Articulating Indigenous Rights Within the Inclusive Development Framework: An Assessment of Forest Stewardship Policies and Practices in British Columbia, Canada

While there has been a shift away from actively excluding Indigenous Peoples in forestry decisions, modern approaches to forest management often continue to disregard the multi-generational social, cultural, economic, and environmental needs of forest-based Indigenous communities. This article examines contemporary forest stewardship in British Columbia, Canada in the context of inclusive development-related policies – focusing on the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) Calls to Action. Relevant literature, case studies, and public documents are examined to assess if and how inclusive development-related policies are affecting Indigenous forest stewardship in British Columbia. Implications and recommendations for Canadian forest policy makers and practitioners are provided to facilitate reconciliation. In addition, the potential significance of monitoring the progression of inclusive development within Indigenous forest stewardship practices by using UNDRIP (alongside other Indigenous-focused policies unique to individual countries) is discussed.