A stretch of coastline almost as large as metropolitan New York is now protected under an Inuvialuit-led conservation effort.
Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area was signed into being on June 19. It will protect 850,000 hectares — or 8,500 square kilometres — of Yukon coast and effectively turns the northern 1.8 per cent of the territory into a nature preserve. The agreement was signed by the Inuvialuit Game Council, Inuvialuit Regional Corporation, Aklavik Hunters and Trappers Committee, Aklavik Community Corporation, Government of Yukon and Government of Canada.
"Aullaviat/Anguniarvik means ‘where wildlife and people travel, a place to hunt’ and this place has been a vital part of the Inuvialuit homeland since time immemorial,” said Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Working Group representative William Storr. “The traditional use and management of this area is central to our Inuvialuit culture, identity and values. We are proud to finally establish an agreement with Canada and the Yukon that will allow us to continue to take care of the animals and sustain our culture.”
A management plan fed by a $10 million trust fund established by the federal government will go towards the preservation of biodiversity and Inuvialuit culture. Philanthropic groups 444S Foundation, Art into Acres in partnership with Re:wild, the Wilburforce Foundation, and the Wyss Foundation contributed another $3.5 million to the fund. The area ties together several other conservation agreements, including Ivvavik and Vuntut national parks and Herschel Island Qikiqtaruk Territorial Park, as well as Old Crow Flats Special Management Area and Daadzaii Van Territorial Park.
As recommended in 2018 by Canada’s Indigenous Circle of Experts, primary stewardship and management of the land will be led by the Inuvialuit.
"Many of today’s Elders in Aklavik grew up on the land in and around Aullaviat/Anguniarvik," said Aklavik Elder Committee representative Lorna Storr. "We
learned from our Elders, and over the decades we have seen changes to the land and the wildlife firsthand. We now live in Aklavik, but our time in Aullaviat/Anguniarvik is precious. It allows us to harvest, connect with our ancestors, spend time with family and friends, and to pass on our knowledge to tomorrow’s leaders. The Elders in Aklavik are pleased to see that with the establishment of the Aullaviat/Anguniarvik Traditional Conservation Area, our vision for full wilderness protection across the Yukon North Slope is complete."
Home to many vital species in the North, from polar bears to the 200,000 strong porcupine caribou herd, Aullaviat/Anguniarvik covers an area larger than Banff National Park. The development of the agreement has been underway for 40 years, since the signing of the Inuvialuit Final Agreement, but a conservation area was first recommended in 1978 by the Berger report during the Mackenzie Valley Pipeline Inquiry. The area is a vital spring and fall range for the Porcupine caribou herd.
“Indigenous-led conservation is one of the most important pathways for achieving Canada’s biodiversity goals and sustaining long-term conservation gains," said Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault. "This historic agreement ensures the region’s lands, waters, and biodiversity will remain conserved for future generations and is an example of Canada’s ongoing commitment to a distinctions-based approach for Inuvialuit. Through partnerships like this, Canada continues to make progress toward conserving 30 percent of lands and waters in Canada by 2030.”
