Endangered species laws and the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges and sciences in risk assessments

Abstract

Indigenous Peoples actively manage or have tenure rights over lands where many rare and valued species occur. To meet national and global conservation targets, it is important to meaningfully consider Indigenous knowledges and rights in endangered species laws. We examined whether the Canadian Species at Risk Act (SARA) has upheld its commitment to consider Indigenous knowledges in decisions pertaining to endangered species assessment. Using data from 823 species status assessments published from 1998 to 2023, we constructed indicators and derived a composite score for 5 tenets of Indigenized models of conservation: those that center Indigenous sovereignty, incorporate place‐based knowledges, emphasize interconnectedness, draw from Indigenous knowledge sources, and recognize the cultural importance of species. Over the last quarter century, we found no evidence of improved consideration or inclusion of Indigenous knowledges and science in species status assessments. Although status assessments in northern jurisdictions tended to be better aligned with Indigenized frameworks of conservation, mean composite scores remained low across status assessments (mean = 0.9/5 in 2023). To advance the meaningful consideration of Indigenous Peoples and their knowledges in conservation practices and policies, we recommend honoring endangered species laws’ specifications to consider Indigenous knowledges at every step of the process, from species assessment, to increasing capacity, to meaningfully engaging Indigenous Peoples.

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