Cities in Canada and the United States are situated
on the traditional territories of Indigenous Peoples
who have lived on these lands since time immemorial.
Increasingly, local Indigenous knowledge and steward-
ship practices are being recognized in arboriculture
and urban forestry. Two of the 16 objectives within the
recently released the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI)
Urban and Community Forest Sustainability Standard
specify Indigenous participation and engagement
in urban forestry. Unfortunately, very few resources
exist for urban foresters, impeding program creation
and development. To advance Indigeneity in urban
forestry, this article outlines several considerations
to effectively support Indigenous engagement.
The SFI Standard and UNDRIP
The SFI's Urban and Community Forest Sustainability
Standard is a considerable advancement in the
management of urban forests worldwide. Of the
16 objectives laid out in the standard, two relate
to Indigenous Peoples: Objective 1 – Community,
People, and Indigenous Participation includes the
integrations of Indigenous knowledge and perspec-
tives, including communication with Indigenous
Peoples and meaningful opportunities for engagement
in decision making processes. Objective 15 – Legal
and Regulatory Compliance Including Indigenous
Rights includes requirements for written policies doc-
umenting compliance with Indigenous rights and
recognizing established frameworks, including rele-
vant laws, treaties, and the United Nations Declaration
on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP).
Laws and treaties will vary regionally, and it is important
for urban foresters to understand their social and
legal obligations related to Indigenous Peoples.
Many cities and counties have resources available
to support decision making that involves or poten-
tially impacts Indigenous Peoples, and we encourage
urban foresters to make use of these resources.
What is ubiquitous, however, is UNDRIP. Adopted in
2007 by the United Nations (UN) General Assembly,
UNDRIP emphasizes Indigenous autonomy. Paramount
to this is the right to self-determination, recognizing >>
Hunter Goan, Navajo (Diné) is a graduate
student in the Department of Environmental
Horticulture at the University of Florida.
Alexander Martin authors policy briefings on
Indigenous urban forestry for governmental, inter-gov-
ernmental, and non-governmental organizations.
Jenna Valiquette is a proud Anishinaabekwe
member of Poplar River First Nation in so-called
Canada and graduate of the University
of Winnipeg in Indigenous Studies.
Dr. Ryan Klein is an Assistant Professor
in the Department of Environmental
Horticulture at the University of Florida.
Indigenous Engagement
in Urban Forestry
14 CityTREES
