For time immemorial, Indigenous Peoples have stewarded what’s now called “Canada,” living off of and caring for its lands and waters. When settlers arrived, they introduced commercial fishing, shipping and industrialization, which have come to endanger the aquatic ecosystems critical to our survival.

Now, Indigenous-led conservation areas are being established across the country to combat the impact colonization has had on oceans, lakes and rivers, and return these critical habitats to their original caretakers. While some First Nations are declaring these marine conservation areas in partnership with the federal government — there are five such Marine Conservation Areas so far — other First Nations are forging ahead on their own while they await settlers’ bureaucratic processes to catch up.

These efforts can support jobs, conserve and restore aquatic habitats, and increase food security, as the reporting gathered here documents.

This collection of stories produced by 10 news outlets, which can be used as an educational tool, is organized by water bodies. By clicking on the area you’d like to explore, you’ll be taken to the stories that detail the Indigenous-led conservation work being done to protect waters in that region. Clicking on a story headline will take you to the site of its original publication.