Short Biography

Suudhl Cindy Boyko served as the Council of the Haida Nation co-chair on the Gwaii Haanas Archipelago Management Board for twenty-five years, where she oversaw the signing of the Gwaii Haanas Marine Agreement and establishment of Gwaii Haanas National Marine Conservation Area Reserve, the raising of the Legacy Pole at Hlk’yahGawGa Windy Bay and signing of the Gina ’Waadluxan KilGuhlGa Land-Sea-People Management Plan.

Cindy sat as an elected representative on the Council of the Haida Nation for nine years and, prior to that, was manager of the Haida Gwaii Watchmen Program. She is also a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the Haida Gwaii Institute.

Session Title: Indigenous Stewardship: Conservation Through Relationships

Parks Canada Parks Canada has embarked on a process of organization-wide renewal, centered around a vision of protected heritage area management and governance that is respectfully aligned with Indigenous ways of stewarding lands, water, and ice. At its core is the Indigenous Stewardship Framework and Policy, which respectfully advances reconciliation and support implementation of the UNDRIP. Done in collaboration with Indigenous Leaders, the Indigenous Stewardship Policy (ISP) seeks to support the continuity of Indigenous cultures and advance how the priorities of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples alongside Parks Canada’s mandate can be accomplished together to advance environmental, economic and community well-being. This session will share both Parks Canada and Indigenous perspectives of the ISP, key lessons learned and next steps.