Draft Statement of Rights
From the Escarpment Corridor Alliance to Indigenous Communities whose lands we occupy
Through its work, the Escarpment Corridor Alliance acknowledges and is grateful to all of the original stewards of the land. Since time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have inhabited, cared for, and held relationships with these lands and water. Practicing the original instructions given to them by the Creator, they have used their knowledge systems and laws to guide their relationship with the land. The Escarpment Corridor Alliance also acknowledges the Indigenous Peoples who currently hold Aboriginal and Treaty Rights on the lands we currently occupy.
As a land trust, we understand the legacy of how the land tenure system in Canada has created many barriers to Indigenous Peoples accessing the lands they once stewarded and how this continues to impact their way of life and culture.
We have taken the time to learn about, engage with, and uphold the intent of the treaties, settler responsibilities, and natural law in order to honour our commitment to conservation through reconciliation. We acknowledge the broken promises and treaties and endeavor to reconcile with all our relations.
The Escarpment Corridor Alliance is committed to ethical space and two-eyed seeing because we understand that Traditional Ecological Knowledge offers differing perspectives and priorities than that of Western Scientific ways and we honour those differences. We view ethical space as a space which gives the opportunity to listen without judgement, accept many truths, and work together to make decisions that we can all agree with.
The Escarpment Corridor Alliance will demonstrate our commitment in three main focus areas with Indigenous communities:
- We will share our objectives with Indigenous communities, work to build meaningful relationships, develop trust, and invite participation by those who express an interest in our work. We hope that this relationship will facilitate opportunities for the Nation and community members to gather on the land to practice culture, rights and reconnection.
- We will engage with local Indigenous advisors and leaders to ensure our strategic direction and operational activities are informed by Indigenous worldviews.
- We will continue to educate ourselves about the history of these lands. Should Indigenous communities wish to share Traditional Ecological Knowledge, cultural heritage information or stories about these lands we will ensure that this knowledge is incorporated into conservation planning and (with consent) we will share the information for the greater public to learn about the lands and the people who have come before us.
Common Questions
The ECA does not currently hold title to any land. Potential securement projects will be shared with nations that may have Treaty Rights or a traditional historical relationship with the land ahead of closing and with an invitation to comment and/or collaborate. If community members wish to practice their Section 35 constitutionally protected Aboriginal and Treaty Rights on ECA lands, we invite you to reach out to us as we may have designated areas for harvesting. We also encourage you to reach out to the Saugeen Ojibway Nation Chief and Council to seek guidance for harvesting within their Treaty Territory
We have reached out to First Nations who have current or historical ties to the land in which we work. Our goal is to invite participation and build respectful relationships that create collaboration and involvement with the conservation of this region.
To date, our ecological corridor identification project that supports decision-making is based in western scientific data. We know that this is just one way of knowing the land and are eager to incorporate Indigenous ways of knowing.
If you know of someone who may be willing to support our goal of Two-Eyed Seeing, or may be interested in bringing Indigenous perspectives to support ECA decision-making, please reach out to [email protected]
Not yet, however, we are working to support landholder-led conservation efforts and are pursuing opportunities to connect, restore and protect natural lands for future generations. The ECA is a recipient organization of Canada’s Ecological Gifts Program (Ecological Gifts Program: overview – Canada.ca) and a member of the Ontario Land Trust Alliance (Home – OLTA)
The ECA is actively seeking a First Nations leader in conservation to sit on our board. We hope to involve Indigenous perspectives as we acknowledge that this work should be a collaborative approach that involves both western scientific knowledge and traditional ecological knowledge.
The ECA recognizes that our “area of influence” crosses many geographic boundaries, including lands that have historical and present relationships with First Nations communities. We have completed thorough research to investigate the history of these lands and have notified Saugeen Ojibway Nation, Chippewas of Nawash, Georgina Island First Nation, Rama First Nation, Beausoleil First Nation, Six Nations of the Grand River, and Huron-Wendat. We have invited them to meet with us to learn more and offered the opportunity to collaborate, share knowledge and build relationships.
People of all communities are welcome to get in touch with us, apply for board membership, participate in events we host, volunteer and share local knowledge and information.
The Escarpment Corridors Alliance (ECA) is a nonprofit organization founded in 2023 by local residents in South Georgian Bay determined to protect the Niagara Escarpment’s landscapes from irreversible development. We work to safeguard and restore natural corridors—forests, wetlands, rivers, and farmlands—that connect and sustain this ecosystem. These corridors support clean water, thriving wildlife, climate resilience, and the rural way of life that defines this region.
By partnering with communities, landowners, Indigenous leaders, and decision-makers, we’re ensuring that future generations inherit a healthy, connected, and living escarpment.
To encourage community-led land stewardship while reconnecting people with nature, towards a more protected, more connected ecological corridor that benefits both nature and people in a legacy for future generations.
The ECA is a registered charity and non-governmental organization that seeks funding from individuals, foundations, corporations and governments to support our conservation projects and charitable objectives.
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Contact
Natalya Garrod, Indigenous Relations
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References Used to Guide the Statement
Ontario Land Trust Alliance: Statement on Indigenous Conservation and Engagement. Sourced here: OLTA-Statement-on-Indigenous-Conservation-and-Engagement-Mar30-2022.pdf
Indigenous Rights and Private Land Conservation: Opening the Door to Collective Responsibility by the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership. Sourced here: Indigenous Rights and Private Land Conservation Full Transcription — CRP Website
Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts Statement on Indigenous Conservation and Engagement. Spruced here: Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts Statement on Indigenous Conservation and Engagement – Alliance of Canadian Land Trusts
Statement on Indigenous Conservation and Engagement by the Land Trust Alliance of British Columbia. Sourced here: LTABC_Statement-Indigenous-Conservation-Engagement2022.pdf
Respect and Responsibility: Integrating Indigenous Rights and Private Land Conservation in Canada by Othius, Kleerm and Townshend, LLP. Sourced here: Respect and Responsibility: Integrating Indigenous Rights and Private Land Conservation in Canada – OKT | Olthuis Kleer Townshend LLP
Indigenous-led Conservation and Stewardship: Potential Pathways towards the restitution of land to First Nations Peoples by Marilyn Baptiste, Frank Brown, Eli Enna, Faisal Moola, Steven Nitah, Robin Roth, and Lisa Young. Sourced here: ConservationThroughReconciliationPartnership-e.pdf
Respect and Responsibility: Integrating Indigenous Rights and Private Conservation in Canada by Larry Inns, OKT, Ian Attridge, and Skeena Lawson. Sourced here: FINAL_LandTrustConsultationObligations_November2021_CC.pdf