Landmark Agreement Signed In Niagara To Advance Indigenous Knowledge And Environmental Stewardship

“This partnership represents an important step toward bringing Indigenous knowledge systems alongside contemporary conservation practices in ways that benefit both people and the environment,”                                                                                              – Phil Davis, Member of the Board of Directors of the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations.

A News Release from the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relation and Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted August 5^th, 2026 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA, ONTARIO — The Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations (NAIR) and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) are pleased to announce the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that establishes long-term relations to strengthen environmental stewardship, conservation, education, and the respectful integration of Indigenous knowledge throughout the Niagara Peninsula watershed.

The agreement recognizes that the health of the land, water, plants, animals, and people is interconnected, reflecting values expressed in the Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address (Ohen:ton Karihwatehkwen), which teaches gratitude, reciprocity, and responsibility toward the natural world. These principles closely align with the missions of both organizations and provide a strong foundation for future collaboration.

Through the MOU, NAIR and NPCA will work together to advance ecological conservation, support biodiversity and habitat restoration, strengthen climate resilience, expand public education, and foster meaningful engagement with Indigenous histories, cultures, and relationships to the land and waters of Niagara.

“This partnership represents an important step toward bringing Indigenous knowledge systems alongside contemporary conservation practices in ways that benefit both people and the environment,” said Phil Davis, Member of the Board of Directors of the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations.

“For thousands of years, Indigenous peoples have understood that caring for the land begins with understanding our relationship to it. By working together, we can create opportunities for learning, stewardship, and reconciliation that will have lasting benefits for future generations.”

Under the agreement, the organizations will collaborate on initiatives including conservation planning, land and water stewardship, educational programming, community engagement, interpretive signage, Indigenous place-making where appropriate, and research that respectfully combines Indigenous ways of knowing with Western science.

Early projects include management planning and engagement for Beamer Memorial and Woodend conservation areas, as well as enhancing Indigenous storytelling and interpretation at Ball’s Falls and its Centre for Conservation.

“Conservation is ultimately about people as much as it is about the environment,” added Leilani Lee-Yates, Chief Administrative Officer at NPCA. “This agreement reflects our responsibility to build relationships that are enduring, intentional, and based on mutual respect. It will help shape how we approach our work for years to come, and not as a single initiative, but as part of how we serve the Niagara Peninsula watershed every day.”

The agreement also establishes a framework for sharing knowledge, supporting Indigenous data sovereignty and cultural protocols, engaging communities in land-based learning, and jointly developing future projects that contribute to healthy watersheds and resilient ecosystems across the region.

The agreement reflects the shared belief that environmental stewardship is strengthened when diverse knowledge systems are respected and brought together through authentic partnership. As collaborative projects emerge under the agreement, both organizations look forward to creating opportunities that inspire public engagement, foster reconciliation, and help ensure Niagara’s natural heritage is protected for generations to come.

About the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations – The Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations is an Indigenous-led, not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing public understanding of Indigenous history, culture, environmental stewardship, and reconciliation through research, education, publishing, community collaboration, and land-based learning.

For more info on the Academy: https://niagaraacademy.org

About the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority – As a community-based natural resource management agency, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority envisions a healthy and vibrant natural environment with shared greenspace and clean water for all. NPCA’s work supports the conservation, enhancement, and sustainability of healthy watersheds with programs and services that focus on drinking water source protection, flood and hazard management, ecosystem restoration, community stewardship, education, and land management.

NPCA is the caretaker of 43 conservation areas within the Niagara Peninsula watershed held in public trust for recreation, heritage preservation, conservation, and education. These natural and shared greenspaces marry nature, culture, and adventure to create limitless opportunities for discovery.

For more info on NPCA: www.npca.ca (http://www.npca.ca/)

Follow on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/NPCAOntario) , Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/npca_ontario/) , and LinkedIn  (https://www.linkedin.com/company/niagara-peninsula-conservation-authority/) for more updates.

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