Amplifying the voices of Treaty 9
The Hudson-James Bay Lowlands, home to the Omushkego people in Treaty 9 territory, is one of the last refuges on the planet for intact peatlands, clean water and untouched boreal forest. Help us amplify the voice of the Indigenous grassroots from Treaty 9 who are calling for the protection of their lands and water.
Overview
Indigenous grassroots of Treaty 9 have issued a ‘Declaration of Protection’ for the lands and waters under their Natural Laws, affirming their inherent and Treaty rights and their responsibility to protect these territories for present and future generations.
The Declaration recognizes the Hudson–James Bay Lowlands and its many rivers, including the Attawapiskat, Kapiskau, Ekwan, Opinnagau, Albany and Winisk as protected in accordance with Indigenous Natural Law.
This region—where the Ring of Fire is proposed—is a place of profound cultural and ecological significance. Protecting it means ensuring it remains a refuge for wildlife, a globally significant carbon sink and undisturbed territory for the Omushkego Peoples who have relied on these lands and waters since time immemorial.
Threats to biodiversity and climate
The sheer vastness and global importance of the Hudson–James Bay Lowlands—for the people and animals who call it home, and for all of us who depend on it—can only be surpassed by the scale of the threat it now faces.
Tens of thousands of mining claims have been staked across Treaty 9 territory, covering approximately 5,000 square kilometres within the so-called Ring of Fire. Exploration permits issued by Ontario allow for line cutting, drilling, and construction, opening up one of the world’s last intact peatland systems.
These peatlands have cooled the Earth for millennia, store vast amounts of carbon, and support biodiverse, interconnected watersheds. Indigenous-led conservation—rooted in Natural Law and Treaty responsibility—has protected these ecosystems since time immemorial.
What We Are Doing
Indigenous-led conservation is a centerpiece of global efforts to safeguard biodiversity.
At LAND, we work alongside Indigenous rights holders to amplify their calls for support, and provide legal advocacy, public legal education, and strategic support so that Indigenous laws, Treaty rights, and consent obligations can be exercised and respected.
A core part of this work includes hosting in-community gatherings across Treaty 9 and Indigenous hubs in Northern Ontario, led alongside Elders and Knowledge Keepers. These gatherings are part of LAND’s community-based lawyering and public legal education work to create accessible, culturally grounded materials for people to learn about their rights, share concerns, and build collective capacity to respond to threats facing their territories.
We invite you to watch our videos below, to hear directly from Indigenous leaders and community voices who have been active in safeguarding some of the most culturally unique and last of their kind ecosystems – all here in Northern Ontario.
How to Get Involved
The ‘Protection Declaration’ affirms that we are all Treaty people, bound by promises that continue to carry legal, moral, and relational meaning today. Upholding those promises means standing together to protect the lands and waters that sustain life, culture, and future generations.
We invite you to you to join us and the Friends of the Attawapiskat River, in calling for the respect of their natural law and right to protect and conserve their lands and waters.
Sign on in solidarity, share widely, and support our work, to advance Indigenous-led conservation in Northern Ontario.
Your support makes Indigenous-led conservation possible
Protecting the lands and waters of Treaty 9 under Indigenous Natural Law requires sustained, community-driven action. We work ‘pro bono’ or for free, meaning every dollar you donate allows us to travel and host gatherings on rights and justice througout fly-in and remote communities in Northern Ontario.
We can only do this work with the support of our community and partners. Will you join us in advancing Indigenous-led conservation and the protection of lands and waters for future generations?