Justine Townsend
Photo of three kayaks beached on the coast of Cortes Island, British Columbia. Photo credit: Justine Townsend
Justine Townsend is a Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Guelph, whose research is exploring the possibilities of reconciliation in the Canadian conservation sector. Justine has contributed her time and expertise on numerous projects with the CRP, including communications, knowledge mobilization and project support, including playing an instrumental role in creating and launching the CRP’s Virtual Campfire Series.
Justine tells us how professional relationships can be a bridge to strong, personal friendships. She shares a story of her six-day kayaking trip with colleague and friend Georgia-LLoyd Smith near Cortes Island (British Columbia).
Through her relationship with Georgia, Justine was able to connect with Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation and frame her research based on their requests for legislative reform that would support the creation of IPCAs in the province of British Columbia.
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Full Transcript
Introduction: Kristy Tomkinson
Hello, kwe’, boozhoo, taanishi, oki, atelihai , čačim hihak kʷaa, bonjour and welcome to Community Connections – a collection of stories from the Conservation through Reconciliation Partnership that explores relationships that strengthen our work to support and elevate Indigenous-led conservation across what is now known as Canada.
My name is Kristy Tomkinson and I will be your conversation guide.
In this episode, I am speaking with Justine Townsend, a PhD Candidate at the University of Guelph, whose research is exploring the possibilities of reconciliation in the Canadian conservation sector. Justine has contributed her time and expertise on numerous projects with the CRP, including communications and project support, and the Virtual Campfire Series. Welcome Justine.
Kristy Tomkinson:
So even though you and I have worked quite a bit together, Justine, on a lot of communications and knowledge mobilization, work within the conservation through reconciliation partnership, I didn't want to speak for you. So, I'd like you to briefly introduce yourself and kind of tell us about how you came to this work in Indigenous-led conservation and reconciliation, and what does that journey look like for you?
Justine Townsend:
Sure, yeah. So, I'm Justine Townsend, and I'm a second-generation Canadian living in Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh territories in Vancouver, B.C., which is home to me. And I dearly love living here in these lands and waters.
I was working in environmental consulting after my master’s for almost eight years and I was doing a lot of public engagement and Indigenous consultation advising for industry as part of the environmental assessment process. And I was looking to get into conservation work actually, and it was probably in 2016 that Robin Roth, who was my master's advisor, reached out to tell me about this vision she had for the CRP and asked me if I would be interested in Doing a PhD. and I actually surprisingly said yes after a lot of deliberation.
So, then I moved to Guelph and yeah. I was really excited to start studying in this field and to kind of shift my career more into directly supporting the initiatives, the stewardship initiatives of Indigenous nations, and governments, and communities which feels, yeah, really aligned with my ethics and values and my personal commitment to reconciliation. And yeah, and so I guess I got introduced to CRP kind of around its inception and I helped Robin, supported Robin with the proposal writing to SSHRC (Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council). So, it was neat to kind of just be part of those early discussions thinking about how this work could be framed and what it could do. Yeah, I think that's kind of how it all started back in 2017.
Kristy Tomkinson:
That's amazing. So, you would have a great knowledge of the whole history of how the CRP came to be and seeing it from the very beginning, so you must have a very unique perspective.
Justine Townsend:
Yeah, perhaps, yeah. And just seeing all of the amazing people who have been woven into it over time and continue to be woven into it. It's really, it's really neat. It really, truly is a big network.
Kristy Tomkinson:
And so, I know that you're involved in the knowledge mobilization side of things, and several streams, including Conservation Governance, and Ethical Space. Could you tell us a bit about any other Learning Circles or groups That you have been involved in with the CRP?
Justine Townsend:
Yeah, sure, yeah. Like you mentioned I'm involved in the Conservation Governance Stream, the Ethical Space Stream, and the Legal Stream. I would love to actually be a part of every stream, they're all very interesting and relevant to the research I'm doing.
I've also supported the CRP In other capacities, like supporting the working groups and, and most recently I've been working to create a really phenomenal guide with a lot of input from many people. It is an illustrated IPCA creation guide. And that will be released, hopefully in the new year, and I think it'll be a fantastic resource and the leadership circle has been really involved in that and many partners from various streams and so it's definitely a collaborative effort and it's designed for Indigenous nations and communities who want to establish an IPCA and are looking for more information, and so that's been a really, really fun project And I can't wait to see it out in the world soon.
Kristy Tomkinson:
Yeah, I'm excited too. And since this series is about relationships and connections between individuals, and I know I'm sure you've developed a lot of relationships and strengthened a lot of relationships through your work, I'm wondering if you could narrow down to one example of a connection you've developed or strengthened as part of your collaboration with the partnership? How did it come about, how has it evolved, and how has it supported your work?
Justine Townsend:
Sure, yeah. I was reflecting on this one and it's such a hard one to just narrow it down to one because really, the best part about the CRP for me has been the building of relationships and it's enhanced my Ph.D. program so much actually like just tremendously to have met so many Indigenous leaders and academics and conservation practitioners who all care so much care really deeply about supporting Indigenous-led conservation And changing the conservation, the dominant conservation paradigm.
And yeah, I just I feel like I've had so many mentors, so this was a tricky one, but I thought I would talk about one relationship that that truly did emerge from the CRP and not so much from my research And that was, I guess back in 2018, I went to a, to support a meeting in Sooke territory which is in Sooke B.C. and on Vancouver Island.
And I had just met Eli Enns and he had driven up there from Victoria with him, and it was a workshop on IPCAs, I think supported By David Suzuki Foundation, and the first person that I met when we arrived was Georgia Lloyd Smith, who's a staff lawyer with West Coast Environmental Law and as soon as I met her, I thought, oh, she's someone I definitely want to get to know, she looks super interesting and she is. And she is an amazing environmental lawyer, and she works for a brilliant organization.
They're a nonprofit legal organization that does a lot of incredible work, and one of the things they do is working around bridging and Indigenous and Western legal systems, and they work to support the revitalization of Indigenous law, amongst many other things. And yeah. And then over the, so anyways, it was a great workshop.
And then just over the next couple of years, I kept bumping into Georgia like at various like events across the country. Once in Montreal, once in Tofino in Tla-o-qui-aht territory, and they're all kind of events around Indigenous-led conservation. So, we had just kind of been weaving in and out. And then developing a friendship and becoming colleagues through that process and it was Georgia who introduced me to Kitasoo Xai'xais' stewardship authority.
And they're, so Kitasoo Xai'xais Nation is based around Klemtu in the Great Bear Rainforest on B.C.'s Central Coast and Georgia already was doing work with Kitasoo Xai'xais And then, yeah, I was introduced to them through her and was wondering if there was some way that I could sort of frame my research questions in a way that would answer some questions that they might have, and they actually had a very clear need for some research around kind of the need for legislative reform to support IPCAs in B.C. and to support some work that they're already doing in that space.
So, it's just led to this really fantastic research collaboration that's one of the core, I guess, ‘components’ of my Ph.D. research. So, Georgia and I are collaborating on this on this piece of work, and she brings the legal expertise and I'm learning a lot about law and Indigenous law and the colonial underpinnings of kind of the Western legal tradition and how that informs conservation governance.
And yeah, and it's just been really; I'm just so grateful to be working with Kitasoo Xai'xais and to be doing research that is directly speaking to research needs and interests of a community, and I really hope to be able to visit the Kitasoo Xai'xais' territory. I haven't been able to get up there because of COVID and travel restrictions and just wanting to. Be very respectful and careful before going into community.
But in the meantime, Georgia and I went, ended up going on an amazing kayak trip this summer, and so that's just another, yeah, another way that this work has, kind of bridges professional relationships, but then can become friendships as well.
And we went kayaking with my partner and another friend this summer, The four of us, up off Cortes Island off B.C. and paddled for I think six days and with so many humpback whales and some orcas. And yeah, and we were talking about in the future, hopefully being able to do a kayak trip around Kitasoo Xai'xais' territory on the Central Coast. So that's, that's a goal for maybe next summer.
Kristy Tomkinson:
That sounds amazing. I'm sure it was just beautiful out there.
Justine Townsend:
It was, yeah it was during one of the heat domes, so it was extremely hot and so it was really nice to be on the water and there was a lot of swimming that happened and a lot of lazing around on different beaches.
Kristy Tomkinson:
Thanks for sharing your story about your collegial relationship. But also, friendship that you've managed to develop with Georgia.
And as you may know, the CRP Elders Lodge has gifted us with the seven Grandmother and Grandfather Teachings to frame the way we work and to really help frame our governance structure. So, throughout this story that you've shared what sacred gifts, and these are love, respect, bravery, truth, honesty, humility, and wisdom, which one of those gifts was most present for you during the development of this friendship, and in collegial relationship, and in what ways?
Justine Townsend:
Yeah, a great question. I was reflecting on the seven teachings and how they're all so important, I think in a general sense.
In my research and my involvement in this space of the conservation space and particularly coming to really reflect deeply on my role and what I can contribute to Indigenous-led conservation in a good way that doesn't overstep boundaries or that really ensures that the leadership of IPCAs is really coming from nations.
And I really think that love and respect are the qualities that have been really present with me, and I think that are being cultivated through the CRP as well, and certainly reflected in my relationship with Georgia as well and also the communities I'm working with.
But also, I'm really present to, this year, the teaching, or yeah, the key teaching for this year for the CRP is bravery. And that one, I've been reflecting on more and just thinking about in what ways can I be more brave, or step up more or put myself in uncomfortable positions, or you know, or speak up, or yeah, put my body on the line in different ways? So, I've been thinking more about that one and trying to be, yeah, encourage myself to be more brave; and feeling really inspired by the bravery of others too.
Kristy Tomkinson:
I do like the bravery one because I feel like we could all use a little bit of bravery every now and then.
Justine Townsend:
Mhm, definitely, yeah.
Kristy Tomkinson:
I'm also curious to know: you've been able to develop many connections through your work with the CRP; have you ever had an opportunity to connect others within this network, within this partnership, and in what ways?
Justine Townsend:
Yeah, definitely. I feel privileged to know a lot of amazing folks who are working in different capacities that overlap with the mandate of the CRP. And so wherever possible, I'm always connecting people in, and sending emails and introducing people.
I think probably though, the most potentially relevant way is through, in the work that I'm doing, the collaborative research with the communities with Kitasoo Xai'xais, but also Xeni Gwet’in and Yuneŝit’in First Nations, who are leading the Dasiqox/Nexwagwezʔan Tribal Park initiative in the interior of BC. And I've been collaborating with them as well for a couple of years.
And I'm just trying to think about ways that I can connect the CRP to or bring the offerings of the CRP to the communities, but also translate what I'm hearing on the ground from communities. Like what the needs are, what the gaps are, what the challenges are, and bringing that back to the CRP to see if there's ways that we can put capacity towards that.
So, one example is there's a strong interest amongst many communities around governance models for IPCAs. And so that's something that we've heard pretty loud and clear, like many of us. And so, in the Conservation Governance Stream, we're working on a governance scan for IPCAs.
It's under development right now. We're just figuring out the methodology and the scope, but that's one example where collectively there will be a bunch of us putting energy into that and researching and creating some outputs that hopefully will be really relevant and timely for nations who are interested in seeing examples of different kinds of Indigenous governance models, whether it's co-governance with crown partners, or other innovative forms of maybe just sole Indigenous governance.
And so, yeah. I think that's a real asset of the CRP, is that we, so many of us have connections; are either in communities who are doing this work or supporting communities who are doing this kind of work, and then we can connect those needs and interests to this like amazing network of very skilled and caring practitioners.
Kristy Tomkinson:
That's great, yeah, I think that helps to further exemplify the whole spirit of the partnership is connecting people where they need to be connected and finding the needs and the gaps in terms of information and knowledge and getting that to the right people at the right time. So, thanks for sharing that example.
Justine Townsend:
You're welcome.
Kristy Tomkinson:
And I'm curious to know if there are connections that you'd like to make, or always wanted to make as you were introduced to the CRP, but just haven't had the chance yet? And these could be specific nations or communities or organizations or even individuals; If you haven't been able to make those connections yet and why?
Justine Townsend:
Yeah, I do feel like I have been connected to some sectors that I didn't previously have a lot of connections with. But I certainly would welcome a deepening and expanding of my network.
I think it's been really interesting to learn from federal, provincial, territorial representatives and kind of where they're at with conservation and conservation policy and mandates. I guess I feel like I've been able to connect more with federal initiatives and less so with the province of B.C. where my research is focused, and I think that would be an area I would love to develop more connections.
And I think it sort of reflects that there is a stronger policy mandate federally than in many of the provinces and territories. Not to say that there aren't champions within B.C., there certainly are, but that would be an area I would love to connect more.
And yeah, make some inroads and develop some relationships within the province and understand better what they're up against, what the challenges are and also maybe connect them to the CRP and support them with the work that we're, that we already have underway, and kind of help advance, like further the dial I guess to keep supporting Indigenous-led conservation in provinces where sometimes the mandate can be a bit lacking.
Kristy Tomkinson:
Thank you very much Justine for sitting down for some tea with me. It's been lovely to get to know you a bit better and thank you so much for sharing your story with us today.
Justine Townsend:
You're welcome, thanks for everything that you do with Knowledge Mobilization and Communications. And yeah, it was awesome to have tea together and talk about the CRP because I'm a huge fan.
Kristy Tomkinson:
Me too, thanks.
Thank you Justine, for sharing your story with us today.
That concludes this week’s story on Community Connections. New episodes will be released biweekly and you can find all episodes on our website at www.conservation-reconciliation.ca.
We would like to extend our gratitude to all of our community members who have made this series possible, including Heather Patterson, Allison Bishop, and our guest contributors. The music for this series is called Moonrise and is produced by Reed Mathis.
If you are enjoying this series and are interested in sharing your stories of connection, please email us at crpinfo@uoguelph.ca
Thank you and tune in next time to Community Connections.