation, proving that protecting nature and supporting local communities can go hand in hand.